Kannada literature is the corpus of written forms of the Kannada language, spoken mainly in the Indian state of Karnataka and written in the Kannada script.
Old-Kannada inscription dated 578 CE (Badami Chalukya dynasty) outside Badami cave temple no.3
The Halmidi inscription, usually dated to the fifth century, is the earliest example of written Kannada.
Kannada poetry on stone–7th century Kappe Arabhatta inscription
Inscribed handwriting of 10th-century poet Ranna reads Kavi Ratna (gem among poets) in Shravanabelagola
Kannada, formerly also known as Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 44 million native speakers, and is additionally second or third language for around 15 million non-native speakers in Karnataka.
The Halmidi inscription at Halmidi village, in old-Kannada, is usually dated to 450 AD (Kadamba Dynasty).
Old-Kannada inscription dated 578 AD (Badami Chalukya dynasty), outside Badami cave no.3
Old-Kannada inscription of c. 726 AD, discovered in Talakad, from the rule of King Shivamara I or Sripurusha (Western Ganga Dynasty)
Old-Kannada inscription of the 9th century (Rashtrakuta Dynasty) at Durga Devi temple in Hampi, Karnataka
