Kannada inscriptions

About 35,000 inscriptions found in Karnataka and nearby states belong to historic Kannada rulers, including the Kadambas, the Western Ganga Dynasty, the Rashtrakuta, the Chalukya, the Hoysala and the Vijayanagara Empire. Many inscriptions related to Jainism have been unearthed. The inscriptions found are generally on stone or copper plates. These Kannada inscriptions are found on historical hero stones, coins, temple walls, pillars, tablets and rock edicts. They have contributed towards Kannada literature and helped to classify the eras of Proto Kannada, Pre Old Kannada, Old Kannada, Middle Kannada and New Kannada. Inscriptions depict the culture, tradition and prosperity of their era. The literature of Ramayana and Mahabharata are transferred through the generations by these inscriptions. The Hazara Rama Temple and Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple are the best examples of temples associated with Kannada inscriptions.

Earliest Kannada inscriptions

The stone inscription found at Talagunda near Shiralakoppa in the taluk during excavation by the Archaeological Survey of India in 2013-14 is now said to be the earliest Kannada inscription. Nishadi Inscription of 400 AD of Chandragiri hill, Halmidi inscription of 5th century AD and Aihole inscriptions are very important in the history of Kannada and Karnataka. 5th century Tamatekallu inscription of Chitradurga and 500 CE Chikkamagaluru inscription. The earliest known Kannada inscription in Bengaluru region traced to the reign of Sripurusha was discovered in 2018 in Hebbal. There are few Kannada words found in the edicts and inscriptions those are prior to the Christian era in places as far as Egypt.
;Brahmagiri rock inscription of Ashoka
Ashoka rock edict at Brahmagiri in Chitradurga district is the ancient site of Ishila. An inscription there contains this most ancient Kannada word.
The earliest recorded word of Kannada is Isila occurring in the Brahmagiri rock inscription of 252 BC.
;Tagarthi inscription
A Dr. S. Shettar completed a detailed palaeographic study over 10 years, finding five to six inscriptions that are older than Halmidi inscription. The inscription is a mix of Brahmi, Kannada and Nagari scripts. One of those found at Tagarthi
dates to 350 AD, during the Ganga dynasty.
This study pushed the date push back by at least a century.
The historian Suryanath Kamath also agree with the findings of Dr S. Shettar.
;Gunabhushitana Nishadi inscription
M. G. Manjunath an epigraphist Mysore based scholar discovered 400 AD Gunabhushitana Nishadi inscription
of Jainism one of the 271 inscriptions on Chandragiri hill of Shravanabelagola found near Parshwanatha Basadi, which is 50 years older than Halmidi inscription. It is mentioned in the Epigraphia Karnataka. There are Prakrit, Sanskrit and Purvada Halegannada.
;Halmidi inscription
The 5th century AD Halmidi inscription 16-line earliest Kannada inscription found at Halmidi in Belur taluk of Hassan district on rectangular sandstone has a Vishnu Chakra on its top. The language of the inscription is in Poorvada Halegannada. Archaeologist M. H. Krishna found the Brahmi script in the inscription. Shifted the inscription to Archaeological Museum, Mysore and later to Government Museum in Bangalore. Epigraphia Karnataka has dedicated a chapter to study of the inscription.
The linguists and writers Govinda Pai, M. Chidananda Murthy, T. V. Venkatachala Sastry, Ram Sri Mugali, R.S. Panchamukhi, D.L. Narasimhachar, and M. M. Kalburgi studied the inscription and published papers. Writers including G. S. Gai, T. A. Gopinatha Rao, T. N. Srikantaiah, Shivarama Aithala, S. Nagaraju, S. Srikanta Sastri, M. Mariyappa Bhatta, M. B. Neginahal, K. V. Ramesh, Devarakondareddy and K. M. Hanumantha Rao have discussed the important issues raised by Halmidi inscription in their books.
;Tamatakallu inscriptions
Chitradurga district is home for most ancient inscriptions written in archaic Kannada script.
As per epigraphist Dr. B. Rajashekharappa the inscriptions known as Veeragallu at Tamatakal village written in Kannada script belongs mostly to end of Fifth Century or beginning of Sixth Century, describes the nature and achievements of Gunamadhura who ruled Masikapura, he was frivolous, generous and kind person. he was a favourite among women, because of his kind nature. In 1903 by the historian late B. L. Rice discovered the inscriptions, Dr. Rajashekharappa found new aspects.

Karnataka inscriptions of Kannada dynasties

The Karnataka inscriptions are categorized as follows:
;Kadambas inscriptions

Halmidi inscription - Kadamba Coins and the earliest Kannada inscription
Talagunda pillar inscription
Halasi Inscriptions of Kadambas of Halasi
Chandravalli rock inscription.
In AD 475-490 Mrigesavarman of Kadambas of Halasi inscription there is mention about Yapaniya.

