6th century Kannada inscription in cave temple number 3 at Badami

About 25,000 inscriptions found in

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...

and states near by belongs to Kannada rulers like Kadambas,

Western Ganga Dynasty Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (m ...

Rashtrakuta Rashtrakuta ( IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing the ...

Chalukya The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynast ...

Hoysala The Hoysala Empire was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur, but was later moved ...

and

Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Mahar ...

. Many inscriptions related to

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...

are unearthed. The inscriptions generally found are on stone (''Shilashasana'') or copper plates (''Tamarashasana''). The Kannada inscriptions ( Old Kannada,

Kadamba script The Kadamba script is the first writing system devised specifically for writing Kannada and Telugu. It is a descendant of the Brahmi script. The Kadamba script is also known as ''Pre-Old-Kannada script''. The Kadamba script is one of the ol ...

) found on historical Hero Stone, coin and temple wall, piller, tablet and rock edict. These Inscription have contributed towards Kannada literature and helped to classify as ''Proto Kannada, Pre Old Kannada, Old Kannada, Middle Kannada and New Kannada. ''Inscriptions'' depicts culture, tradition and prosperity of those era. The world wide recognized literature '' Ramayana '' and '' Mahabharata '' are transferred through generation by these Inscription Hazara Rama Temple and Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple are the best example.

Earliest Kannada inscriptions

Old Kannada inscription Hero Stone from 9th century AD in Kalleshvara Temple at Aralaguppe

The first written record in Kannada traced to Ashoka's Brahmagiri edict dating back to around 250 BC, Tagarthi inscription dates back to 350 AD. The stone inscription (dated 370 CE) found at Talagunda near Shiralakoppa in the taluk during excavation by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 2013-14 is now said to be the earliest Kannada inscription. Nishadi Inscription of 400 AD of Chandragiri hill (

Shravanabelagola Shravanabelagola () is a town located near Channarayapatna of Hassan district in the Indian state of Karnataka and is from Bengaluru. The Gommateshwara Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola is one of the most important tirthas (pilgrimage d ...

Halmidi inscription The Halmidi inscription is the oldest known Kannada language inscription in the Kadamba script. While estimates vary slightly, the inscription is often dated to between 450 CE - 500 CE. The inscription was discovered in 1936 by Dr. M. H. Kris ...

of 5th century AD and

Aihole inscriptions Aihole (pronounced "Eye-hoḷé"), also referred to as Aivalli, Ahivolal or Aryapura, is a historic site of ancient and medieval era Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments in Karnataka, India that dates from the sixth century through the twelfth cen ...

are very important in the history of Kannada and Karnataka. 5th century Tamatekallu inscription of Chitradurga and 500 CE Chikkamagaluru inscription. The earliest known Kannada inscription in Bengaluru region traced to the reign of

Sripurusha Sripurusha was a Western Ganga Dynasty king who ruled from 726 - 788 CE. According to the Javali inscription Sripurusha ruled for 62 years. He had marital relations with the Badami Chalukyas and used titles such as ''Muttarasa'', ''Rajakesari'', ...

was discovered in 2018 in Hebbal. There are few Kannada words found in the edicts and inscriptions those are prior to the Christian era in places as far as Egypt. ;Brahmagiri rock inscription of Ashoka Ashoka rock edict at Brahmagiri in Chitradurga district is the ancient site of ''Ishila''. An inscription there contains this most ancient Kannada word. The earliest recorded word of Kannada is ''Isila'' occurring in the Brahmagiri rock inscription of 252 BC (similar to many other inscriptions with Kannada words). ;Tagarthi inscription A Dr. S. Shettar completed a detailed palaeographic study over 10 years, finding five to six inscriptions that are older than Halmidi inscription (in Poorvada Halegannada dialect). The inscription is a mix of Brahmi, Kannada and Nagari scripts. One of those found at Tagarthi (within the Gangavadi region in Shimoga district) dates to 350 AD, during the Ganga dynasty. This study pushed the date push back by at least a century. The historian ''Suryanath Kamath'' also agree with the findings of Dr S. Shettar. ;Gunabhushitana Nishadi inscription ''M. G. Manjunath'' an epigraphist Mysore based scholar discovered 400 AD ''Gunabhushitana Nishadi inscription'' of Jainism one of the 271 inscriptions on Chandragiri hill of Shravanabelagola found near Parshwanatha Basadi, which is 50 years older than Halmidi inscription. It is mentioned in the Epigraphia Karnataka. There are Prakrit, Sanskrit and Purvada Halegannada ( Old Kannada words. The four lined inscription has six words. The inscription is in ''Shatavahana Brahmi and Aadi Ganga script''.

