The Gangas of Talakad, like the Kadambas of Banavasi, rose to political eminence in the middle of the fourth century A.D., and ruled over the southern parts of Karnataka, in southern India. Their political hegemony over what was called Gangavadi lasted for a period of seven centuries. They played an interesting role in the dynastic politics of South India, in which figured many political heavyweights like the Pallavas, the Chalukyas of Badami, the Rashtrakutas and the Cholas. (Ref: History Of Karnataka, Mr. Arthikaje, http://www.ourkarnataka.com/history.htm) Talakad is a scenic and spiritual center located in Mysore district, near T. Narasipura. ... Kadambas was an ancient royal dynasty of Karnataka, who ruled from their capital of Banavasi from (345-525AD) later branched into Goa, Hanagal and Chandavar. ... Karnataka or Karnātakā (ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ in Kannada) is one of the four southern states of India. ... Hegemony is the dominance of one group over other groups, with or without the threat of force, to the extent that, for instance, the dominant party can dictate the terms of trade to its advantage; more broadly, cultural perspectives become skewed to favor the dominant group. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Chalukya Dynasty was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between 550 and 750 from Badami in Bagalkot district, Karnataka state, and again between 973 and 1190 from Manyaketha initially and later from Kalyana in Bidar district. ... Badami is a city in Karnataka in modern India. ... The Rashtrakutas were a dynasty which ruled the Deccan during the 8th-10th centuries. ... The Cholas were the most famous of the three dynasties that ruled ancient Tamil Nadu. ...

Origin

Since the Gangas claimed to belong to the Kavayana gotra, scholars like Dr. B. L. Rice and Prof. K. P. Jayaswal believed that they were related to the Kanva dynasty of the north. Sometimes, it has also been argued that they were the descendents of the Ikshvakus who ruled Andhradesa as the successors of the Satavahanas. Robert Sewell, M. Arokiyaswamy and S. V. Vishwanatha are of the opinion that the Gangas belonged to the Kongudesa, and they contend that Perur was in the Coimbatore region. A gotra (lit. ... The Kanva dynasty replaced the Sunga dynasty, and ruled in the eastern part of India from 71 BCE to 26 BCE. The last ruler of the Sunga dynasty was overthrown by Vasudeva of the Kanva dynasty in 75 BC. The Kanva ruler allowed the kings of the Sunga dynasty to... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... Approximate extent of the Satavahana Empire, circa 150 CE. The Sātavāhanas, also known as the Andhras, were a dynasty which ruled in Southern and Central India starting from around 230 BCE. Although there is some controversy about when the dynasty came to an end, the most liberal estimates... Coimbatore (Tamil: கோயம்புத்தூர்; Hindi: कोयंबटूर; Malayalam: േകായമ്പത്തൂ൪) is one of the major industrial cities in South India and is second largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India. ...

These theories assigning foreign origin to the Gangas, however, have not been accepted by scholars like R. S. Panchamukhi and Lakshminarayana Rao, who believe that they weren't immigrants to the Karnataka region. It is not likely that someone who strayed into this area could establish so popular a regime and a record of political durability. In fact, it is more than probable that the Gangas were the natives of Karnataka, and as Prof. B. Sheik Ali points out, they were the sons of the soil who took advantage of the political situation of the region to found a kingdom of their own.

Political History

The Ganga genealogy and chronology have presented many problems to the historian. The first ruler of the dynasty was Konganivarma Madhava (C.350-370 A. D).

Durvinita (C.495-535 A. D.)