;Western Ganga Dynasty inscriptions

The 981 CE Old Kannada inscription at Vindyagiri Shravanabelagola
Hebbal-Kittayya inscription at Hebbal, Bangalore
Doddahundi nishidhi inscription
Atakur inscription
The 983 CE Tyagada Brahmadeva Pillar at Shravanabelagola
Shravanabelagola inscription of Nandisena
Tumbula inscriptions of 444 AD, Sanskrit-Kannada inscription, the Kannada words are used to describe the land boundaries.
Western Ganga Kannada writings

;Chalukya inscriptions

The 634CE Aihole inscription of Ravi Kirti available at the Meguti temple, the inscription is a eulogy of Pulakeshin II and his conquests.
Mahakuta Pillar
Kappe Arabhatta
Badami Inscriptions
Gadag inscription of Vikramaditya VI
Sudi Inscriptions
610AD Peddavaduguru inscription of Pulakeshin II

;Rashtrakuta inscriptions

Kavirajamarga
Ninth century Kannada stone inscription of Rashtrakuta period unearthed near Tumbi Kere at Halekumur village in Byadgi Takuk. The inscription is about Rashtrakuta rulers donating 200 acres to Siddarevar Singh to construct a tank.
Navalinga Temple inscriptions Kuknur.
Northernmost Kannada inscription of the Rashtrakutas of 964 AD is the Jura record found near Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
Inscriptions related to Dantidurga

;Hoysala inscriptions
;Vijayanagara Empire inscriptions

;Vengi Chalukya inscriptions
;Yadava inscriptions
;Kalachuri Inscriptions

Kannada copper plates and manuscripts

The 8th century AD oldest Kannada copper plate inscription found at Belmannu in Karkala taluk of Udupi district.
Western Ganga Dynasty Tumbula inscriptions of 444 AD
The 8th century AD Aluvarasa II of Alupas .
The 1430 AD Vijayanagara empire Devarajapuram copper plate inscription having state-deity to certify a grant of land to Brahmins.

Coins bearing Kannada inscription

The 5th Century copper coin in archaic Kannada script found at Banavasi. One side has five letter inscription Sri Manaragi and symbol of Ujjain on other side.
Coins bearing Kannada inscription
Pagodas and Fanams with Kannada inscription were the coinage of Alupas.
Kadamba Coins
Lari (fish hook money)
Sudi and Lakkundi coins mint (Tankhashaley)
Honnu or Gadyana of Hoysala
Kalachuri Kannada Coinage

Kannada inscriptions found outside Karnataka

Many Kannada inscriptions are found outside Karnataka, mainly in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Kannada inscriptions found in Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh has numerous Kannada inscriptions.

Kannada inscription of Gooty in Andhra Pradesh.
At Tirumala Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati there are about 50 inscriptions available in Telugu and Kannada.
Inscription of Vijayanagara empire found at Kadimetla in Yemmiganur mandal of Kurnool district.
The 10th century AD copper plates of Amma II of Eastern Chalukya in Kannada-Telugu script available at National Museum New Delhi.
A 15th Century inscription written in Kannada found in a mango orchard in Krishnampalle of T. Kammapalle panchayat in Kadapa district. The inscription with the portrait of Tallapaka Pedda Tirumalarayudu and Sankham, Chakram and Namam of Lord Vishnu.

Kannada inscriptions found in Maharashtra

The Karhad copper plates in Kannada from Maharashtra is about after the defeat of Rajaditya in Takkolam the Krishna III's distribution of the raid of war; among his people at Melpadi military camp and also there is mention that Krishna III's invasion of the Chola territory was also to provide livelihood for his people.
Majority of the inscriptions found at Bombay are in Prakrit, Sanskrit and few are in Kannada. Out of the inscriptions found two belongs to Chalukyas, one to Kadambas, two to Rashtrakutas, eight to Shilaharas, one to Yadavas of Devagiri.
Shilaharas Kannada inscriptions, Silharas of Kolhapur used Kannada in inscriptions.
Maharashtra is mentioned as Maharashtraka in 580 CE Chalukya inscription.
Many historical inscriptions mentioned Kolhapur as Kollgiri, Kolladigirpattan, Kshullakpur Kollapur and Kollpur, particularly the word Kollpur originated from Kannada language.
Kannada inscriptions of Solapur district in Maharashtra
Inscriptions at Ellora
The 11th - 12th Century AD period Kannada Inscription of Chalukya Vikramaditya VI found at

Kannada inscriptions found in Tamil Nadu

The Kannada inscription of Rashtrakuta king Krishna III period found at Melpadi village in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu. It is mentioned as the endowment was made in the presence of Krishna III's feudatories. Krishna III was praised as Akalavarsha Deva, Prithvi Vallabha, Maha Rajathiraja, Parameshvara, Parama Bhattaraka and Chaleka Nallathan and it indicats that he was about to accomplish his conquests of Kancheepuram and Thanjavur.
The Kannada inscriptions found at Kanchipuram, Dharmapuri region, Vazhaithottam in Nilgiri District, Jain Palli at Alathur in Avinasi taluk, Coimbatore District and Karamadai copper plate inscription. Avinashi Temple inscription in Coimbatore, Kanchi inscription of Vikramaditya, Sittannavasal inscription, Melpadi inscription of Rastrakuta Krishna III, Madras Kannada Herostone inscription, Kodumbalur inscription of Irukkuvelir Chiefs and Hero-stone inscriptions in Kondaharahalli are the inscriptions in Kannada.
;Other parts of the world

The stone scripture found in Doleshwor of Nepal written in Kannada.
Pyu sites of Myanmar yielded variety of Indian scripts including Kannada inscription.
The Deopara inscription describes the Senas as Karnata Kshatriyas and Brahma-Kshatriyas.