''Epigraphia Carnatica'' is a set of books on

epigraphy Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the w ...

of the Old Mysore region of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

, compiled by

Benjamin Lewis Rice Benjamin Lewis Rice (17 July 1837 – 10 July 1927), popularly known as B. L. Rice, was a British historian, archaeologist and educationist. He is known for his pioneering work in deciphering inscriptions, especially in Kannada, and in Sansk ...

, the Director of the Mysore Archaeological Department. Over a period of about ten years between 1894 and 1905, Rice published the books in a set of twelve volumes. The books contain the study of about 9,000 inscriptions from lithic surfaces and copper plates, which were found in the region. Apart from the original inscription, an English translation and a Roman transliteration are also provided.

History

was born in

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

in 1837. His father was a Christian

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

and head of the Bangalore

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

. After completing his education in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

, Rice returned to serve as the principal of Central School in Bangalore. He was also appointed as a secretary of the education commission. When he toured the countryside as an education inspector, he came across various inscriptions. He was interested in epigraphy and he took the help of his assistants to edit, translate and transliterate about 9,000 inscriptions. In 1886, when the British made him the head of the Department of Archaeology, he started work towards publishing his epigraphical study and brought out a series of twelve volumes entitled ''Epigraphia Carnatica''. Rice also wrote a book called ''The History of Mysore and Coorg from Inscriptions'' which is based on ''Epigraphia Carnatica''.

Compilation

''Epigraphia Carnatica'' contains a study of inscriptions from AD 3rd century until 19th century. These inscriptions belonged to different dynasties that ruled this region such as

Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century BCE d ...

s, Kadambas, Western Chalukyas,

Hoysala The Hoysala Empire was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur, but was later moved ...

s, Vijayanagar kings,

Hyder Ali Hyder Ali ( حیدر علی, ''Haidarālī''; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the att ...

and his son

Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...

, and the Mysore

Wodeyar The Wadiyar dynasty (formerly spelt Wodeyer or Odeyer, also referred to as the Wadiyars of Mysore), is a late-medieval/ early-modern South Indian Hindu royal family of former kings of Mysore from the Urs clan originally based in Mysore city. ...

s. The inscriptions found were mainly written in

Kannada language Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native ...

, but some have been found to be written in languages like

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, na ...

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode ...

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Persian.

Publishing

After the set of twelve volumes had been published by Rice, R. Narsimhachar, who succeeded Rice as the head of the archaeological department, found another 4,000 inscriptions. M.H. Krishna, after his excavations at Chandravalli and Brahmagiri, discovered 2,000 inscriptions and published these discoveries as volumes 13, 14 and 15 of ''Epigraphia Carnatica''. By 1950 the volumes were out of print, and so in 1972 the Department of Kannada at

Mysore University The University of Mysore is a public state university in Mysore, Karnataka, India. The university was founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. The university is recognised by the University Grants Commission ...

undertook the task of reprinting the volumes, but could only bring out six volumes. The Southern Regional Centre of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) under the chairmanship of Professor S. Settar wanted to create a digitized version of the volumes. Settar donated his personal copies of ''Epigraphia Carnatica'', which were scanned and released as a CD-ROM in 2005.

