Ancient Karnataka

Ancient Karnataka, as the legend says, is associated with the happenings in the Ramayana. In fact, legend affirms that the ancient Karnataka was associated with the kingdom of grandfathers of Bhagirath and also with Lord Shiva.

Moreover, Karnataka had long been the interest of the foreign traders, who came to India in search of its material wealth and also for its spices which had a great demand in the western market.

Further, ancient Karnataka dates back to the period when Chandragupta Maurya ascended the throne of Karnataka. Chandragupta Maurya, one of the great rulers of ancient Karnataka, exercised his control over the region till his death. Under the Mauryas, the territory of Karnataka flourished like the Garden of Eden with tremendous wealth within its realms. But the Mauryans could not have held the throne till eternity; therefore it passed on to the Satavahanas. Karnataka ancient history confirms that the Satavahanas ruled Karnataka for nearly 300 years.

The Satavahans, as the ancient history of Karnataka has it, were followed by the Kadambas and Pallavas. After the Kadambas and Pallavas, rose the Gangadikaras who ruled in the region till the 11th century. The Chalukyas of Badami, the Rashtrakutas, the Kalacharis, the Hoysalas, the Yadavs, the Kakatiyas, etc, followed the Gangadikaras in Karnataka.

Moreover, Karnataka also saw the genesis of a Muslim kingdom which began with the Malik Kafur's accession to the throne of Karnataka. But this Muslim kingdom could not hold on for long and in 1336, Harihara (Hakka) and Bukka established a Hindu kingdom at Vijayanagar.