M. Chidananda Murthy M. Chidananda Murthy (10 May 1931 – 11 January 2020) was a Kannada writer, researcher and historian. He was a well-known scholar in Karnataka specializing in the history of Kannada language and ancient Karnataka. He was also known for his cam ...

also agree that ''Gunabhushitana Nishadi Shasana'' was a Kannada inscription (in Purvada Halegannada script). ;Halmidi inscription The 5th century AD ''

'' 16-line earliest Kannada inscription found at Halmidi in Belur taluk of Hassan district on rectangular sandstone ( 2.5 ft height and 1 ft width) has a Vishnu Chakra on its top. The language of the inscription is in ''Poorvada Halegannada'' ( Proto-Kannada). Archaeologist M. H. Krishna found the Brahmi script in the inscription. Shifted the inscription to ''Archaeological Museum, Mysore'' and later to ''Government Museum in Bangalore''. '' Epigraphia Karnataka'' has dedicated a chapter to study of the inscription. The linguists and writers

Govinda Pai Manjeshwar Govinda Pai (23 March 1883 – 6 September 1963), also known as Rastrakavi Govinda Pai, was a Kannada poet. He was awarded the first Rashtrakavi title by the Madras Government (Kasaragod district was part of South Kanara district of ...

, T. V. Venkatachala Sastry, Ram Sri Mugali, R.S. Panchamukhi, D.L. Narasimhachar, and M. M. Kalburgi studied the inscription and published papers. Writers including

G. S. Gai G. S. Gai (Govind Swamirao Gai) (3 March 1917 – 5 February 1995) was an Indian epigraphist, historical linguist, and historian, known for his expertise in early-medieval Kannada language inscriptions. From 1962 until 1976, Gai was the Chief Ep ...

, T. A. Gopinatha Rao, T. N. Srikantaiah, Shivarama Aithala, S. Nagaraju,

S. Srikanta Sastri Sondekoppa Srikanta Sastri (5 November 1904 – 10 May 1974) was an Indian historian, Indologist, and polyglot. He authored around 12 books, over two hundred articles, several monographs and book reviews over four decades in English, Kannada, ...

, M. Mariyappa Bhatta, M. B. Neginahal, K. V. Ramesh, Devarakondareddy and K. M. Hanumantha Rao have discussed the important issues raised by Halmidi inscription in their books. ;Tamatakallu inscriptions Chitradurga district is home for most ancient inscriptions written in ''archaic Kannada script''. As per epigraphist Dr. B. Rajashekharappa the inscriptions known as ''Veeragallu'' at Tamatakal village written in Kannada script belongs mostly to end of Fifth Century or beginning of Sixth Century, describes the nature and achievements of ''Gunamadhura'' who ruled ''Masikapura'' (ancient name of Tamatakal), ''he was frivolous, generous and kind person. he was a favourite among women (Despite being of dark complexion), because of his kind nature''. In 1903 by the historian late

B. L. Rice Benjamin Lewis Rice (17 July 1837 – 10 July 1927), popularly known as B. L. Rice, was a British historian, archaeologist and educationist. He is known for his pioneering work in deciphering inscriptions, especially in Kannada, and in Sansk ...

discovered the inscriptions, Dr. Rajashekharappa found new aspects.

Karnataka inscriptions of Kannada dynasties

The Karnataka inscriptions are mainly categories as mentioned below ; Kadambas inscriptions *

- Kadamba Coins and the earliest Kannada inscription *

Talagunda pillar inscription The Tālagunda pillar inscription of Kakusthavarman is an epigraphic record in Sanskrit found in the ruined Pranavalingeshwara temple northwest of village Talagunda, Karnataka, India. It is engraved on hard grey granite and dated to between 455 ...

* Halasi Inscriptions of

Kadambas of Halasi The Kadambas of Halasi was a South Indian dynasty during the Late Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Halasi, Karnataka; who were known for their own style of temple building. The Kadamba dynasty w ...

* Chandravalli rock inscription. * In AD 475-490 Mrigesavarman of

inscription there is mention about Yapaniya. ;

inscriptions Old Kannada inscription dated 981 CE in Vindyagiri hill at Shravanabelagola

* The 981 CE Old Kannada inscription at Vindyagiri

* Hebbal-Kittayya inscription at Hebbal, Bangalore *

Doddahundi nishidhi inscription The Doddahundi nishidhi and inscription is a hero stone from Doddahundi, 18 km from Tirumakudalu Narasipura in the Mysore district, Karnataka state, India. It has an undated old Kannada language inscription which historians J. F. Fleet, ...

