Mysore and Coorg from the Inscriptions c8.s4: 4. Kadambas
Mysore and Coorg from the Inscriptions c8.s4
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4. Kadambas
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The Kadambas were independent rulers of the west of Mysore from the third to the sixth century, together with Haiga (North Kanara) and Tuluva (South Kanara). They were of Mysorean origin, and are identified with Banavāsi as their capital, which is on the west frontier of the Sorab tāluq, an ancient city mentioned as one of the places to which Aśōka sent a mission in the third century B.C., and also by Ptolemy in the second century A.D. Its Brahmanical name was Jayanti or Vaijayanti. In later times Banavāsi, or Banavase, as it is often spelt, was a Twelve Thousand province, corresponding more or less with the Shimoga District.
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The origin of the Kadamba family is mixed up with various legendary stories (see my *Mysore Gazetteer*, i. 295) centering in a Mukkaṇṇa or Trinētra and a Mayūravarmma. The former, also called Jayanta Trilōchana, is described as their progenitor, and as a son of Śiva and Pārvatī. The country being at the time without a king, he is said to have obtained the throne on being spontaneously wreathed by the State elephant, an indication of his royal destiny. Mayūravarmma,¹ apparently of the fourth generation after him, seems to have established the family in power, and is hence also at times regarded as their founder. According to Sb 179, he had seventy-seven successors on the throne.
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¹ Some Orientalists write this affix as *varman*, the only objection to which is that it is never met with in that form. And so with similar cases.
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A fine pillar inscription at Tālgunda (Sk 176) gives a realistic account of the family, beginning with him. But here he is named Mayūraśarmma, the latter affix indicating a Brāhman. According to this record he was of a devout Brāhman family of Sthānakundūr (Tālgunda), an agrahāra founded by Mukkaṇṇa (see Sk 186) for Brāhmans whom he had induced to come from Ahichchhatra in the North and settle here (see also Nj 269), there being none at that time in the South. The family had growing near their house a *kadamba* tree, of which they took special care, and thus became known as the Kadambas. Along with his teacher, Mayūra-śarmma went to the Pallava capital (Kāñchī—Conjeeveram, near Madras) in order to complete his vedic studies. There he had a fierce quarrel with the Pallava horse or stables,¹ by which he was so enraged at Kshattriyas lording it over Brāhmans that, in order to revenge himself, he resolved to adopt the life of a Kshattriya. Practising himself in the use of arms, he overcame the Pallava frontier guards, and escaped to the inaccessible forests near Śrīparvata (Karnūl District), where he became so powerful that he levied tribute from Bṛihad Bāṇa (the great Bāṇa) and other kings around. The Pallavas having led an army against him, he fell upon them like a hawk unawares in night attacks, and inflicted such loss upon them that they saw it was hopeless to put him down. Thus driven to take him as an ally, they recognised him as king of a territory stretching from the Western Ocean to Premāra. He was succeeded by his son Kangavarmma, whose son was Bhagīratha, whose son was Raghu, whose brother was Bhāgīrathi or Kākustha. The latter was a powerful ruler, and his daughters were given in marriage to the Gupta and other kings. He had a reservoir made for the temple (of Praṇaveśvara at Tālgunda, now in ruins) at which Sātakarṇi and other great kings worshipped. His son was Śāntivarmma, who wore three crowns; in whose time the inscription was composed and engraved.
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¹ All that the inscription says about this is: *tatra Pallavāśva-samsthēna kalahēna tīvrēna rōshitah*.
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This valuable and interesting record states that Mayūra-śarmma was anointed to the throne by Shaḍānana, after meditating on Senāpati and the Mothers. In like manner other early grants describe the Kadambas as purified by meditation on Svāmi-Mahāsēna and the group of Mothers.² They are also said to be lords of Vaijayanti (Banavāsi), of the Mānavya-gōtra, Hāritiputras, and *pratikṛita-svādhyāya-charch-* chāpārās.¹ As the grants are dated only by the ancient system of the seasons, or in regnal years (running from 2 to 11), they furnish no definite dates for the kings. But one (IA. vi. 23), issued when Kākusthavarmma was Yuvarāja, is ascribed to the eightieth year of his victory (sva-vaijayika), for which there is at present no explanation.
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² Shaḍānana, Senāpati, and Svāmi-Mahāsēna all refer to the god of war, Kārttikēya, son of Śiva. The Seven Mothers, Sapta Mātṛikā, were his nurses, and are identified with the Pleiades.
