Old Kannada - Information Dissemination On Halegannada

Information Dissemination On Halegannada

Linguist Lingadevaru Halemane announcing the launching of the lecture series in Bangalore in June 2007 on Halegannada, noted that there was documentary proof about Kannada being existent even in 250 BCE, and that there were enough grounds for giving classical status to Kannada. The lecture series unveiled the indigenous wealth of the language, the stone inscriptions belonging to different periods, besides the folk and medicinal knowledge people possessed in this region in that age. This series of lectures would be extended to other parts of the state.

The central Government of India formed a new category of languages called Classical languages, in 2004. Tamil was the first to be classified so. Sanskrit was added to the category a year later. The four criteria to declare Kannada as a Classical language, stated below, which are stated to be fulfilled has prompted action to seek recognition from the Central Institute of Indian Languages

1. Recorded history of over a thousand five hundred years
2. High antiquity of a language's early texts
3. An body of ancient literature, which is considered a valuable heritage by generation of speakers
4. The literary tradition has to be original and not borrowed from another speech community and the language could be distinct from its "later and current" forms or it could be continuous.

The classical tag equates a language to all ancient languages of the world. This is a qualification that helps in the establishment of its research and teaching chairs in any university in the world. It also provides a larger spectrum for its study and research, creates a large number of young researchers and ensures republication of out-of-print classic literature.

An Expert Committee comprising eminent researchers, distinguished academicians, reputed scholars, well known historians and renowned linguists prepared a report by collecting all the documents and credentials to prove the claim of its antiquity. This document was submitted to the Committee of Linguistic Experts set up in November 2004 by the Government of India for recognition of Kannada as a classical language. The Expert Committee Report of the Government of Karnataka titled "Experts Report submitted to the Government of Karnataka on the subject of the recognition of Kannada as a classical Language" published in February 2007 by Kannada Pustaka Pradhikara of The Department of Kannada and Culture, Government of Karnataka, M.S. Building, Bangalore. The annexures enclosed to this report to subtantiate the claim of Kannada language's antiquity are the following.

