Halmidi

Halmidi is a village in the Hassan district of Karnataka, India, notable for the Halmidi inscription discovered in the area. The inscription, carved on a stone slab, is dated to around the 5th century CE and is widely regarded as the oldest known surviving Kannada language inscription. Its discovery marked an important milestone in the study of Kannada epigraphy and the linguistic history of the region.

The text is written in an early form of the Kannada script, often described as an early or transitional Kannada script that evolved from regional Kadamba script traditions. The language of the inscription is Kannada, and the script shows features that illuminate how Kannada was used for official and administrative purposes in the early medieval period. The content typically discussed topics such as land grants and governance, providing a glimpse into the political and social organization of South India during that era.

Scholars view the Halmidi inscription as evidence for the early emergence of Kannada as a language of administration, as well as an indicator of the script’s development toward later, more standardized forms. It has contributed to debates about linguistic evolution, script development, and the cultural history of Karnataka and the broader Deccan region.

Today, the Halmidi inscription is referenced in epigraphic corpora and scholarly literature as a foundational artifact in Kannada language history. The site continues to be of interest to archaeologists, linguists, and historians studying the early medieval period in South India.