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¹ This difficult phrase is rendered by Dr. Kielhorn (EI. vi. 17), “studying the requital (of good or evil) as their sacred text,” and he adds: “If this interpretation be correct, I cannot help thinking that the epithet alludes to the history of the Kadambas as told in the Tālgund inscription. So long as the Kadambas were private Brāhmans it was one of their chief duties to study the sacred texts; in other words, they were svādhyāya-charchāpārās. When they had become kings, it was an equally sacred duty for them to requite good and evil; to do so was what the study of the Veda had been to them before; and thus, having been svādhyāya-charchāpārās, they then were pratikṛita-svādhyāya-charchāpārās.” Another translation proposed in EI. viii. 148 is: “well versed in repeating the sacred writings one by one.”
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Certain allusions, however, occur which serve as a guide to the Kadamba period. It is known, for instance, from inscriptions that the Chalukya king Kīrttivarmma, who reigned from 566 to 597, subdued the Kadambas.² Their independence must therefore have been before this. On the Malavalli pillar (Sk 264) a Kadamba grant immediately follows one by Sātakarṇṇi, who, when he made his, was in possession of Banavāsi.³ The Tālgunda pillar (Sk 176), again, names Sātakarṇṇi as one of the great kings who worshipped at the temple there. Between the time of the fall of the Śātavāhanas, the beginning of the third century, and that of the reign of the Chalukya king Kīrttivarmma, the latter part of the sixth century, seems thus marked out as the period of Kadamba independence; during which also they claim to have performed many horse-sacrifices—evidence of supreme power.
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² Virugṇam aśēṣataḥ pṛithu-Kadamba-kadamba-kadambakam (EI. vi. 5).
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³ The translation should be: . . . Śiva[khada]varmma, having heard that they were formerly given by the Hāritiputra, of the Mānavya-gōtra, the lord of Vaijayanti, with great pleasure made the grant a second time to . . . (as pointed out by Dr. Fleet).
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This estimate is confirmed by other considerations. For the statement that Kākustha gave his daughters in marriage to the Gupta and other kings most probably refers first to Samudra Gupta, the only one who is known to have made an expedition to the South, as recorded on the pillar at Allahabad,¹ and this took place in the latter half of the fourth century. Then the Ganga king Taḍangāla Mādhava, for whom we have (Sk 52) the date 357, is said to have married a sister of the Kadamba king Krishnavarmma. She was thus a daughter of Kākustha, and the Gangas are another royal family to which one was given. But her son was an infant on his mother's lap when he was crowned in 430, and so here again we get the end of the fourth century for the time of Kākustha. The rare metre, too, which is employed in the main part of the Tālgunda inscription is one that has been found only in a few documents of the fourth or fifth century. The victory in the eightieth year of which Kākustha was Yuvarāja might (if it is correct) perhaps refer to the events by which Mayūravarmma (to give his name in the form of that of a king) gained his throne, which would thus be at the beginning of the fourth century. But if he had predecessors going back four or five generations, the rise of the Kadambas may safely be placed early in the third century, the time at which the Śātavāhana power came to an end.²
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¹ GI. No. 1.
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² The latest date assigned to the Śātavāhanas is about 218 A.D. (see Bhandarkar, EHI. 45).
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Our attention may now be directed to the old Anaji inscription (Dg 161). This informs us that Krishnavarmma-Rāja's army was totally defeated in a battle with Naṇakkāsa-Pallava-Rāja, and that the prince Śivanandavarmma, whose country was thereby ruined, retired in consequence from the world and gave himself up to a life of penance. That Krishnavarmma was a Kadamba king there can be little doubt, and Śivanandavarmma was probably his son. The latter was perhaps responsible for the disaster, and may have been the governor of a province in the east of the Kadamba dominions. But he is described as devoted to the feet of his mother and father, and to be born also in the family of the Kēkayas, who made intermarriages with the Ikshvākus (perhaps the Gangas, who claim to be descended from Ikshvāku). Now the Kadamba king Krishnavarmma is said (Bl 121) to have Of the predecessors of Mayūravarmma we have no inscriptions, unless Śivakhadavarmma (Śivaskandavarmma) of the Malavalli pillar represents one. But Mukkaṇṇa is often mentioned, and seems to be an historical person. In Sk 186 he is said to have founded the Sthānakundūr agrahāra, the existence of which before the time of Mayūravarmma is clear from the Tālgunda inscription. In fact, the Brāhmans settled there from the north are said to have made an effort later to leave the province. But they were brought back again, and in order to prevent a repetition of the attempt, were compelled to leave unshorn a lock of hair on the forehead, as a distinguishing mark. From these are descended the present Haiga or Havika Brāhmans of the north-west of Mysore, who wear their hair in that fashion. Ethnologically, their colour and features support the tradition of a northern origin. Of the other kings, the first Chandravarmma appears to be the Chandrahāsa who is the hero of a popular romantic tale; the second one is perhaps the progenitor of the Coorg race.