* Atakur inscription * The 983 CE

Tyagada Brahmadeva Pillar The Tyagada Brahmadeva Pillar (or ''Chhagada Brahmadeva Pillar'') is a decorated free standing pillar (''lit'', ''Stambha''), 2.3 m tall, commissioned by Chamundaraya, an important minister and commander in the Western Ganga kingdom, durin ...

at Shravanabelagola *

Shravanabelagola inscription of Nandisena The Shravanabelagola inscription of Nandisena, dated to the 7th century, is one of the early poetic inscriptions in the Kannada language. The inscription extols saint Nandisena of Shravanabelagola (a prominent place of Jain religious power and wor ...

* Tumbula inscriptions of 444 AD, Sanskrit-Kannada inscription, the Kannada words are used to describe the land boundaries. * Western Ganga Kannada writings ;

inscriptions * The 634CE

Aihole inscription The Aihole Inscription, also known as the Aihole ''prashasti'', is a nineteen line Sanskrit inscription at Meguti Jain temple in Aihole, Karnataka, India. An eulogy dated 634–635 CE, it was composed by the Jain poet Ravikirti in honor of his p ...

of ''Ravi Kirti'' (minister and poet of Badami Chalukya

Pulakeshin II Pulakeshin II (IAST: Pulakeśin, r. c. 610–642 CE) was the most famous ruler of the Chalukya dynasty of Vatapi (present-day Badami in Karnataka, India). During his reign, the Chalukya kingdom expanded to cover most of the Deccan region in pe ...

) available at the Meguti temple, the inscription is a eulogy of

and his conquests. Hebbal Inscription Stone

Mahakuta Pillar Mahakuta Pillar ( kn, ಮಹಾಕೂಟ ಸ್ತಂಭ), also known as Makuta pillar, Magada stambha or Mangalesa Dharma Jayastambha, is a deep red sandstone pillar with an early 7th-century inscription of Early Western Chalukya era. It was fou ...

Kappe Arabhatta Kappe Arabhatta ( kn, ಕಪ್ಪೆ ಅರಭಟ್ಟ) was a Chalukya warrior of the 8th century who is known from a Kannada verse inscription, dated to c. 700 CE, and carved on a cliff overlooking the northeast end of the artificial lake in ...

* Badami Inscriptions * Gadag inscription of Vikramaditya VI * Sudi Inscriptions * 610AD Peddavaduguru inscription of Pulakeshin II ;

inscriptions *

Kavirajamarga ''Kavirajamarga'' ( kn, ಕವಿರಾಜಮಾರ್ಗ) (850 C.E.) is the earliest available work on rhetoric, poetics and grammar in the Kannada language.Kamath (2001), p 90Narasimhacharya (1988), p 2 It was inspired by or written in part by ...

* Ninth century Kannada stone inscription of Rashtrakuta period unearthed near Tumbi Kere (tank) at Halekumur village in Byadgi Takuk. The inscription is about Rashtrakuta rulers donating 200 acres to Siddarevar Singh to construct a tank. *

Navalinga Temple The Navalinga temple is a cluster of Hindu temples built in the 9th century, during the reign of King Amoghavarsha I or his son Krishna II of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty. The temple is located in the town of Kukkanur (also called Kuknur), north of ...

inscriptions Kuknur. * Northernmost Kannada inscription of the Rashtrakutas of 964 AD is the Jura record found near Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. * Inscriptions related to

Dantidurga Dantidurga (reigned 735–756 CE), also known as Dantivarman II was the founder of the Rashtrakuta Empire of Manyakheta. Reu (1933), p54 His capital was based in Gulbarga region of Karnataka. His successor was his uncle Krishna I who extended his ...

;

inscriptions ;

inscriptions ; Vengi Chalukya inscriptions ; Yadava inscriptions ; Kalachuri Inscriptions

Kannada copper plates and manuscripts

* The 8th century AD oldest Kannada copper plate inscription found at

Belmannu {{unreferenced, date=October 2021 Belmannu, also called Belman, is a small town in Karkala Taluk, Karkala taluk of Udupi district. The place derived its name from the Kannada word Bellimannu which means silver (belli) soil (mannu). Belmannu is ...

in Karkala taluk of Udupi district. * Western Ganga Dynasty ''Tumbula inscriptions'' of 444 AD * The 8th century AD Aluvarasa II of

Alupas The Alupa dynasty (ಅಳುಪೆರ್, ಆಳ್ವೆರ್) (circa 2nd century C.E to 15th century C.E) was an ancient ruling dynasty of India. The kingdom they ruled was known as ''Alvakheda Arusasira'' and its territory spanned the coa ...

br>copper plate inscription in Kannada
* The 1430 AD Vijayanagara empire ''Devarajapuram copper plate inscription'' having state-deit

to certify a grant of land to Brahmins (by King Devaraya II (1425-1446)).

