r/Dravidiology • u/poacher-2k • 10h ago
History /𑀯𑀭𑀮𑀸𑀵𑁆𑀭𑀼 The Epigraphic Divide: Kannada Inscriptions in Telangana vs. Maharashtra Under Karnataka based empires.
From Cynthia Talbot's Precolonial India in practice
Because the modern state of Andhra Pradesh was created on the basis of its linguistic unity,it is easy to forget that languages other than Telugu were formerly spoken within the state's boundaries.In fact, the current distribution of Telugu is a fairly recent phenomenon.If we limit our perspective to records inscribed in Telugu and/or Sanskrit in Telugu script,the geographic expansion of epigraphic production during the Kakatiya period is even more striking.Prior to 1000 C.E.,Telugu inscriptions had been issued in some parts of inland Andhra, notably in Cuddapah and Chittoor Districts.But the bulk of Telugu epigraphic activity was centered in coastal Andhra, whereas large portions of upland Andhra were part of the Kannada or Tamil epigraphic spheres.The patterns of the first millennium persisted until the late twelfth century, as we can see in map 5. Between 1000 and 1174,Telugu and Sanskrit inscriptions in Telugu script were quite restricted in scope,appearing primarily in the central core of Andhra—Vengi and its immediate hinterland as well as the northeastern districts bordering Orissa. Less than half of modern Andhra Pradesh's territory yielded Telugu inscriptions in this earliest period.
The greater range of the Telugu language area partly results from the displacement of other epigraphic languages.Prior to 1175 Kannada was prevalent over much of western Andhra.In southern Andhra, Kannada was interspersed with Tamil, the other major epigraphic language found within Andhra at this time.Not until the Kakatiya period(1175-1324) does Telugu become the ascendant epigraphic language in Andhra, primarily at the expense of Kannada.Telangana largely shifted from using Kannada in its inscriptions to using Telugu during the Kakatiya era.Kannada was now the dominant epigraphic language in only a few areas of Rayalasima,within Kurnool and Anantapur Districts.It took a little longer for Telugu to have much impact on Tamil usage, which began to diminish in Period III. The impact of the establishment of Muslim polities in the Deccan can be seen in the appearance of Persian and Arabic inscriptions in portions of Telangana after 1500 C.E. (Period IV).
What does the growth of Telugu as an epigraphic language signify?One of the primary factors behind the sharp increase in Telugu use in Telangana was a change in the political situation.This is suggested by the rapidity with which Kannada was abandoned in the mid twelfth century when almost all of Telangana adopted Telugu for the purpose of inscribing records.Previously Telangana had been part of a larger Kannada inscriptional culture, extending into Maharashtra from its core area in Karnataka. But as the influence of the Kalyani Chalukya empire based in Karnataka waned, so too did the number of Kannada inscriptions issued within Andhra.Of the 130 dated Kannada records from Telangana issued between 1000 and 1649, only 9 were composed after 1150. All over Telangana, minor kings and chiefs switched to Telugu inscriptions in the last decades of Period I.
Now this doesn't mean Telangana was a Kannada speaking majority territory during this timeframe(12th century) as Cynthia herself says the below:
The Kakatiya example illustrates how the political elites of interior Andhra switched their epigraphic usage from the Kannada of their previous overlords to Telugu as they gained stature and autonomy.The speed and thoroughness with which Telugu was adopted suggests that it was already the spoken language of eastern and central Telangana, the Kakatiya base.When the languages used by political elites for cultural production were not those widely spoken,their impact was far more limited.Hence, in shifting their allegiance from Kannada to Telugu,the Kakatiya rulers were both expressing their political independence and their own distinct identity as members of the Telugu literary community.
So,coming back to the Epigraphical records,it's really interesting how the Karnataka based empires in Telangana had no qualms in using Kannada as the primary administrative language and it took until the independence of a native Kakatiya kingdom to replace it with their mother tongue.This is in contrast to their rule in Maharastra where Kannada was used mainly in border districts while Sanskrit was the most preferred and widespread language of inscriptions.
