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Kannada Literature /133
Kannada and Karņāțaka, the language, the land and its people. Srivijaya has defined 1150 years ago, the range and principal seats of Karņāțaka, where Kannada was the lanugage of the Rāstrakūța empire. The vast area in between two rivers of the Kāvēri in the extreme south and the Gödāvari in the north, was the firtile Kannada country. In this vast area were the famous cities of Kisvoļal (Pattadakal) near Aihole, the well-known great Kopañanagara (koppa!), Puligere (Lakşmēsvar), the highly praised Onkunda (Okkunda) near Palasige (Halsi), a residence of Banavāsi Kadambas, and the area in the midst of these towns and cities was the kernel of Kannada country. It is rightly said that these were the boundaries of the well of pure Kannada undefied. Srivijaya's statements are corroborated by linguistic data and cultural vestiges. The shrinking of the political and cultural border of Kannada speaking area took place only in the post-medieval period.
5.5.3.4. Eventually, the above mentioned places were the nerve centres of Jainism and its culture for over a millenium. Jaina men of letters, patriarchs and the lay votaries of this region, had nurtured and developed Kannada language, along with Sanskrit and Prakrit, into a full bloomed literary and classical vehicle, during the period of Rāstrakūta imperialism. Under the circumstances, it is to be noted that Srivijaya was the earliest author in Kannada literature to speak about stylistics. He was aware of the various dialetcs, different styles of language, such as Northern style and Southern style.
5.5.3.4.1. As a result of successful military expeditions, Rāstrakūtas stretched their political supremacy upto the river Narmadă in the north and beyond Kāvēri in the south. One may wonder, how Srivijaya, brilliant author, restricted the northern and southern boundaries of Karņāțaka only to the banks of river Godāvari from Kāvēri basin. Srivijaya meant mainly the principal Kannada speaking area.
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