>GreenC bot at 17:34, 20 April 2021

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{{Contains special characters|Indic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}
[[File:Halmidi OldKannada inscription.JPG|right|thumb|180px|A replica of the original Halmidi inscription at [[Halmidi]] village]]

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. Krishna]], the Director of Archaeology of the (princely) State of Mysore (present-day [[Karnataka]] region of India), in [[Halmidi]], a village in the [[Hassan, Karnataka|Hassan district]].

The original inscription is kept in the Office of the Director of Archaeology and Museums, Govt. of Karnataka, Mysore,<ref name="Gai 1992 297">{{Harvnb|Gai|1992|p=297}}</ref> and a [[fibreglass]] replica has been installed in Halmidi.

==Discovery and dating ==

In a report published in a Mysore Archaeological Department Report (MAR) in 1936, Krishna dated the inscription to 450 AD, on paleographical grounds.<ref name="Gai 1992 297"/><ref>{{Harvnb|M. A. R.| 1936|pp=72–81}}</ref> Later scholars have variously dated the inscription to 450 AD,<ref>{{Harvnb|Ramesh|1984b|pp=55–58}}</ref> 470 AD,<ref>{{Harvnb|Master|1944|pp=297–307}}</ref> 500 AD,<ref>{{Harvnb|Mugali|1975|p=2}}</ref> "about 500",<ref>{{Harvnb|Pollock|2006|pp=331–332}}</ref> and "end of the fifth century A. D. or the beginning of the 6th century A.D."<ref>{{Harvnb|Gai|1992|pp=300–301}}</ref> Epigraphist, [[D. C. Sircar]] has dated the inscription to "about the end of the 6th century."<ref>{{Harvnb|Sircar|1965|p=48}}</ref>

Epigraphist, K. V. Ramesh has written about the differing estimates:
{{Quotation|And I attribute the origin of this doubt in their minds to the fact that scholars, even the reputed ones, have held differing views, mostly to prop up their preconceived notions, on the palaeographical dating of any given undated or insufficiently dated inscriptions. ... The undated Halmidi (Hassan District, Karnataka) inscription, allegedly written during the reign of Kadamba Kakusthavarman, is taken by some scholars to belong, on palaeographical grounds, to the middle of the 5th century AD, while a few other scholars have held, on the same grounds of palaeography, that it is as late as the second half of the 6th century A.D.|K. V. Ramesh<ref>{{Harvnb|Ramesh|1984b|p=55}}</ref>}}
He also hypothesized that, compared to possibly contemporaneous Sanskrit inscriptions, "Halmidi inscription has letters which are unsettled and uncultivated, no doubt giving an impression, or rather an illusion, even to the trained eye, that it is, in date, later than the period to which it really belongs, namely the fifth century A.D."<ref>{{Harvnb|Ramesh|1984b|p=58}}</ref>

Epigraphist [[G. S. Gai]] however disagrees with the view that Halmidi is a record of the Kadamba dynasty identified with King Kadamba Kakusthavarman. According to {{Harv|Gai|1992}}, the inscription, which is dedicated to, "Kadambapan Kakustha-Bhaṭṭōran," refers to another ruler, Kakustha of the Bhaṭāri family, who is explicitly identified in line 13, "baṭāri-kuladōn=āḷu-kadamban;" in addition, the inscription does not "include any of the epithets like ''Mānavya-gōtra'', ''Hāritī-putra'', and most important ''Dharma-maharājā''"<ref>{{Harvnb|Gai|1996|p=26}}</ref> that are a part of all Kadamba inscriptions.

== Textual analysis ==

[[File:Halmidi oldKannada inscription mounted.JPG|right|thumb|150px|The replica of the Halmidi inscription mounted on a pedestal]]

The inscription is in [[Verse (poetry)|verse]] form indicating the authors of the inscription had a good sense of the language structure.<ref name="verse">{{Harvnb|Datta|1988|p=1474}}</ref> The inscription is written in pre-old Kannada (''Puruvada-hala Kannada''), which later evolved into old Kannada, middle Kannada and eventually modern Kannada.<ref>[[M. Chidananda Murthy]], ''Inscriptions (Kannada)'' in {{Harvnb|Datta|1988|p=1717}}</ref> The Halmidi inscription is the earliest evidence of the usage of Kannada as an administrative language.<ref name="admin">Sahitya Akademi (1988), p. 1717</ref>

==Text==
[[File:Halmidi inscription translation.JPG|left|thumb|150px|The Halmidi inscription transliterated into modern Kannada script]]
[[File:Halmidi oldKannada inscription translation1.JPG|left|thumb|150px|The Halmidi inscription translated into modern Kannada language]]
The pillar on which the inscription was written stands around {{convert|4|ft|m}} high. The following lines are carved on the front of the pillar:

