Question

The founder of the Kadamba kingdom was _______.
a. Mayuravarma
b. Simuka
c. Gunadya
d. Satakarni

Answer 1

Hint: The Talagunda inscription of crown prince Santivarma gives the best possible cause for the emergence of the Kadamba kingdom. It states that Mayurasharma belonged to Talagunda and his family got its name from the Kadamba tree near his home.

Complete answer: Before the Kadambas came into power, the rulers were outside the Karnataka region. Thus, the Kadambas ascent to power as an independent geo-political entity and making Kannada which was the language of soil as the administrative language was a landmark event in the history of modern Karnataka.
As per the Talagunda inscription, Mayurasharma went to Kanchi which was the capital of the Pallavas to pursue his Vedic studies. He was accompanied by his guru and grandfather Veerasharma. It is said that the rise of Mayurasharma against the Pallava hold over the Talagunda region was a successful rebellion of the Brahmins against the domination of the Kshatriya power as wielded by the Pallavas of Kanchi. Therefore, the first kingdom native to the present-day Karnataka region.
Let us look at the given options.
Option a- Mayuravarma was the other name for Mayurasharma. He carved out a kingdom with Banavasi as his capital after the confusion caused by the defeat of Pallava Vishnugopa by Samudragupta. He is said to be the founder of Kadamba dynasty.
Option b- Simuka was an Indian king who belonged to the Satavahana dynasty. He is one of the first kings in a list of royals in a Satavahana inscription at Nanaghat. He did not belong to the Kadamba dynasty and so it is the wrong answer.
Option c- Gunadhya is the Sanskrit name of an Indian author who wrote Brhatkatha. He is supposed to have flourished during the reign of a Satavahana king. This is incorrect.
Option d- Satakarni was the third Satavahana king. He is said to have ruled the Deccan region of India although the period of his reign is still doubtful. But he did not find the Kadamba dynasty. Thus, it is an incorrect option.
Hence, the correct option is ‘a’.

Note: Mayurasharma wanted to rejuvenate the ancient Brahmin faiths. He also wanted to perform the royal rituals and the related functions of the government by the learned Vaidika Brahmins from Ahichatra. So, he invited them. He also performed many horse sacrifices and granted 144 villages to many Brahmins of Talagunda.