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History
is the mirror of people's personality, potentiality and
achievements. It is rightly pointed out that the fundamental
justification for historical study is that it meets the
basic instinct and need of men living in society. For, history
is the memory of men living in society, and it is only through
knowledge of its history that a society can have knowledge
of itself. " As a man without memory and self-knowledge
is a man adrift", says Prof. Arthur Marwick, "so a society
without memory (or more correctly without recollection)
and self-knowledge would be a society adrift". The knowledge
of the history and culture of Karnataka in right perspective
is indispensable for the people of the state to discover
themselves and realize their identity.
It
is with this fervent hope that the great patriarch of Karnataka
nationalism Sri Alur Venkat Rao wrote his famous book "Karnataka
Gatavaibhava" in1917, in which he called upon the Kannadigas
to discover the greatness of their past- their dynasties
and rulers, their economic prosperity, their religious heritage,
literary glory or architectural splendour. He hoped that
a sense of pride in their past, would inspire them and harness
their energies to greater deeds in the present.
Meaning
of Karnataka:
Scholars have spun a number of theories in interpreting
the word 'Karnataka'. One view is that the original name
was 'Kannada' which referred to the land and not to a language
or people, and that 'Karnata' was only its Sankritised form.
Nripatunga (9th century) and Andayya (13th century) call
this land 'Kannada'. Some Scholars, however, argue that
the Sanskrit name 'Karnata' was of earlier origin, from
which 'Kannada' evolved. This is an amusing theory based
upon a story in the Skanda Purana, which says that the land
is named after a demon called Karnata.
Yet
another speculation is that it is because of the two tribes,
namely Karna and Nat who flourished in the territory that
the land came to be so known. Dr. Caldwell and Dr. Gundert
have propounded the derivation Kar + Nadu = Karnadu, meaning
the Black Country, which refers to the black soil of the
Deccan Plateau. Prof. T. N. Srikantaiah too subscribed to
this theory. Hattangadi Narayan Rao, on the other hand proposed
' Karu + Nadu', which suggested "an elevated land", as the
major parts of Karnataka are situated in the Deccan Plateau,
at an average elevation of 1500 feet above sea level. Manjeshwar
Govind Pai preferred to interpret 'Karu-Nadu' as 'great
or extensive land', with the same connotation as Maharashtra.
R.
Narsimhacharya derived the word Kannada from Kam + Nadu
or Kammitu + Nadu= Kannadu, meaning ' a fragrant or sweet
smelling land', hinting at the fragrance of the sandalwood
trees that abound the forests of Karnataka. S. B. Joshi
has argued that Kannada is derived from Kan + Nadu. Kan
refers to the Kanna race, which is the ancient stock of
the later Kannada people. It is true that all these speculations
and theories do not arrive at any final solutions. In fact,
finality is not one of the virtues of history. After looking
at the various theories, we should marvel how the words
'Karnataka' or 'Kannada' mean so much, to so many.
Antiquity
of Karnataka:
Karnataka can justifiably take pride in its antiquity. Rev.Fr.Heras
believed that the people of Karnataka were apparently mentioned
in one of the seal inscriptions of Mohenjodaro, although
this view is not accepted by many other scholars as more
than a hypothesis. The earliest known references to Karnataka
are found in the Sabha Parva and the Bhishma Parva of the
Mahabharata. Panini mentions Karnadhaka as the Gotra of
people. Mrichchakatika and Kathasritsagara make references
to Karnataka. Varahamihira's Brihatkatha or Rajashekhara's
Kavyamimamsa mention 'Karnataka'. The word is mentioned
in the Matsya Purana, Skanda Purana and the Markandeya Purana.
The Tamil classic of the 7th century Sillapadikaram refers
to the ' Karunatakars'.
The
Birur plates of Kadamba Vishnuvarman call Shantivarman "
the master of the entire Karnataka region". The Rashtrakuta
inscriptions refer to the armies of Chalukyas of Badami
as 'Karnatakabala'. These facts go to prove that Karnataka
had achieved its definite identity long back in history.
Scholars are of opinion that Kannada is one of the oldest
Dravidian languages and that it is next only to Tamil in
antiquity. Prof. D. L. Narsimhachar was convinced that Kannada
was a spoken language in the 3rd century B.C. Plolemy's
Geography (2nd century A. D.) speaks of many places of Karnataka.
A Greek play written on papyrus and discovered in Egypt
is believed to contain a number of Kannada words. As a language,
Kannada must have developed considerably by the 5th or the
6th century, for the Kauirajamarga of Nripatunga (9th century)
speaks of some earlier poets in Kannada.
