https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Kadamba_scriptKadamba script - Revision history2026-07-29T22:55:48ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Kadamba_script&diff=507292&oldid=prevSheenaBayles at 18:39, 30 March 20262026-03-30T18:39:40Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Historic abugida of South India}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}<br />
{{Infobox Writing system<br />
| name = Kadamba script<br />
| type = [[Abugida]]<br />
| sample = Sri-manarashi.jpg<br />
| imagesize = 300<br />
| time = 4–7th century CE<ref>{{cite book |last1=Diringer |first1=David |title=Alphabet a key to the history of mankind |date=1948 |page=381}}</ref><br />
| languages = [[Old Kannada]]<br/>[[Old Telugu]]<br/>[[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]]<br/>[[Konkani language|Konkani]]<br />
| fam1 = [[Egyptian hieroglyphs]]<br />
| fam2 = [[Proto-Sinaitic script|Proto-Sinaitic]]<br />
| fam3 = [[Phoenician alphabet|Phoenician]]<br />
| fam4 = [[Aramaic alphabet|Aramaic]]<br />
| fam5 = [[Brahmi]]<br />
| children = [[Kannada-Telugu alphabet]], [[Goykanadi]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.omniglot.com/writing/goykanadi.htm | title=Goykanadi script }}</ref> [[Pyu script]]<ref>{{cite book | last=Aung-Thwin | first=Michael | title=The mists of Rāmañña: The Legend that was Lower Burma | edition=illustrated | publisher=University of Hawai'i Press | year=2005 | location=Honolulu | isbn=978-0-8248-2886-8}}</ref><br />
}}<br />
{{brahmic|state=uncollapsed}}<br />
The '''Kadamba script''' is the first [[writing system]] devised specifically for writing [[Kannada]], and later adopted to write [[Telugu language|Telugu]] language.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Diringer |first1=David |title=Alphabet a key to the history of mankind |date=1948 |page=381}}</ref> The Kadamba script is also known as '''Pre-Old-Kannada script'''.<br />
<br />
The Kadamba script is one of the oldest scripts of the southern group of writing systems that developed from the ancient [[Brahmi script]]. By the 5th century CE it became distinct from other Brahmi variants and was used in what are now the South Indian states of [[Karnataka]], [[Telangana]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]]. It evolved into the [[Kannada-Telugu script]] by the 10th century CE and was used to write the [[Kannada language|Kannada]] and [[Telugu language|Telugu]] languages.<ref>{{cite news<br />
|url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/news/india/scripts-fading-away-with-time/articleshow/21534740.cms<br />
|title=Scripts fading away with time<br />
|access-date=2013-08-28<br />
}}</ref> It is also distantly related to the [[Sinhala script]].<ref>Jayarajan, Paul M. (1 January 1976). ''History of the Evolution of the Sinhala Alphabet''. Colombo Apothecaries' Company, Limited.</ref><br />
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==History==<br />
{{multiple image|perrow=2|total_width=300|caption_align=center<br />
| align = right<br />
| direction =horizontal<br />
| header=Kadamba coinage<br />
| image1 = Coin of Kadamba king Sri Manarashi.jpg<br />
| caption1 = Coin of Kadamba king ''Sri Manarashi'', name written in Kadamba script<br />
| image2 = Sri-manarashi.jpg<br />
| caption2 = ''Sri manarashi'' written in Kadamba script on Kadamba coin<br />
| image3 = Coin of Kadamba king Sri Dosharashi.jpg<br />
| caption3 = Coin of the Kadambas written in Kadamba script as ''sri dosharashi'' and other side ''Shri shashankaha''<br />
| image4 = Kannada legend of Sri-dosharashi.jpg<br />
| caption4 = ''Sri dosharashi'' written in Kadamba script on Kadamba coin<br />
| footer=<br />
}}<br />
During the rule of [[Kadamba dynasty]] (325-550), major change in the Brahmi script resulted in the Kadamba Kannada script, letters were shorter and round in shape. During (325 to 1000 AD) the rule of the [[Western Ganga dynasty]] in the southern parts of Karnataka the Kannada script used differently (also known as Ganga script) in rock edicts and copper plate inscriptions. <br />
During 6th to 10th century, the [[Telugu-Kannada alphabet]] stabilized during the rule of the [[Chalukya dynasty#Chalukyas of Badami|Chalukyas of Badami]] from 500-1000<ref>{{cite book|last=Kipfer|first=Barbara Ann|author-link=Barbara Ann Kipfer|title=Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XneTstDbcC0C&pg=PA692|year=2000|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-0-306-46158-3|page=692}}</ref> and [[Rastrakutas]].{{cn|date=August 2019}}<br />
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==Inscriptions in Kadamba script==<br />
[[File:Copper plates NMND-9.JPG|thumb|Sanskrit language written in Kannada-Telugu script of [[Eastern Chalukyas]] in 10th century AD]]<br />
[[File:Kadamba inscription from Kerala.jpg|thumb|Prakrit Grantha inscription of Kadamba ruler [[Vishnuvarman]] (c. 5th-6th century CE) from [[Edakkal]] (northern Kerala)]]<br />
* Gudnapur Inscription on 20-foot-long stone pillar written in Kadamba script<ref>{{cite news|author=Rajiv Ajjibal |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/monuments-crying-for-attention/article2719672.ece |title=Monuments crying for attention |newspaper=The Hindu |date=2011-12-16 |access-date=2014-03-13}}</ref><br />
* Copper plate inscriptions in Kadamba (Pre - Chalukya) script, Kadamba-Pallava script, Kannada-Telugu script are available at Chennai museum<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chennaimuseum.org/draft/gallery/01/07/copper2.htm |title=Government Museum Chennai |publisher=Chennaimuseum.org |access-date=2014-03-13}}</ref><br />
* [[Halmidi inscription]]<br />
* [[Talagunda pillar inscription]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/591046/kannada-inscription-talagunda-may-replace.html|title=Kannada inscription at Talagunda may replace Halmidi as oldest|date=12 January 2017|website=Deccan Herald}}</ref><br />
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==Similarity with other scripts==<br />
The Kadamba script shares similarities with scripts of certain languages belonging to the alphasyllabary or abugida family, including [[Goykanadi]], [[Bhattiprolu script]], Salankayana script,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.skyknowledge.com/brahmi-pallava.jpg |title=Comparison of Brahmi and Pallava scripts |publisher=SkyKnowledge.com |accessdate=2025-12-14}}</ref> [[Pallava script]], [[Gupta script]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ancientscripts.com/gupta.html |title=Gupta |publisher=Ancient Scripts |accessdate=2014-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307065531/http://www.ancientscripts.com/gupta.html |archive-date=2020-03-07 |url-status=dead}}</ref> as well as the [[ Kannada script.]] {{cn|date=March 2026}}{{or|date=March 2026}}<br />
[[File:Kadamba Script.jpg|thumb|center|438px|Latin symbols corresponding to Kadamba script.]]<br />
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==See also==<br />
*[[Ancient Philippine scripts]]<br />
*[[Kalinga script]]<br />
*[[Kannada script]]<br />
*[[Palaeography#South India|Palaeography-Kannada]]<br />
*[[Telugu script]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [http://karnatakaitihasaacademy.org/karnataka-history/evolution-of-kannada-script/ Evolution of Kannada script] <br />
<br />
{{list of writing systems}}<br />
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[[Category:Kannada literature]]<br />
[[Category:Brahmic scripts]]<br />
[[Category:Alphabets]]<br />
[[Category:Linguistic history of India]]</div>SheenaBayles