Kannada inscriptions


About 25,000 inscriptions found in Karnataka belongs to Kannada rulers like Kadambas, Western Ganga Dynasty, Rashtrakuta, Chalukya, Hoysala and Vijayanagara Empire. Many inscriptions related to Buddhism and Jainism are unearthed. The inscriptions generally found are on stone or copper plates. The Kannada inscriptions 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 KannadaInscriptions 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

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, Nishadi Inscription of 400 AD of Chandragiri hill, Halmidi inscription of 5th century AD and Aihole inscriptions 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 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.
;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. The inscription is a mix of Brahmi, Kannada and Nagari scripts. One of those found at Tagarthi
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.
;Halmidi inscription
The 5th century AD Halmidi inscription 16-line earliest Kannada inscription found at Halmidi in Belur taluk of Hassan district on rectangular sandstone has a Vishnu Chakra on its top. The language of the inscription is in Poorvada Halegannada. 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, M. Chidananda Murthy, 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, T. A. Gopinatha Rao, T. N. Srikantaiah, Shivarama Aithala, S. Nagaraju, S. Srikanta Sastri, 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, he was frivolous, generous and kind person. he was a favourite among women, because of his kind nature. In 1903 by the historian late B. L. Rice discovered the inscriptions, Dr. Rajashekharappa found new aspects

Karnataka inscriptions of Kannada dynasties

The Karnataka inscriptions are mainly categories as mentioned below
;Kadambas inscriptions
;Western Ganga Dynasty inscriptions
inscription at Vindyagiri Shravanabelagola
;Chalukya inscriptions
;Rashtrakuta inscriptions
;Hoysala inscriptions
;Vijayanagara Empire inscriptions
;Seuna inscriptions
;Kalachuri Inscriptions

Kannada copper plates and manuscripts

Many Kannada inscriptions found outside Karnataka mainly Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
;Andhra Pradesh
;Other parts of the world
found at Melpadi village in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu. It is mentioned as the endowment was made in the presence of Krishna III's feudatories. 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.

Research institute of Kannada manuscripts