The Chief Poets and their Works

Poets Works
ಶಾಂತಿನಾಥ Sukumara Charita
Nagavarma Charya - Chandra Chudamani
Chandra Raja - Madanatilaka
Kalidasa - Kunthaleshwara Dowthyam

In the beginning Prakrit was most popularly used and Kannada and Sanskrit were introduced into the official spheres later on. With the exceptipon of the edicts at Malavalli and Chandravalli, the other edicts are either in Sanskrit or Kannada. Mayuravarma’s edict at Chandravalli is in Prakrit. It tells us that he had accepted Prakrit as the official language, but Kannada was also on its way to replace Prakrit. The Halmidi edict (450 B.C.) is in Kannada and it is not a mere accident that it belongs to the time of the Kadambas. It throws light on the fact that the Kadambas were using Kannada sa offocial language. During the period between Halmidi edict (450 B.C.) and the beginning of the rule of the Kadamba dynasty (350 B.C.) every ruler upheld the cause of the spoken language of his subjects.