The History of Karnataka goes back several millennia. Several great empires and dynasties have ruled over Karnataka and have contributed greatly to the history, culture and development of Karnataka as well as the entire Indian subcontinent. The Chindaka Nagas of central India Gangas,Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise history of Karnatakakaushik, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002) Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta,Dr. D.R. Bhandarkar argues that even the viceroys (Dandanayaka) of the Gujarat line hailing from the Rashtrakuta family signed their Sanskrit records in Kannada, examples of which are the Navasari and Baroda plates of Karka I and the Baroda records of Dhruva II. The Gujarat Rashtrakuta princes used Kannada signatures as this was the mode of writing in their native country, meaning Kannada country says Dr. Bhandarkar, A Concise History of Karnataka, Dr. Suryanath U. Kamath Chalukyas of Vengi,Dr. Suryanath Kamath, Prof. K.A.N. Sastri, Arthikaje Yadava Dynasty of Devagiri were all of Kannada originDr. Ritti has argued thus. Even though the Seuna or Yadava ruled from Devagiri (850–1315), literature in Kannada was prolific in their kingdom along with Sanskrit, coinage with Kannada legends have been discovered and most of their inscriptions are in Kannada, indicating that they were Kannadaigas who migrated north due to political situation. Marathi literature started from around 1190 C.E., Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, Concise history of Karnataka, 2001, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002) who later took to encouraging local languages.
In the medieval and early modern periods, the Vijayanagara Empire and the Bahmani Sultanate became the major powers in Karnataka. The latter disintegrated to form five Deccan Sultanates. The Deccan Sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Maratha Empire ruled most of present-day north Karnataka. Maratha rule was most fortified in the northern regions of present-day Karnataka. The first Maratha expeditions in the region were led by Chhatrapati Shivaji. As Maratha power weakened in the 1780s, the Kingdom of Mysore began occupying lands in Southern Karnataka.
After the Anglo-Mysore Wars, where the East India Company defeated the forces of Tipu Sultan, Company Rule began in India. Karnataka was divided between the Bombay Presidency, the Kingdom of Mysore and the Nizam of Hyderabad.
India became Independent in 1947, and according to the States Reorganization Act, 1956, the Kannada-speaking areas of Hyderabad State, Madras State were unified with Mysore State. The state was renamed as Karnataka in 1973.
Ediga Timmanna Nayaka, who is recorded in the Keladi Kaifiyat as an Ediga from Matti, held several high titles including Palegara, Dalavayi, Mukya Dalavayi, Senapati, Sarva Senadipati, Mahamantri and Ugrani Mane. He served as the Chief General and Dalavayi under Shivappa Nayaka of Keladi and led the 1653 campaigns that captured Mangalore, Barkur, Basrur and Honnavar from the Portuguese. He Saved Shivappa nayaka from Portuguese and keladi Rani chenamma from mughals,Keladi Ediga Timmanna Nayaka's post and rank were above the Kings of Keladi. He is also credited in local tradition with the construction and restoration of numerous tanks (kere), including the system known as the "thousand tanks" in the Keladi region. He is revered in local tradition as one of the bravest chief generals of the Keladi era.
Prehistory
The credit for doing early extensive study of prehistoric Karnataka goes to Robert Bruce-Foote and this work was later continued by many other scholars.Scholars such as R.V.Joshi, S.Nagaraju, A.Sundara etc. (Kamath 2001, p15) The pre-historic culture of Karnataka (and South India in general) is called the hand-axe culture, as opposed to the Sohan culture of North India. Paleolithic hand axes and cleavers in the shape of pebbles made with quartz and quartzite which have been found in places such as Lingadahalli in Chikkamagaluru district and Hunasagi in Yadgir district, and a wooden spike at Kibbanahalli in Tumkur district are examples of old Stone Age implements.Discovered by Dr. K. Paddayya in 1974 (Kamath 2001, pp15-16) There are reports that a polished stone axe was discovered at Lingasugur in the Raichur districtThe hand axe was discovered by Primrose (Kamath 2001, p15) Neolithic sites (new Stone Age) of importance are Maski in Raichur district, Brahmagiri in Chitradurga district etc., with abundance of evidence that man begun to domesticate animals such as cows, dogs and sheep, use copper and bronze weapons, wear bangles, rings, necklaces of beads and ear-rings and have burial chambers. To the end of the Neolithic era, during the Megalithic age, people in Karnataka began to use long swords, sickles, axes, hammers, spikes, chisels and arrows, all made of iron.Kamath (2001), p18
Influences from the Indus Valley Civilization Scholarly hypothesis postulates contacts between the Indus Valley cities of Harappa and Lothal, citing the discovery of gold found in the Harappan sites that was imported from mines in Karnataka.
Evidence of Neolithic habitation of areas in modern Karnataka and celts dating back to the 2nd century BCE were first discovered in 1872. There are reports that a polished stone axe was discovered at Lingsugur in the Raichur district; however the authenticity of these reports remains unverifiable. Megalithic structures and burial grounds were discovered in 1862 in the regions of Kodagu and Moorey Betta hills, while Neolithic sites were discovered in north Karnataka. Scholarly hypothesis postulates of contacts between the Indus Valley city of Harappa in 3000 BCE, citing the discovery of gold found in the Harappan sites that was imported from mines in Karnataka.