Coins bearing Kannada inscription

* The 5th Century copper coin in archaic Kannada script found at

Banavasi Banavasi is an ancient temple town located near Sirsi in Karnataka. Banavasi was the ancient capital of the Kannada empire Kadamba that ruled all of modern-day Karnataka state. They were the first native empire to bring Kannada and Karnataka t ...

. One side has five letter inscription ''Sri Manaragi'' and symbol of ''Ujjain'' on other side. * Coins bearing Kannada inscription * Pagodas and Fanams with Kannada inscription were the coinage of

. * Kadamba Coins * Lari (fish hook money) * Sudi and Lakkundi coins mint (Tankhashaley) * Honnu or Gadyana of Hoysala * Kalachuri Kannada Coinage

Kannada inscriptions found outside Karnataka

Many Kannada inscriptions found outside Karnataka mainly Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Kannada inscriptions found in Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh has numerous Kannada inscriptions. * Kannada inscription of

Gooty Gooty ( ) is a town in Anantapur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Gooty mandal in Anantapur revenue division. The town is renowned for the Gooty hill fort. Geography Gooty is located at , at a dis ...

in Andhra Pradesh. * At Tirumala Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati there are about ''50 inscriptions'' available in Telugu and Kannada. * Inscription (in

Kannada-Telugu script The Kannada–Telugu script (or Telugu–kannada script) was a writing system used in Southern India. Despite some differences, the scripts used for the Kannada and Telugu languages remain quite similar and highly mutually intelligible. Histo ...

) of Vijayanagara empire found at Kadimetla in Yemmiganur mandal of Kurnool district. * The 10th century AD. Copper plates of Amma II of

Eastern Chalukya Eastern Chalukyas, also known as the Chalukyas of Vengi, were a dynasty that ruled parts of South India between the 7th and 12th centuries. They started out as governors of the Chalukyas of Badami in the Deccan region. Subsequently, they beca ...

available at National Museum New Delhi. * The 15th Centur
Rare inscription traces route to Tirumala
written in Kannada found in ''a mango orchard in Krishnampalle'' of T. Kammapalle panchayat (in Pullampet mandal) in Kadapa district. The inscription with the portrait of ''Tallapaka Pedda Tirumalarayudu'' (eldest son of saint lyricist ''Tallapaka Annamacharya'') and ''Sankham, Chakram and Namam'' of Lord Vishnu.

Kannada inscriptions found in Maharashtra

* The '' Karhad copper plates'' in Kannada from Maharashtra is about after the defeat of Rajaditya in Takkolam the

Krishna III Krishna III whose Kannada name was Kannara (r. 939 – 967 C.E.) was the last great warrior and able monarch of the Rashtrakuta dynasty of Manyakheta. He was a shrewd administrator and skillful military campaigner. He waged many wars to bring ...

's distribution of the raid of war; among his people at Melpadi military camp (Tamil Nadu) and also there is mention that Krishna III's invasion of the Chola territory was also to provide livelihood for his people. * Majority of the inscriptions found at Bombay (

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

) are in Prakrit, Sanskrit and few are in Kannada. Out of the inscriptions found two belongs to

Chalukyas The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynasty ...

, one to Kadambas, two to

Rashtrakutas Rashtrakuta ( IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing the ...

, eight to

Shilahara The Shilahara Kingdom (IAST: Śilāhāra; also Sinhara, Shailahara, Shrilara, and Silara) was a royal dynasty that established itself in northern and southern Konkan in 8th century CE, present-day Mumbai and Southern Maharashtra (Kolhapur) du ...

s, one to

Yadavas of Devagiri The Seuna, Sevuna, or Yadavas of Devagiri (IAST: Seuṇa, –1317) was a Medieval Indian dynasty, which at its peak ruled a kingdom stretching from the Narmada river in the north to the Tungabhadra river in the south, in the western part of t ...