Volumes

In the preface of each volume is found a description about the publication and its contents, persons involved, and/or struggles, some of which owing to a change of staff, a post-war retrenchment, etc. From 1886 to 1905 9 years B. Lewis Rice published the first twelve volumes in multiple parts as fourteen books, followed by a revision of ''Vol. I'' in 1914 with 75 additional inscriptions, bringing to light nearly 5,000 inscriptions of the 8,869 he collected over the course of 22 years. In 1923, R. Narasimhachar published a revised and enlarged edition of Rice's ''Vol. II'', which contains 356 new inscriptions (500 total) with translations ranging from AD 600 to 1889. Rice's intention was to publish ''Vol. XIII'' as an index to his publications, so in 1934, Dr. M. H. Krishna, with the help of K. Rama Rao, M. C. Srinivasa Iyengar, and R. Narasimhachar, published part one of ''Vol. XIII: General Index'', covering letters 'A' to 'K' of Rice's 1st editions. In 1943, Dr. M. H. Krishna published a ''Vol. XIV'' supplement for Rice's ''Vol. V'', which contains texts and translations of about 750 inscriptions, new and revised, collected between 1906 and 1914 in the old Mysore District which included the present Mandya District. In 1955, Prof. K. A. Nilakanta Sastri published a ''Vol. XVI'' supplement for Rice's ''Vol. XII'', which contains new inscriptions collected by Mr. R. Narasimhachar between 1906 and 1922 in the Tumkur District and has transliteration of about 270 inscriptions. In 1965, Dr. M. Seshadri published a ''Vol. XVII'' supplement for Rice's ''Vol. X''. In 1970, he also published a ''Vol. XVIII'' supplement, which revised and added a few new additions to Rice's ''Vol. VII'' and ''Vol. VIII''. In 1972, a 3rd revised edition to Rice's ''Vol. I, 2nd ed.'' was published, which contains 32 new inscriptions. In 1987, R. Narasimhachar published the second part of ''Vol. XIII: General Index'', covering letters 'L' to 'Z' of the first twelve volumes. Volumes 1 to 12: * :

Coorg Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State. It occupies ...

Inscriptions. (Rice, 1886). (Rice, 1914, 2nd ed.). (1972, 3rd ed.). * : Inscriptions at Sravana Belgola. (Rice, 1889). (Narasimhachar, 1923, 2nd ed.). * : Inscriptions in the

Mysore District Mysore district, officially Mysuru district is an administrative district located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mysore division.Chamarajanagar District was carved out of the origi ...

, Part I. (Rice, 1894). * : Inscriptions in the

, Part II. (Rice, 1898). * : Inscriptions in the

Hassan District Hassan is one of the 31 districts of Karnataka, India. The district headquarter is Hassan. It was carved out from Mysore district in the year 1866, during the Commissioner's Rule of Mysore (1831-81). Hassan District contains 8 taluks with t ...

, Part I. (Rice, 1902). * : Inscriptions in the

, Part II. (Rice, 1902). * : Inscriptions in the Kadur District. (Rice, 1901). * : Inscriptions in the

Shimoga District Shimoga district, officially known as Shivamogga district, is a district in the Karnataka state of India. A major part of Shimoga district lies in the Malnad region or the Sahyadri. Shimoga city is its administrative centre. Jog Falls view p ...

, Part I. (Rice, 1902). * : Inscriptions in the

, Part II. (Rice, 1904). * : Inscriptions in the Bangalore District. (Rice, 1905). * : Inscriptions in the

Kolar District Kolar district ) is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. Kolar ( ಕೋಲಾರ) is the district headquarters. Located in southern Karnataka, it is the state's easternmost district. The district is surrounded by the Bangalore Rural d ...

. (Rice, 1905). * : Inscriptions in the

, Part II. (Rice, 1905). * : Inscriptions in the Chitaldroog District. (Rice, 1903). * : Inscriptions in the

Tumkur District Tumakuru District is an administrative district in the state of Karnataka in India. It is the third largest district in Karnataka by land area with an area of 10,598 km2, and fourth largest by Population. It is a one-and-a-half-hour drive fr ...

. (Rice, 1904). Volumes 13 to 19: * : General Index, Part I –K for Vols. I–XII, 1st ed. (Krishna, 1934). * : General Index, Part II –Z for Vols. I–XII, 1st ed. (Narasimhachar, 1987). * : Supplementary Inscriptions in the

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude o ...

and

Mandya Mandya is a city in the state of Karnataka. It is the headquarter of Mandya district and is located from Mysore and from Bangalore. Sugar factories contribute to the major economic output. It is also called Sugar city (which in Kannada mea ...

Districts. (Krishna, 1943). * : Supplementary Inscriptions in the

ol. V (Krishna, 1943). * : Supplementary Inscriptions in the

ol. XII (Sastri, 1955). * : Supplementary Inscriptions in the

ol. X (Seshadri, 1965). * : Supplementary Inscriptions in the

ols. VII and VIII (Seshadri, 1970). * Vol. ?: Supplementary Inscriptions in the Bangalore District ol. IX (Planned).

