Home Region: Southern India (South Asia)

Kadamba Empire

345 CE 550 CE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 in_kadamba_emp / InKadam

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

[continuity; Pallava Empire] [continuity] Update here

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

543 CE 753 CE Chalukyas of Badami (in_badami_chalukya_emp) [continuity]

Displayed:

Learn more about polity border choices. Map Modern Map only Opacity Year Play rate (y/s)
Hit enter after changing the year or setting the play rate.

General Description

The Kadamba dynasty ruled over a region that largely falls within the boundaries of the modern-day Indian states of Karnataka and Maharashtra. ^[1] An absolute start date could not be found in the specialist literature. However, much is known about this polity’s monarchs. Most notably, Kakushtavarma, widely regarded as the greatest Kadamba king, concluded marriage alliances with prominent ruling families (thus extending Kadamba influence over much of the subcontinent) and created an internal police force to ensure the safe movement of people from one part of the empire to another. ^[2] After Kakushtavarma, the empire was temporarily split among his heirs, each division with its own capital: Halsi for the north and west, Triparvata for the south, and Uchchangi for the east. ^[3] The empire was partly reunited a generation later under Ravivarma. ^[4] However, the polity disintegrated rapidly under Harivarma, and much of its territory was seized by the Chalukyas of Badami in the 540s CE. ^[5]
Population and political organization
In imitation of the Satavahanas, the Kadambas referred to their leader as dharmamaharaja ^[6] The dharmamaharaja was assisted at court by a royal council and the crown prince, and in the provinces he was represented by viceroys and governors. ^[6]
No population estimates for this period could be found in the specialist literature.

[1]: (Moraes [1931] 1990, 47) George Moraes. 1990. The Kadamba Kula. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services.

[2]: (Murthy and Ramakrishnan 1978, 47) H. V. Sreenivasa Murthy and R. Ramakrishnan. 1978. A History of Karnataka. New Delhi: S. Chand.

[3]: (Murthy and Ramakrishnan 1978, 49) H. V. Sreenivasa Murthy and R. Ramakrishnan. 1978. A History of Karnataka. New Delhi: S. Chand.

[4]: (Murthy and Ramakrishnan 1978, 48) H. V. Sreenivasa Murthy and R. Ramakrishnan. 1978. A History of Karnataka. New Delhi: S. Chand.

[5]: (Kadambi 2007, 178) Hemanth Kadambi. 2007. ’Negotiated Pasts and Memorialized Present in Ancient India’, in Negotiating the Past in the Past: Identity, Memory, and Landscape in Archaeological Research, edited by Norman Yoffee, 155-82. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press.

[6]: (Kamath 1980, 38) Suryanath Kamath. 1980. A Concise History of Karnataka: From Pre-historic Times to the Present. Bangalore: Archana Prakashana.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

4 Capital

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

2 Linguistic Family

3 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Polity Territory

2 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

1 Other Special Purpose Site

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Non Phonetic Writing

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

1 Debt And Credit Structure

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

1 Geometrical Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events

9 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp) was in:
(451 CE 540 CE)	Deccan

Home NGA: Deccan

General Variables

Identity and Location Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	43 P	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Original Name	Kadamba Empire	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Capital	Banavasi	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Capital	Halsi	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Capital	Triparvata	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Capital	Uchchangi	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Temporal Bounds Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[435 CE ➜ 455 CE]
Loading...

Duration	[345 CE ➜ 550 CE]
Loading...

Political and Cultural Relations Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	none	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Succeeding Entity	Chalukyas of Badami	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Preceding Entity	continuity; Pallava Empire [continuity] Update here
Loading...

Succeeding Entity 543 CE 753 CE	Chalukyas of Badami (in_badami_chalukya_emp) [continuity]
Loading...

Degree of Centralization	unitary state	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Language Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Indo-Iranian	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Linguistic Family	Dravidian	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Language	Sanskrit	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Language	Prakrit	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Language	Kannada	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Religion Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Polity Territory	[50,000 to 100,000] km²	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Polity Population	[650,000 to 750,000] people	400 CE
Loading...

Polity Population	[700,000 to 800,000] people	500 CE
Loading...

Hierarchical Complexity Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Religious Level	[1 to 2]	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Military Level	[4 to 6]	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Administrative Level	[5 to 7]	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Professions Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Professional Priesthood	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Professional Military Officer	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Bureaucracy Characteristics Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Merit Promotion	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Full Time Bureaucrat	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Examination System	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Law Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Judge	Uncoded Undecided	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Formal Legal Code	Uncoded Undecided	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Court	Uncoded Undecided	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Specialized Buildings: polity owned Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Uncoded Undecided	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Irrigation System	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Food Storage Site	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Drinking Water Supply System	Uncoded Undecided	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Transport Infrastructure Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Port	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Canal	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Bridge	- Undecided	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Special-purpose Sites Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Other Special Purpose Site	Uncoded Undecided	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Information / Writing System Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Script	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Information / Kinds of Written Documents Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Sacred Text	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Religious Literature	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Practical Literature	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Fiction	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Calendar	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Information / Money Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Uncoded Undecided	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Precious Metal	Uncoded Undecided	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Paper Currency	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Indigenous Coin	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Foreign Coin	Uncoded Undecided	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Article	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Debt And Credit Structure	Uncoded Undecided	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Information / Postal System Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

General Postal Service	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Courier	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Information / Measurement System Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Geometrical Measurement System	Uncoded Undecided	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Stone Walls Non Mortared	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Stone Walls Mortared	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Modern Fortification	Absent	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moat	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Earth Rampart	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Ditch	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Military use of Metals Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Iron	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Copper	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Bronze	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Projectiles Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Sling Siege Engine	Absent	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Sling	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Self Bow	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Javelin	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Handheld Firearm	Absent	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Crossbow	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Composite Bow	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Atlatl	Absent	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Handheld weapons Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Sword	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Spear	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Polearm	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Dagger	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Battle Axe	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Animals used in warfare Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Elephant	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Donkey	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Dog	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Camel	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Armor Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Shield	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Scaled Armor	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Plate Armor	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Limb Protection	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Laminar Armor	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Helmet	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Chainmail	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Breastplate	Present Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Naval technology Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Absent Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent Inferred	345 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Human Sacrifice Kadamba Empire (in_kadamba_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More