| Mayurasharma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founder of Kadamba dynasty | |
| Reign | c. 345 – c. 365 CE |
| Successor | Kangavarma |
| Dynasty | Kadamba |
| Kadamba dynasty |
|---|
Mayurasharma or Mayuravarma (reigned 345–365 CE), a native of Talagunda (in modern Shimoga district), was the founder of the Kadamba kingdom of Banavasi, the earliest native kingdom to rule over what is today the modern state of Karnataka, India.[1][2] Before the rise of the Kadambas, the centres of power ruling the land were outside the Karnataka region; thus the Kadambas' ascent to power as an independent geo-political entity, with Kannada, the language of the soil as a major regional language, is a landmark event in the history of modern Karnataka with Mayurasharma as an important historical figure. The earliest Kannada language inscriptions are attributed to the Kadambas of Banavasi.[3]