A New Kadamba Family
By P. B. Desai
Summary
This article announces the discovery of a hitherto unknown branch of the Kadamba dynasty, based on epigraphic finds from the Raichur region in Karnataka. The Kadambas were among the earliest native dynasties of Karnataka, ruling in the fourth and fifth centuries CE from their capital at Banavasi. Later, various collateral lines emerged, but the newly documented Raichur branch had been overlooked. The author reports three inscriptions dated to the eleventh and twelfth centuries that reveal the existence of chiefs bearing distinctive titles. The earliest record, dated Saka 988 (1066 CE), mentions a chief named Nagavarmarasa, styled Vanavasipuravarēśvara, who made a land grant to a Jain temple. Two later inscriptions from 1077 and 1124 refer to Bittarasa and Madhavattiyarasa, who use the titles Kadambarabbarana (“ornament of the Kadambas”) and Vanavasipuravaradēśvara. The use of these honorifics links them to the original Kadamba royal line while indicating autonomy in the Raichur region. The inscriptions record donations of villages, taxes and rights to Brahmin and Jain institutions and mention overlords such as the Chalukyas, suggesting that these chiefs were feudatories. The article situates the discoveries within the broader history of Karnataka, noting that the region was ruled by many dynasties including the Gangas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas and Hoysalas. The identification of a Raichur Kadamba branch demonstrates the persistence and diffusion of Kadamba identity long after their original kingdom declined. It also illustrates how local rulers adopted prestigious genealogical titles to legitimize their authority. The article concludes by calling for further epigraphic surveys in Raichur and neighbouring districts to map the full extent of this newly discovered line. The findings contribute to understanding the proliferation of regional chieftains in medieval Karnataka and highlight the value of minor inscriptions in reconstructing dynastic histories.
Conclusion
The Raichur inscriptions reveal a branch of the Kadamba dynasty previously unknown to historians. Chiefs such as Nagavarmarasa, Bittarasa and Madhavattiyarasa bore titles linking them to the prestigious Kadamba lineage and issued grants under the suzerainty of larger powers. Their existence illustrates how ancient dynastic identities were appropriated by regional elites to assert legitimacy in eleventh‑ and twelfth‑century Karnataka. Continued epigraphic research in the area promises to shed further light on the interconnected mosaic of medieval South Indian polities.