• Annexure:1 B.Lewis Rice,in 1903 has published the inscriptions found in Chitradurga district of Karnataka, in Epigraphia Carnatica Volume Xi. He has found that the Kannada word 'islasi'appears in the inscription dated 252 BCE
• Annexure:2 "History and Culture of Karanataka (early times to Unification)" by K.S.Basvaraja
• Annexure:3 Statement, in "Karnataka Through The Ages" published by the Government of Mysore, 1968, says that the proof of the earliest Kannada word 'isil' is found in 3rd century BCE
• Annexure:4 "Early Tamil Epigraphy from the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D" by Iravatham Mahadevan, Cre-A, Chennai, India and The Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies, Harvard University, U.S.A.
• Annexure:5 Prof E.Hultzsch, in 1904, records that a number of Kannada words appear in "Papyrus from Oxythynchus" (Greek documents) the dates of which go back to pre-Christian era. Published in the Journal of Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland for 1904
• Annexure:5A "Sources of Karnataka History Volume I" by S.Srikantha Sastry, published by the University of Mysore, Mysore, 1940
• Annexure:6 Rashtrakavi M.Govinda Pai, a noted Scholor, has identified some place names mentioned by Ptolemy (C 115 CE), the celebrated Greeko-Egyptian Astronomer
• Annexure:7 "Karnataka through the Ages" Published by the Government of Mysore, 1968
• Annexure:8 "Karnataka through the Ages" Published by The Government of Mysore, 1968
• Annexure:8A "Karanataka Darshana (1955)- Old kannada Literature – a Brief Summary" by D.L. Narsaimhachar
• Annexure:9 "A Dravidian Etymological Dictionary" by T.Burrow and M.B.Emeneau, Oxford at the Clenadon Press
• Annexure:9A "A Collected papers on Dravidian Linguistics" by T.Burrow, Annamalai University,Annamalainagar, South India
• Annexure:10 Sanford B. Steever, in his edited book "The Dravidian Languages" 2000, records the history of Kannada language over 1500 years
• Annexure:11 Prof Srikanthaiah, a noted Kannada scholar, records that Kannada language must have come into existence before Christ (in "Kannada Darshana" 1956, edited by R.R. Diwakar, former Governor of Bihar)
• Annexure:12 There were commentaries in Kannada during the 3rd and the 4th centuries CE,; like "Chudamani" on the Jaina canonical Prakrit text "Chatakandagama" of the 1st or 2nd century CE, according to the well known Jaina scholor Dr. Hiralal Jain
• Annexure:13 The full length inscription dated 450 CE. found in Halmidi village in Hassan district of Karnataka. Extract from the "Annual Report of the Mysore Archeological Department", published in 1938
• Annexure:14 An eminent Dravidian scholar Bh Krishnamurthy records in his book "Dravidian Languages", 2003 (Cambridge Language Surveys) about the first document in Kannada, Viz., Halmidi inscription of 450 CE
• Annexure:15 The prestigious publication, "Dravidian Encyclopaedia", by the International School of Dravidian Linguistics, Thiruvananthapuram, records the early Kannada inscription of 450 CE
• Annexure:16 A Dravidian scholar from Russia M.S. Andronov records in his book 'The Kannada Language", 1982, about the earliest inscription of 450 CE.
• Annexure:17 B.Lewis Rice, in 1903, has published the other Kannada inscriptions found in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka, in Epigrahia Carnatica Vol xi. He has found that pre-old Kannada and old Kannada writings in the inscriptions dated 500 CE
• Annexure:18 Rev F.Kittel in his "A Grammar of the Kannada Language", 1903, records the existence of earliest Kannada inscription of 6th century.
• Annexure:19 "Epgraphia Carnatica, revised Volume no. 2", published in 1973 by theInstitute of Kannada Studies, University of Mysore, records Six Kannada inscriptions found in Shravanabelagola. These inscriptions are dating back to 7th century CE
• Annexure:20 J.F. Fleet, in 1881, reports in "The Indian Antiquary" vol x, edited by Jass Burgess, an important Kannada inscription of 7th century CE. found in Badami(about Kappe Arbhata)
• Annexure:21 K.Kushalappa Gowda, former Professor of Kannada in Madras University, in his book "A Grammar of Kannada', 1972, records the continuous history of Kannada Language from 3rd century B.C.
• Annexure:22 "Dravidian Verb Morphology (a Comparative Study)" by P.S.Subramanyam, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamil Nadu, 1971
• Annexure:23 "History of Kannada Literature" by R.Narasimhacharya, Wesley Press and Publishing House,1940
• Annexure:23A R.Narasimhacharya in his epoc making work "Karanataka Kavicharite" revised second edition published by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Bangalore, 1972 records the early Kannada works from 6th century and 7th centuries. These include classical poetry, rhetorical works and technical literature.
• Annexure:24 D.L.Narsimhacahar writes about the early Kannada poets of 600 and 650 CE in "Karnataka Darshana" 1956 edited by R.R.Diwakar, former Governor of Bihar
• Annexure:25 The first vaialble Kannada work "Kavirajamarga" of Nrupatunga of about 850 CE, edited by K.B. Pathak published in 1898, records the works of early poets of 6th, 7th and 8th centuries.
• Annexure:26 An eminent scholar R.S.Mugali writes in "Avalokana" published on the occasion of World Kannada Conference, 1985, about the continuous literary tradition of Kannada.
• Annexure:27 B.Lewis, in 1882, has written in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol xiv, about the early poet Pampa, who was born in 902 CE
• Annexure:28 Rev F.Kittel, writes in "Indian Antiquary", vol iv 1875, about old Kannada literature of the early period of 9th and 10th century
• Annexure:29 "Extent and range of Kannada Literature" Chapter V, by R.Narasimhachar in History of Kannada Literature (1934)
• Annexure:29A D.L.Narasimhachar, writes in "Karanataka Darshana", edited by R.R.Diwakar, former Governor of Bihar, about the continuous tradition of Kannada literature
• Annexure: 30 Siddiah Puranik, who was a member of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), discusses the medieval Kannada literature in "Avalokana" published on the occasion of the World Kannada Conference, 1985.
• Annexure: 31 A modern linguistician and a Kannada scholar A.K.Ramanujan, records in his book "Speaking of Shiva", 2nd edition 1979, Penguin Books, about the Vachana literature of 12th century
• Annexure: 32 M.Chidananda Murthy writes in his article of authentic record, "Bhakti – A Protest Movement" in the dimensions of "Bhakthi movement in India" edited by H.M. Marulusiddiah, published in 1998
• Annexure: 33 K.S. Bhagavan writes in his article "Bhakti Movement in Karnataka" – Sharana outlook, Caste-Class Distinction" in the "Dimensions of Bhakti Movement in India",eidted by H.M. Marulusiddiah, published in 1998
• Annexure: 34 "A history of Kannada Literature" by L.S.Seshagiri Rao presented at the first World Kannada Conference.
• Annexure: 35 "Karnataka through the Ages" and "Karnataka Music" (Vijayanagar Period)
• Annexure: 36 "Land, Peasant and People of Medieval Karnataka" by K.S.Shivanna, Institute of Socio Economic History, Bangalore
• Annexure: 37 "History of Kannada Literature" Book III Modern period at the First World Kannada Conference.

The Expert Committee of the Government of India has examined the above submissions made in the report of the Karnataka Government, and vide their Notification No 2-16-/2004-Akademics dated 31 October 2008 have stated that

"It is hereby notified that the "Telugu Language" and the "Kannnada Language" satisfy the above x criteria and will hence forth be classified as 'Classical Languages'. The notification is subject to the decision in Writ Petition no 18180 of 2008 in the High Court of jurisdiction at Madras.

A newspaper report has confirmed the fact that the Government of India has accorded, on 31 October 2008, the Classical Language status to Kannada and Telugu languages based on the recommendation of the nine-member Committee of Linguistic Experts.