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{ Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1886 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. I:

Inscriptions , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1914 , orig-year=1st ed. 1886 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. I:

Inscriptions , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , edition=2nd , location=Madras , publisher=Government Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1972 , orig-year=1st ed. 1886 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. I:

Coorg District Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State. It occupies ...

, series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , edition=3rd , location=Manasa Gangotri , publisher=Mysore University Printing Press , pages=11–14 (Preface) {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1889 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. II: Inscriptions at Sravana Belgola, a chief seat of the Jains , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Bangalore , publisher=Mysore Government Central Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Narasimhachar , author-first=R. , year=1923 , orig-year=1st ed. 1889 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. II: Inscriptions at Sravana Belgola , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , edition=2nd , location=Bangalore , publisher=Mysore Government Central Press , pages=i-iii (Preface) {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1894 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. III: Inscriptions in the

, Part I , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Bangalore , publisher=Mysore Government Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1898 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. IV: Inscriptions in the

, Part II , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Bangalore , publisher=Mysore Government Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1902 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. V: Inscriptions in the

, Part I , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Mangalore , publisher=Basel Mission Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1902 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. V: Inscriptions in the

, Part II , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Mangalore , publisher=Basel Mission Press {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1901 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. VI: Inscriptions in the Kadur District , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Bangalore , publisher=Mysore Government Central Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1902 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. VII: Inscriptions in the

, Part I , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Bangalore , publisher=Mysore Government Central Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1904 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. VIII: Inscriptions in the

, Part II , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Bangalore , publisher=Mysore Government Central Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1905 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. IX: Inscriptions in the Bangalore District , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Bangalore , publisher=Mysore Government Central Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1905 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. X: Inscriptions in the

, series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Mangalore , publisher=Basel Mission Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1905 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. X: Inscriptions in the

, Part II , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Bangalore , publisher=Mysore Government Central Press {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1903 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. XI: Inscriptions in the Chitaldroog District , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Bangalore , publisher=Mysore Government Central Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Rice , author-first=B. Lewis , author-link=B. Lewis Rice , year=1904 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. XII: Inscriptions in the

, series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Bangalore , publisher=Mysore Government Central Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Krishna , author-first=Dr. M. H. , author-link=M. H. Krishna , year=1934 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. XIII: General Index, Part I –K for Vols. I–XII, 1st ed., series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Bangalore , publisher=Government Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Narasimhachar , author-first=R. , year=1987 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. XIII: General Index, Part II –Z for Vols. I–XII, 1st ed., series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , edition=Rev. , location=Bangalore , publisher=Mysore Government Central Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Krishna , author-first=Dr. M. H. , author-link=M. H. Krishna , year=1943 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. XIV: Supplementary Inscriptions in the

and

Districts , series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Mysore , publisher=Government Branch Press , pages=1–2 (Preface) {{Cite book , author-last=Krishna , author-first=Dr. M. H. , author-link=M. H. Krishna , year=1943 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. XV: Supplementary Inscriptions in the

ol. V, series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Mysore , publisher=Government Branch Press , pages=1–2 (Preface) {{Cite book , author-last=Sastri , author-first=Prof. K. A. Nilakanta , author-link=K. A. Nilakanta Sastri , year=1955 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. XVI: Supplementary Inscriptions in the

ol. XII, series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Mysore , publisher=Government Branch Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Seshadri , author-first=Dr. M , year=1965 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. XVII: Supplementary Inscriptions in the

ol. X, series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Mysore , publisher=Government Text Book Press , page=Preface {{Cite book , author-last=Seshadri , author-first=Dr. M , year=1970 , title=Epigraphia Carnatica. Vol. XVII: Supplementary Inscriptions in the

ols. VII and VIII, series=Mysore Archaeology Survey , location=Mysore , publisher=Government Text Book Press , page=Preface

External links

Scanned Epigraphia Carnatica volumes available at the Internet Archive
Full scans from Canadian libraries of volumes 1-13.1, 14–16.
Epigraphia Carnatica
online copy of the 1898 edition, volume II. (archive.org)
Epigrāphiya Karnāṭaka (University of Tuebingen)
Full scans of volumes 1-12, 15–17. History of Karnataka Indian inscriptions Indian non-fiction books Inscriptions Kannada inscriptions