Honourable
Record of Kannada Dynasties:
Many ruling dynasties held sway over Karnataka and played
decisive roles in the politics of the land. The rule of
the Nandas and the Mauryas had extended to the Karnataka
region. The Kadambas of Banavasi were considered worthy
of alliance by the Guptas and the Vakatakas. The Gangas
of Talakad had an incredibly long political existence of
about seven hundred years, and could hold their own against
the Chalukyas of Badami or the Rashtrakutas. The Chalukyas
of Badami rose to great political heights when their irrepressible
ruler, Pulakesi II, established his hegemony over Deccan,
thwarting the ambitions of Harshvardhana of Kanauj and routing
the Pallava ruler of Kanchi. The Rashtrakuta arms under
Dhruva or Govinda III excelled in the North, and could proclaim
their supremacy at the expense of the Gurjara-Pratiharas,
the Vengi Chalukyas, the Gangas or the Cholas. The Chalukyas,
of Kalyani had to contend against the Cholas in their bid
for supremacy.
The
Hoysalas established a compact kingdom in Karnataka and
successfully projected their political influence into the
Tamil country. The Vijayanagara Empire held the stage for
over three centuries, and its power and wealth evoked the
admiration and envy of its contemporaries. The Wodeyars
of Mysore or the Nayakas of Kaladi played emphatic roles
in the post Vijayanagara period, though in much narrower
spheres. Haidar or Tipu had the honour of being singled
out by the British as their inveterate foes; and the latter
had to fight four bitter wars before they could overcome
the Mysore challenge. Thus by any computation, the record
of Karnataka dynasties is creditable. The military prowess
of its rulers rivalled their statesmanship, as their ambitions
were sustained by their resources.
The
glory of Karnataka under its remarkable rulers has been
attested to by many foreign travellers, from Hieun-Tsang
to Nicolo Conti and from Abdur Razzak to Peter Mundy. They
have bestowed ungrudging praise on the benevolent rule they
had witnessed and its wholesome effects on people's lives.
Religious
and Spiritual Heritage:
Karnataka has been a meeting ground of many faiths and sects.
Here flourished saints and mystics whose sublime thoughts
and lofty spirituality touched the lives of the high and
the low. Jainism is said to have been introduced into Karnataka
by Chandragupta Maurya who retired to Sravanabelagola to
pursue his spiritual exercises. Many ruling families of
Karnataka patronized Jainism, which enriched the cultural
texture of the region. Shankara established one of his four
Mathas at Sringeri, and it remained the fountainhead of
Advaitic thought ever since. Ramanuja, the great Sri Vaishnava
teacher, found asylum in the Hoysala kingdom when he was
hounded out of the Tamil country.
Madhwacharya,
the redoubtable exponent of the Dwaita Philosophy, was born
near Udupi, where he established the eight Mathas to expand
and perpetuate his system. Karnataka witnessed the Haridasa
Movement, with which were associated the hallowed names
of Purandaradasa, Kanakadasa, Vadiraja, Vyasaraya, Vijayadasa
or Jagannathadasa. The vigorous and progressive socio-religious
movement unleashed by Basaveshwara, the "Martin Luther of
Karnataka", is an important feature of the spiritual heritage
of Karnataka. Islam flourished under the Bahaminis or the
Adilshahis, and Christianity found a receptive soil in the
Coastal Kanara. Karnataka has all along been adhering to
the sober ideal of religious toleration, with a noble emphasis
on the dictum of "live and let live".
Cultural
glory of Karnataka:
Creativity of human mind has found a generous expression
in Karnataka in literature or art and architecture. Several
literary forms in Kannada language have found remarkable
exponents in Pampa, Ranna, Kumaravyasa or Sarvajna in the
past and in K. V. Putappa, D. R. Bendre or Shivarama Karanth
in the present. Architectural traditions of the Kadambas,
the Chalukyas, the Hoysalas, the Vijayanagara or of the
Bahamanis reflect the different dimensions of the Karnataka
genius in the realm of artistic creativity.
Banavasi,
Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal, Belur, Halebid, Hampe, Bidar
or Bijapur contain living monuments of the past which speak
of the architectural splendour and excellence which the
people of Karnataka achieved different times. Sculptural
art attained its loftiest stature in the Gomateshwara of
Sravanabelagola as it achieved its most delicate forms in
the temples of Belur, Halebid or Somnathapur.
Music
in its classical mould flourished in Karnataka, and it had
the services of such dedicated souls as Purandaradasa, Veena
Sheshanna or Violin Maestro T. Chowdiah. Hindustani music
too has been promoted in this region of the South by such
distinguished practitioners of the art as Sawai Gandharva,
Mallikarjuna Mansur, Gangubai Hangal or Bhimsen Joshi. Karnataka
can thus take pride in its distinguished past. Its people
excelled in every sphere of human endeavour which has indeed
rendered its history colourful and meaningful. It can certainly
inspire the Kannadigas to greater efforts in the present
and to march into a rosy future which beckons them.
to
be continued...
Mr.
Arthikaje
Mangalore.
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