Inscription number 57. Kuntagani Plates of Kadamba Ravi-varman, Year 12. The Kadambas were earliest known native kingdoms of Karnataka. They were contemporaries of the western Ganga Dynasty and together they formed the alliance to rule the land with autonomy. From the mid-6th century the dynasty continued to rule as a vassal of larger Kannada empires, the chalukyas and the Rashtrakuta empires for close to five centuries. Prior to kadamba era Karnataka was ruled by mauryas and Satavahanas, who were not natives of this region. Kadambas were indigenous dynasty. The Kadamba era provides important religious & cultural details of the region. Provenance: Kuntagani Village, 80 km, North West of Banavasi. Ankola taluk, North Kanara district, Karnataka. Script: Brahmi of the Southern class Language: Sanskrit. These plates were found at Kuṇṭagaṇi, a village about 50 miles north-west of Banavasi in the Sirsi Taluk of North Kanara District in Mysore State. The set comprises three copper-plates, each measuring 6.4 inches by 1.9 inches. There is a hole, about 5 inch in diameter, on the left side of each plate, through which passes the ring with the seal. The ring is about 2 inches in diameter, while the seal which is oval in shape, measures 1.2 inches by 1 inch. The first and the third plates are inscribed on the inner side only while the second plate has writing on both sides. The first and the second plates contain 3 lines of writing each and the third plate has 4 lines. Each line contains about 20 aksharas, except the last line of the third plate which has about 12 aksharas. As some portions of the plates have flaked off, the letters are damaged in these portions. The plates, together with the ring and the seal, weigh 45 tolas.
References: H. D. Sankalia, New Ind.Ant, IV, (1941-42), pp.178-81, G.S. Gai, Ep.Ind, XXXII, pp.217-19. Footnote 1. 1. Eight of his plates are known. His Ajjibal Sirsi plates (Infra IV, 59) were issued in his 35th regnal year showing that he ruled for at least 35 years. R sathianathaier, Classical Age, pp.273, fixes his reign from 497 to 537 A.D., while Nilakanta Sastri, Vakataka-Gupta Age ( Ed. R.C. Majumdar) pp. 238, puts him about 500 538 A.D. 2. From the facsimile in Ep.Ind, XXXII, between pp. 218 and 219. 3. Identified by Gai, with modern Hangal in Dharwar district of Karnataka. In later records, spelt as Pantipura or Panthipura. It changed to Panumgala and Hangal. It is distinct from Vaijayanti (modern Vanavasi in North Kanara district), the capital of this Kadamba dynasty. All (other known plates of Ravi-varman, were issued either from Vaijayanti or from Palasika, identified with modern Halsi in the Khanapur Taluk of Belgaum district. Footnote 2. 1. As in other kadamba plates, the correct reading should be: अभिषिक्तानां मानव्य – सगोत्राणां हारीती पुत्राणां 2. वरियका may be modern Bargi, about 22 kms, South West of Kuntagani.
English Translation of the inscription.
Peace! In (i.e. from) the Panktipura, the city of victory. The great king Sri Ravivarman; of the family of the Kadambas, who are regular in study and discussion of sacred books, who are the sons of Hariti and are of Manavya gotra, and who were anointed after contemplation on Lord Mahasena, Karttikeya and the group of his mothers:- having caused a tank-bund to be constructed in the village of Variyaka, granted on it’s bunds, both sides, according to the procedure of perpetual gifts and the tradition of earlier kings, on the request of many persons, a pukkoli farm named Karppatesvara, measuring twenty four nivarttanas to Bhavasvamin of Dhaumya gotra and a past-master of the Vedas for his own noble merit, in his increasingly victorious year twelve, on the full moon day of the month of sravana. He who confiscates it becomes joined with the great sins. And, he who is the protector becomes, sharer of the fruit of this meritorious deed. And it has been said: (Here follow two of the imprecatory and benedictory verses) A house site and a nivartana land are also granted in the village.
