ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

 History and Development of Kannada Research Institute:

          Kannada Research Institute of Karnatak University was established as a regional institute to reconstruct the history and culture of Kannada land in 1939 by the then Bombay Government, was merged with Karnatak University in 1957. Since its inception faculty member of the KRI serious involved in multi-disciplinary research in varied  fields like literature, history, Archaeology, Epigraphy, Art  and Architecture,  numismatics and etc., Thus institutes has been giving justice to our regional history through its programmes like archaeological and epigraphical village to village explorations in many parts of north Karnataka ; excavations of some select sites of prehistoric to early historic periods at Hallur, Vadagaon-Madhavpur – a suburb in Belagavi city and Halshi and further the institute involved in UGC/UPE/HDU-I programme (2014-2020) along with departments of History and Archaeology and A.I.History and carried the village to village survey and documentations in North Karnataka. It got independent Library which is a oldest collections and manuscripts. Institute also published more than 80 books.

Another major attraction is the historical and archaeological museum  developed  and maintained by the institution. Its Museum exhibits many unique cultural materials of prehistoric to medieval periods including stone and copper inscriptions and sculptures. The institute is therefore treated as the oldest and very important centre to the students and scholars of history and archaeology, epigraphy and culture of Karnataka and also common man. Arjunavadi inscription of Basavesvara who was a well known socio religious reformer of medieval period and installed his stature in Delhi and Europe and the core of his vachana literature are including in our Constitution, refers to his name is exhibited in our museum. As per its aims and objectives most of the activities are being continued satisfactorily even today.

The Institute offers P.G Diploma in Epigraphy along with research, publications and  extension  activities like seminars, conferences and workshops are being organized regularly. Two Endowment Lecturers are instituted in the institution. It demands more space like rooms, staff and regular budgetary provision or financial assistance for its development. 

The founder Director Dr. R.S. Panchamukhi laid the foundation to the research activities of KRI. His successors like Dr. P. B. Desai, Dr. B.S. Kulkarni, Dr. H.R. Raghunath Bhat and Dr. R.M. Shadaksharaiah put maximum efforts to make the KRI as the model Research institute of Karnataka. In between Chairman of the Department of History and Kannada were also contributed to development of KRI. Prof. S. B. Hiremath and present Director (I/C) Dr. S. K. Melakar.