2016-11-12 Sat

The Kadamba Dynasty (345 - 525 CE) of Karnataka ruled from Banavasi in present day Uttara Kannada district. Kadambas came to power after the decline of the Satavahana power in the Deccan. Many lesser dynasties like the Chutus, the Abhiras, and the Ikshvakus ruled during the third century A.D. the Karnataka area, as they emerged out of this political confusion, during the same period the Kadambas of Banavasi rose to prominence.

The dynasty later continued to rule as a feudatory of larger Kannada empires, the Chalukya and the Rashtrakuta empires for over five hundred years, during which time they branched into Goa, Hanagal, and Chandavar. Kadamba dynasty is important because it was the first indigenous dynasty to use Kannada at an administrative level. Four different families of Kadambas ruled in southern India which was Kadamabas of Hangal, Kadambas of Goa, Kadambas of Belur and Kadambas of Bavansi.

They minted coins a large number of interesting coins with Nagari, Kannada and Grantha legends. The majority of these are of gold coins and some copper coins. Most of the coins were produced by the punching method. Each alphabet or symbol on the coins has been punched with a different punch. The main device or design is punched at the center of the coin. Often, this is punched so deeply that the coin assumes the shape of a concave saucer or cup.

The Kadamba coins are generally known as padmatankas as the central symbol on the obverse of most of them is the lotus. The obverse of some Kadamba coins features the lion instead of the lotus.

Hangal was the capital of the Kadambas of Hangal. It is mentioned as Panungal in early records and identified by tradition with Viratanagara of Mahabharata days. Hangal is situated in Haveri district in the state of Karnataka. The town is renowned for its Tarakeshwara temple and a famous Veerashaiva Kumaraswami matha.

Chattadeva was the founder of Kadambas of Hangal. He was a feudatory of the western Chalukyas. The Western Chalukyas rose to power by defeating the Rashtrakutas with the help of Kadambas. The successors of Chatta Deva occupied both Banavasi and Hangal and are known as Kadambas of Hangal. Later they held their suzerainty over Hangal for over four centuries under different overlords.