1. jayati śri-pariṣvāṅga-śārṅga vyānatir-acytāḥ dānav-akṣṇōr-yugānt-āgniḥ śiṣṭānān=tu sudarśanaḥ 
2. namaḥ śrīmat=kadaṁbapan=tyāga-saṁpannan kalabhōranā ari ka- 
3. kustha-bhaṭṭōran=āḷe naridāviḷe-nāḍuḷ mṛgēśa-nā- 
4. gēndr-ābhiḷar=bhbhaṭahar=appor śrī mṛgēśa-nāgāhvaya- 
5. r=irrvar=ā baṭari-kul-āmala-vyōma-tārādhi-nāthann=aḷapa- 
6. gaṇa-paśupatiy=ā dakṣiṇāpatha-bahu-śata-havan=ā- 
7. havuduḷ paśupradāna-śauryyōdyama-bharitōn=dāna pa- 
8. śupatiyendu pogaḷeppoṭṭaṇa paśupati- 
9. nāmadhēyan=āsarakk=ella-bhaṭariyā prēmālaya- 
10. sutange sēndraka-bāṇ=ōbhayadēśad=ā vīra-puruṣa-samakṣa- 
11. de kēkaya-pallavaraṁ kād=eṟidu pettajayan=ā vija 
12. arasange bāḷgaḻcu palmaḍiuṁ mūḷivaḷuṁ ko- 
13. ṭṭār baṭāri-kuladōn=āḷa-kadamban kaḷadōn mahāpātakan 
14. irvvaruṁ saḻbaṅgadar vijārasaruṁ palmaḍige kuṟu- 
15. mbiḍi viṭṭār adān aḻivornge mahāpatakam svasti

The following line is carved on the pillar's left face:

16. bhaṭṭarg=ī gaḻde oḍḍali ā pattondi viṭṭārakara

==Text in Kannada==

ಜಯತಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಪರಿಷ್ವರ್ಙ್ಗ ಶ್ಯಾರ್ಙ್ಗ [ವ್ಯಾ]ನತಿರ್ ಅಚ್ಯುತಃ ದಾನಕ್ಷೆರ್ ಯುಗಾನ್ತಾಗ್ನಿಃ [ಶಿಷ್ಟಾನಾನ್ತು ಸುದರ್ಶನಃ ನಮಃ ಶ್ರೀಮತ್ ಕದಂಬಪನ್ ತ್ಯಾಗ ಸಂಪನ್ನನ್ ಕಲಭೋg[ನಾ] ಅರಿ ಕಕುಸ್ಥಭಟ್ಟೋರನ್ ಆಳೆ ನರಿದಾವಿ[ಳೆ] ನಾಡುಳ್ ಮೃಗೇಶನಾಗೇನ್ದ್ರಾಭೀಳರ್ ಭ್ಭಟಹರಪ್ಪೋರ್ ಶ್ರೀ ಮೃಗೇಶ ನಾಗಾಹ್ವಯರ್ ಇರ್ವ್ವರಾ ಬಟರಿ ಕುಲಾಮಲ ವ್ಯೋಮತಾರಾಧಿನಾಥನ್ ಅಳಪ ಗಣ ಪಶುಪತಿಯಾ ದಕ್ಷಿಣಾಪಥ ಬಹುಶತಹವನಾಹವದು[ಳ್] ಪಶುಪ್ರದಾನ ಶೌರ್ಯ್ಯೋದ್ಯಮ ಭರಿತೋ[ನ್ದಾನ]ಪಶುಪತಿಯೆನ್ದು ಪೊಗೞೆಪ್ಪೊಟ್ಟಣ ಪಶುಪತಿ ನಾಮಧೇಯನ್ ಆಸರಕ್ಕೆಲ್ಲಭಟರಿಯಾ ಪ್ರೇಮಾಲಯಸುತನ್ಗೆ zಸೇನ್ದ್ರಕ ಬಣೋಭಯ ದೇಶದಾ ವೀರಪುರುಷಸಮಕ್ಷದೆ ಕೇಕಯ ಪಲ್ಲವರಂ ಕಾದೆಱದು ಪೆತ್ತಜಯನಾ ವಿಜ ಅರಸಂಗೆ ಬಾಳ್ಗೞ್ಚು ಪಲ್ಮಡಿಉಂ ಮೂೞುವಳ್ಳಿಉಂ ಕೊಟ್ಟಾರ್ ಬಟಾರಿ ಕುಲದೊನಳ ಕದಂಬನ್ ಕೞ್ದೋನ್ ಮಹಾಪಾತಕನ್ ಸ್ವಸ್ತಿ ಭಟ್ಟರ್ಗ್ಗೀಗೞ್ದೆ ಒಡ್ಡಲಿ ಆ ಪತ್ತೊನ್ದಿ ವಿಟ್ಟಾರಕರ

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==See also==
*[[Indian inscriptions]]
*[[Indian copper plate inscriptions]]