Classical period
Karnataka was the part of the Maurya Empire, the first Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta Maurya died in Shravanbelgola in Hassan District around 298 BCE where he spent the last days of his life as a Jain ascetic.
Around 239 BCE, the Satavahana dynasty came to power and its rule lasted nearly four centuries, until the early 3rd century CE. The disintegration of the Satavahana dynasty led to the ascent of the earliest native kingdoms, the Kadamba Dynasty of Banavasi in modern Uttara Kannada district with Mayuravarma, a native of Talagunda in modern Shivamogga district as the founding king,From the Talagunda inscription (Dr. B. L. Rice in Kamath, 2001, p30)Moares (1931), p10From the Talagunda inscription of 450 Kamath, (2001), pp 30-31Ramesh (1984), p6 and the Western Ganga Dynasty in southern Karnataka,Adiga and Sheik Ali in Adiga (2006), p89The Gangas were sons of the Soil - R. S. Panchamukhi and Lakshminarayana Rao marking the birth of the region as an independent political entity. These were the first kingdoms to give administrative status to Kannada language as evidenced by the Halmidi inscription of 450, attributed to King Kakusthavarma of the Kadamba Dynasty.From the Halmidi inscription (Ramesh 1984, pp10–11)Kamath (2001), p10 Also, recent discovery of a 5th-century copper coin in Banavasi, ancient capital of the Kadambas, with Kannada script inscription on it, further proves the usage of Kannada at an official level.
Middle Kingdoms (230 BCE – 1206 CE)
They were followed by large imperial empires, the Badami Chalukyas, Rashtrakuta Dynasty and Western Chalukya Empire, who had their regal capitals in modern Karnataka region and patronized Kannada language and literature.Considerable number of their records are in Kannada (Kamath 2001, p67, p73, pp88-89, p114)7th century Badami Chalukya inscriptions call Kannada the natural language (Thapar 2003, p345)Altekar (1934), pp411–413Even royalty of the Rashtrakuta empire took part in poetic and literary activities (Thapar 2003, p334)Narasimhacharya (1988), p68, p17–21Reu (1933), pp37–38More inscriptions in Kannada are attributed to the Chalukya King Vikramaditya VI than to any other king prior to the 12th century,
Badami Chalukyas
The Badami Chalukyas ruled between the 6th and the 8th centuries. The Badami Chalukyas began to assert their independence at the decline of the Kadamba kingdom of Banavasi and rapidly rose to prominence during the reign of Pulakeshin II.
The rule of the Chalukyas marks an important milestone in the history of South India and a golden age in the history of Karnataka. The political atmosphere in South India shifted from smaller kingdoms to large empires with the ascendancy of Badami Chalukyas.
Rashtrakutas
The Rashtrakutas were originally vassals of the Badami Chalukyas. Dantidurga overthrew the Chalukya ruler Kirtivarman II in 735 CE, and established the rule of the Rashtrakuta dynasty.
During this period, important contributions were made in the field of literature, arts, and mathematics. Amoghavarsha I, the most famous king of this dynasty wrote Kavirajamarga, a landmark literary work in the Kannada language. Important mathematical theories and axioms were postulated by Mahaviracharya.
Western Chalukyas
The Western Chalukyas ruled Karnataka between 973 and 1189 CE. In 973, seeing confusion in the Rashtrakuta Empire after an invasion of their capital by the ruler of the Paramara dynasty of Malwa, Tailapa II (a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta dynasty ruling from Bijapur) defeated his overlords and made Manyakheta his capital.
Western Gangas
The Western Ganga dynasty was founded around 350 CE, ruling southern Karnataka. Their sovereignty lasted from about 350 to 550 CE, after which they ruled as vassals of the Badami Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, and Western Chalukyas. Their rule came to an end after the disintegration of the Western Chalukyas in 1000 CE.
Though a small kingdom, the Western Ganga contribution to polity, culture and literature of the modern south Karnataka region is considered important. The Western Ganga kings showed benevolent tolerance to all faiths but are most famous for their patronage toward Jainism resulting in the construction of monuments in places such as Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli. The kings of this dynasty encouraged the fine arts due to which literature in Kannada and Sanskrit flourished.
Hoysala Empire
Natives of the malnad Karnataka, the Hoysalas established the Hoysala Empire at the turn of the first millennium. Art and architecture flourished in the region during this time resulting in distinctive Kannada literary metres and the construction of temples and sculptures adhering to the Vesara style of architecture.Kamath (2001), pp. 132–134Sastri (1955), pp. 359, 361Foekema (1996), p. 14Kamath (2001), p. 124 The expansion of the Hoysala Empire brought large parts of modern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under their rule.The Tamil city of Kannanur Kuppam near Srirangam became the second capital of the Hoysalas during the rule of Vira Narasimha II. During the time of Veera Ballala III, Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu had been made an alternate capital. The Hoysalas were arbiters of South Indian politics and took up the leadership role (B.S.K. Iyengar in Kamath (2001), p. 126Keay (2000), p. 252Sastri (1955), p. 195The Hoysalas dominated of Southern Deccan as a single empire, (Thapar 2003, p. 368
Other Kingdoms The Seuna dynasty, Kadamba dynasty, and Chola Empire ruled parts of Karnataka.A Brief History of India by Alain Daniélou p. 177
Nidugal Cholas ruled some parts of Karnatala and Andhra between 8th to 13th centuries.
Vijayanagara Era (1336–1565)