Avinita's son and successor, Durvinita, was one of the most remarkable rulers of the Ganga family. His succession was a disputed one, as he had to overcome the challenge of his younger step-brother who seemed to have secured the assistance of the Pallavas and the Kadambas. Himself an eminent scholar, Durvinita evinced keen interest in promoting literary cultivation. The renowned Sanskrit poet Bharavi is said to have visited the Ganga court during this period. Durvinita is supposed to have written a commentary on the fifteenth canto of Bharavi's Kiratarjuniya. He also translated into Sanskrit the Vaddakatha or Brihatkatha of Gunadya, which was originally written in the Paisachi language. He is also credited with the authorship of Sabdavatara, a work on grammar. His Nallala grant hails him as an expert in the composition of various forms of poetry, stories and dramas. In fact, Nripatunga's Kavirajamarga hails him as one of the early writers in Kannada. An ancient royal family of Karnataka, who ruled from their capital of Banavasi, later branched into Goa, Hanagal and Chandavar. ... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ...

The Ganga period was one of brisk literary activity, in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Kannada. Many kings of this period were scholars and writers of repute. Madhava II wrote Dattaka Sutra, a treatise on eroticism. Durvinita, whose literary prowess is mentioned in the Kavirajamarga, was a great author. He translated Gunadya's Vaddakatha into Sanskrit, wrote a commentary on the 15th saga of Bharavi's Kiratarjuniya and wrote Sabdavatara, a Sanskrit work on grammar. Sripurusha wrote Gajasastra, a treatise on elephants. Shivamara II was the author of Gajashtaka, a Kannada work on elephant management, and Sethubandha in Prakrit. A number of Scholars of great reputation flourished in the Ganga period. The redoubtable Bharavi is believed to have visited the court of Durvinita. Pujyapada was the author of Sarvathasiddi and Jinendra Vyakarana. Hemasena or Vidya Dhananjaya was patronized by Butuga II and he wrote Raghavpandaviya. His pupil Vidhibhasimha was the author of Gadyachintamani and Kshatrachudamani. Chavundaraya, the famous Ganga minister, was the author of Chavundarayapurana. He is also believed to have patronized Ranna during his early days and also the Kannada grammarian Gunavarma. Nagavarma, the author of Chandombhudhi, is said to have been patronized by Rakkasaganga. In short, the Gangas offered a very fertile ground for literary cultivation, and it certainly yielded a wholesome harvest. Prakrit (Sanskrit prākṛta प्राकृत (from pra-kṛti प्रकृति), original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual, i. ...

Art and Architecture

The Gangas made significant contribution to Karnataka heritage in the realm of art and architecture. Scholars think that there was a considerable impact of the Pallava as well as the early Chalukyan style on the Ganga constructions. It is also pointed out that the Ganga architecture is predominantly Jaina. A number of monuments have survived to mirror the Ganga tradition of architecture. The crowning achievement of the Ganga sculptural art is the statue of Gomateshwara at Vindhyagiri in Sravanabelagola, Karnataka. It is 57 feet high, hardly 10 foot less than the statue of the Sphinx of Egypt. It was carved out of the mighty granite outcrop, at orders of the Ganga minister Chavundaraya, and the work was completed in 984 A. D. Entirely nude, this Indian colossus stands erect, facing the north, with square face, curly locks, elongated ear-lobes, broad shoulders and a small waist. The half-closed eyes indicate the saint's meditative mood, while his lips exuding a gentle smile seems to tell us how transient the affairs of the world are. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Chalukya Dynasty was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between 550 and 750 from Badami in Bagalkot district, Karnataka state, and again between 973 and 1190 from Manyaketha initially and later from Kalyana in Bidar district. ... Jaina Solo (b. ... Gomateshwara is a monolithic statue standing at 60 feet above a hill in a place called Shravanabelagola in the Hassan district of Karnataka state, India. ... The statue of Gomatheswara dates from 978-993 AD. Shravanabelagola is a city located in the Hassan district, in the Indian state of Karnataka. ... The Great Sphinx of Giza, with the Pyramid of Khafre in the background. ... This drawing of the Colossus of Rhodes, which illustrated The Grolier Societys 1911 Book of Knowledge, is probably fanciful, as it is unlikely that the statue stood astride the harbor-mouth. ...