The Hoysala kingdom of Veera Ballala II (reigning 1173 to 1220) is documented almost wholly by the inscriptions in this series, arranged by district and taluk with full English translations. Vol. 5 (Hassan district, with Belur and Halebid, the Hoysala heartland) and vols. 2 (Sravana Belgola), 6 (Kadur) and 12 (Tumkur) hold Ballala's records: his victories over the Yadava Bhillama at Soratur in 1190 and his assumption of the imperial titles, his capital at Dorasamudra, his governors, the Jain and Shaiva endowments, and the names of the feudatory families. The dates are in the Saka era and mostly exact to the day.
About this source
- Title
- Epigraphia Carnatica
- Author
- Various (Hoysala chancery and temple scribes), edited by B. Lewis Rice and R. Narasimhachar
- Author's dates
- Rice 1837 to 1927
- Written
- inscriptions of the 4th to 19th centuries; the series ran from 1886 to 1905, revised from 1972
- Language
- Kannada, Sanskrit and Tamil, with English translations
- Covers
- the whole span of Mysore epigraphy; this entry is for the Hoysala records of about 1175 to 1220
- Kind
- Inscriptions
Rice's translations are serviceable but dated; the revised series (University of Mysore, 1972 onward) renumbers the records. Several complete sets are on the Internet Archive.
Where to read it
Editions
- B. L. Rice (ed.), Epigraphia Carnatica vol. 5, part 1: inscriptions in the Hassan district (Mangalore, 1902)
- Epigraphia Carnatica vol. 5 (Toronto scan)
- R. Narasimhachar (ed.), Epigraphia Carnatica vol. 2: inscriptions at Sravana Belgola, revised edition (1923)
- B. L. Rice (ed.), Epigraphia Carnatica vol. 6: inscriptions in the Kadur district (1901)
- B. L. Rice (ed.), Epigraphia Carnatica vol. 12: inscriptions in the Tumkur district (1904)