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The Kadamba dominions seem to have been at times divided, and ruled by more than one king, while at others they embraced an extensive united empire. Hence the statements that Bhagīratha was the sole ruler, and that Śāntivarmma had three crowns. The latter is said to have been master of the entire Karṇṇāṭa region, while Krishṇavarmma I is described as the sovereign of Dakshiṇāpatha or the South. Though the proper capital was always Banavāsi, there were other royal seats,—at Palāsikā (Halsi in Belgaum District), at Uchchāśringi (which I am inclined to think may have been Uchchangidurga near Molakālmuru, and not the well-known one south of Bellary), and at Triparvata (not identified). The royal insignia, either at this period or later, were the lion crest and the monkey flag, and a musical instrument called *permatti*. The kings are styled dharmma-mahārājādhirāja, and their family god was Jayanti Madhukēśvara of Banavāsi.
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For some time from the seventh century the Kadambas are not prominent, though names occasionally appear, which, owing to the absence of dates, are not easy to place. Such are those of Madhuvarmma (Sk 66), who must belong to the earlier period, Kundavarmma (Kp 38), and Mādivarmma (Cm 128). On the other hand we know from Mb 38 and 50 that the Kadamba princess Dīvāmbikā or Dīvalabbarasi was married to the Pallava Nolamba king Vīra-Mahēndra, who reigned from about 878 to 890.
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But from the end of the tenth century the Kadambas emerge as rulers of various provinces. This was a period of general subversion of old dynasties in the South. The Rāṣṭrakūṭas were brought to an end, and the Western Chālukyas regained ascendancy. The Pallavas and Eastern Chālukyas were subdued by the Chōlas, who also overthrew the Ganga sovereignty in Mysore. The Hoysalas were there rising to power, and the Nolambas, who were Pallavas, having subjected the Mahāvalis or Bāṇas, whom the Chōlas finally absorbed, were forming the Nolambavāḍi province of Mysore. Following upon this period of general commotion and transition, we find Kadambas ruling Bayal-nāḍ (the Wynaad) from the tenth to the twelfth century, Manjarābād in the eleventh century, Hāngal (in Dharwar) and Goa from the tenth to the thirteenth century, Lunke (near Molakālmuru) in the eleventh and twelfth century, Nāgarakhaṇḍa (the Shikārpur tāluq) in the twelfth century, and the Banavāsi Twelve Thousand (the Shimoga District) from the tenth to the fourteenth century.
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Inscriptions of the twelfth century give us different versions of their origin and genealogy. Sk 117, at Belgāmi, derives them from a person named Kadamba, who had four arms and an eye in his forehead, and who was born from a drop of sweat that fell from the forehead of Hara or Śiva. From him were descended Mayūravarmma, Ravivarmma, Nṛigavarmma, and Kīrttivarmma, in whose line arose Vikrama Tailapa or Tailama, whose son was Kāma-Dēva, whose son was Malla, whose son was Sōma, ruling the Banavāsi country in 1118.¹
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¹ An inscription of 1108 at Kargudari in the Hāngal tāluq gives much more detail (IA. x. 249).
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Dg 35, at Harihar, derives the family from Mayūravarmma, also called Mukkaṇṇa, who was born to Rudra or Śiva under a *kadamba* tree. On account of the eye in his forehead, the crown could not be bound there, as it would cover up the eye. The crown or diadem was therefore bound near his knee, where it would show well. Growing up in the shade of the *kadamba* tree, his family became known as the Kadambas. In course of time Barmma-Dēva was born in the line, whose son was Boppa-Dēva, whose son was Sōyi-Dēva or Sōma, ruling in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Seventy in about 1160. Sk 236, at Bandalikke, says that a king Sōma, when Paraśurāma destroyed all the Kṣattriyas, was saved by his guru Aśvatthāma or Īśvarāmśa. They went to the Kailāsa mountain to worship Pārvatī, and there saw the king Nanda, who had been supplicating Śiva for a long time for a son without result. Suddenly some *kadamba* flowers fell there, and on offering these the god appeared, granting Nanda the boon that he should have two sons called Kadambas, at the same time introducing him to Īśvarāmśa. The two sons thus born were Kīrttivarmma and Maylavarmma. To the latter was born Tayla, whose son was Śānta, whose son was Maila. After many others, there was born in his line Boppa, whose son was Sōma or Nigalanka-malla, ruling in Nāgarakhaṇḍa in 1174. Of these three accounts, which add little to our knowledge of the Kadambas, the first may be of some value. The other two were evidently invented for the purpose of glorifying Sōma-Dēva, and the last one to flatter the Kalachurya king Rāyamurāri-Sōma as well. But in the later stages they probably give the correct names of the kings who preceded.
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The Kadambas do not disappear from history till the rise of Vijayanagar in the fourteenth century, and the founders of that empire may have been connected with them. Actually the last Kadamba inscription is Sa 32, the date of which is 1307. The royal line sprung from the simple Brāhman student whose outraged feelings in so singular a manner transformed him into a Kṣattriya thus held the field for a thousand years.