. * Shilaharas Kannada inscriptions, Silharas of Kolhapur used Kannada in inscriptions. * Maharashtra is mentioned as '' Maharashtraka'' (Great districts or provinces) in 580 CE Chalukya inscription. * Many historical inscriptions mentioned Kolhapur as ''Kollgiri, Kolladigirpattan, Kshullakpur Kollapur and Kollpur'', particularly the word ''Kollpur'' originated from Kannada language. * Kannada inscriptions of Solapur district of Maharashtra * Inscriptions at Ellora * The 11th - 12th Century AD period Kannada Inscription of

Vikramaditya VI Vikramaditya VI (r. 1076 – 1126 CE) became the Western Chalukya King after deposing his elder brother Someshvara II, a political move he made by gaining the support of Chalukya vassals during the Chola invasion of Chalukya territory.Sen ...

found a
Beed Maharashtra

Kannada inscriptions found in Tamil Nadu

The Kannada inscription of Rashtrakuta
king

period] (of Tenth century CE) found at Melpadi village in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu. It is mentioned as the endowment was made in the presence of

's feudatories ( Rattas and Bitti Raja of Melpadi). Krishna III was praised as ''Akalavarsha Deva, Prithvi Vallabha, Maha Rajathiraja, Parameshvara, Parama Bhattaraka and Chaleka Nallathan'' and it indicats that he was about to accomplish his conquests of Kancheepuram and Thanjavur. The Kannada inscriptions found at Kanchipuram, Dharmapuri region, Vazhaithottam in Nilgiri District, Jain Palli at Alathur in Avinasi taluk, Coimbatore District and Karamadai copper plate inscription. Avinashi Temple inscription in Coimbatore, Kanchi inscription of Vikramaditya, Sittannavasal inscription, Melpadi inscription of Rastrakuta Krishna III, Madras Kannada Herostone inscription, Kodumbalur inscription of Irukkuvelir Chiefs and Hero-stone inscriptions in Kondaharahalli are the inscriptions in Kannada. ;Other parts of the world * The stone scripture found in Doleshwor of Nepal written in Kannada. * Pyu sites of Myanmar yielded variety of Indian scripts including Kannada inscription. * The ''Deopara inscription'' describes the Senas as ''Karnata Kshatriyas and Brahma-Kshatriyas''.

Research institute of Kannada manuscripts

Oriental Research Institute Mysore Formerly known as the Oriental Library, the Oriental Research Institute (ORI) at Mysore, India, is a research institute which collects, exhibits, edits, and publishes rare manuscripts written in various scripts like Devanagari ( Sanskrit), Br ...

* Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library
National Institute of Prakrit Studies and Research - Prakrit and Kannada manuscripts

People associated with Kannada inscriptions and manuscripts

* People associated with the study of Kannada inscriptions *

Shivakotiacharya Shivakotiacharya (also Shivakoti), a writer of the 9th-10th century, is considered the author of didactic Kannada language Jain text ''Vaddaradhane'' (''lit'', "Worship of elders", ca. 900). A prose narrative written in pre-Old-Kannada (''P ...

Vaddaradhane Vaddaradhane by Shivakotiacharya is the earliest extant prose work in Kannada. It is a didactic work consisting of nineteen stories and is based on Harisena's ''Brhatkathakosa''. The work is also known for mentioning the precursor to modern idl ...

* Nagavarma I *

Phakirappa Gurubasappa Halakatti Dr. Phakirappa Gurubasappa Halakatti was an Indian scholar and Kannada writer and also known for the resurrection of Vachana sahitya. Dr. Phakeerappa Halakatti was born on July 2, 1880, to Gurubasappa and Danamma in Dharwad. He was the founding ...

Aluru Venkata Rao Aluru Venkata Rao (also sometimes referred as Aluru Venkata Raya) (12 July 1880 – 25 February 1964) was an Indian historian, writer and journalist. He is revered as Karnataka Kulapurohita (''High priest of the Kannada family'') in the Karn ...

Parabrahma Sastry

References

External links

* {{Commons category-inline, Kannada inscriptions in Karnataka
Kannada inscriptions

Pâli, Sanskṛit and Old Canarese Inscriptions from the Bombay Presidency and ... By John Faithful Fleet, James Burgess

The Indian temple forms in Karṇātạ inscriptions and architecture

* ttp://www.kud.ac.in/content.aspx?module=dept&page=dept_KRI Kannada Research Institute (KRI) Karnataka University Dharwad
Ancient History and Archaeology Mysore Karnataka

Temples of Karnataka

* ttp://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/mtdc/HTML/MaharashtraTourism/TouristDelight/images/pdf/Vithoba.pdf Inscriptions related to Vithoba Linguistic history of India Historiography of India History of Karnataka Literature of Karnataka Asian archaeology Archaeological artefact types Archaeology of India Inscriptions by languages