==References==
*{{citation |editor-last= Datta|editor-first=Amaresh|title= Encyclopaedia of Indian literature - vol 2|orig-year=1988|year=1988|publisher= [[Sahitya Akademi]]|isbn=81-260-1194-7}}
*{{citation |editor-last= Datta|editor-first=Amaresh|title= Encyclopaedia of Indian literature - vol 3|orig-year=1988|year=1989|publisher= [[Sahitya Akademi]]|isbn=81-260-1194-7}}
*{{citation |last = Encyclopædia Britannica | title = Kannada literature | year = 2008 | publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica Online | url = http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9044579}}
*{{citation | last = Gai | first = Govind Swamirao | author-link = G. S. Gai | title = Studies in Indian History, Epigraphy, and Culture | year = 1992 | publisher = Karnataka, India: Shrihari Prakashana. Pp. 346 | url = https://books.google.com/?id=nOMbAAAAIAAJ&dq=}}
*{{Citation | last = Gai | first = Govind Swamirao | author-link = G. S. Gai | year = 1996 | title = Inscriptions of the early Kadambas | publisher = New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research and Pratibha Prakashan. Pp. xv, 170, 88 plates | isbn = 81-85268-47-9}}
*{{Citation | last=Habib | first = Irfan | author-link = Irfan Habib | chapter = India |pages = 398–410 | year = 2000 | title=History of Humanity, Volume IV: from the Seventh to the Sixteenth century | editor1-last = Al-Bhakhit | editor1-first = M. A. | editor2-last = Bazin | editor2-first = L. A. |editor3-last = Cissoko | editor3-first = S. M. | publisher = Paris: UNESCO and London: Routledge. Pp. xxiii, 682, 44 maps, 138 plates | isbn = 0-415-09308-2 |url = http://www.unesco.org/culture/humanity/}}
* {{citation| last = Master| first = Alfred| title = Indo-Aryan and Dravidian| journal = Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London| volume = 11|year = 1944|issue = 2 | doi = 10.1017/s0041977x00072487 }}
*{{citation |last = M. A. R. | title = Mysore Archaeological Department, Annual Report-1936 (MAR 1936)| year = 1937 | publisher = Bangalore: Government Press| pages = 73–80}}
* {{citation |last= Mugali|first= R.S.|title= History of Kannada literature|year=1975|publisher= [[Sahitya Akademi]]|oclc=2492406}}
* {{citation |first=Sheldon|last= Pollock | author-link = Sheldon Pollock |title=Literary cultures in history: reconstructions from South Asia |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |year=2003 |isbn=0-520-22821-9 }}
* {{citation |first=Sheldon|last= Pollock | author-link = Sheldon Pollock| title=The Language of the Gods in the World of Men: Sanskrit, Culture, and Power in Premodern India (Philip E. Lilienthal Books) |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |year=2006 |isbn=0-520-24500-8 }}
*{{Citation | last = Pollock | first = Sheldon | author-link = Sheldon Pollock | chapter = Literary Culture and Manuscript Culture in Precolonial India | chapter-url = http://www.columbia.edu/cu/mealac/faculty/pollock/mss_cult.pdf | editor = Simon Elliot |display-editors=et al.| title = Literary Cultures and the Material Book | year = 2007 | place = London | publisher = British Library | pages = 77–94 | isbn = 0-7123-0684-6 }}
* {{citation|last = Ramesh|first=K. V.| title = Indian Epigraphy| publisher = Sundeep| year = 1984b}}
* {{citation|last = Sircar|first = D. C.|author-link = D. C. Sircar| title = Indian Epigraphy| publisher = Motilal Banarsidass Publications| isbn = 978-8-1208-1166-9}}
*{{Citation | last = Stein | first = Burton | author-link = Burton Stein | title = Peasant State and Society in Medieval South India | year = 1980 | publisher = Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. Pp. 550 | isbn = 0-19-561065-2}}
*{{Citation |last= Various|title= Encyclopaedia of Indian literature – vol 2|orig-year=1988|year=1988|publisher= Sahitya Akademi|isbn=81-260-1194-7}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* '''[[Editio princeps]]''': ''[https://archive.org/stream/annualreportofth014517mbp/annualreportofth014517mbp_djvu.txt Annual Report of the Mysore Archaeological Department for the Year 1936]''. Bangalore: The Government Press, 1938. Pages 72–74. [photographic [[facsimile]], [[transliteration]] and translation (into English)]
*[http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/kar/literature/history1.htm Banavasi Old Kannada Inscription]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070313084222/http://www.hoysalatourism.com/halmidi.htm Halmidi Inscription]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20031124063238/http://www.hindu.com/2003/11/03/stories/2003110304550500.htm Halmidi village finally on the road to recognition]
*[http://asi.nic.in/asi_epigraphical_sans_language.asp Language of the Inscriptions] — [[Archaeological Survey of India]] [The last sentence of second last paragraph mentions the Halmidi inscription.]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Halmidi Inscription}}
[[Category:Kannada literature]]
[[Category:Literature of Karnataka]]
[[Category:Earliest known manuscripts by language]]
[[Category:Kadamba inscriptions]]
[[Category:5th-century literature]]

Halmidi inscription - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 17:34, 20 April 2021