ನೃಪತುಂಗ

Yes, spoken Kannada's roots trace back to Proto-Dravidian, spoken in South India during the Neolithic period (around 3000-1000 BCE). Sites like Sanganakallu and Brahmagiri in Karnataka show early human settlements, likely by Dravidian speakers. Inscriptions came much later, confirming spoken forms evolved first.

No, the Rashtrakuta (8th–10th century) and Chalukya (Badami/Western, 6th–12th century) dynasties were Kannadiga rulers native to the Karnataka/Deccan region. Their inscriptions are in Kannada, capitals in Karnataka (Manyakheta, Badami), and they promoted Kannada literature/culture. They ruled vast empires spanning parts of modern Maharashtra, but the Maratha ethnic identity and empire arose centuries later (17th century onward). Regional heritage claims exist on both sides, but primary sources tie them to Kannadiga origins.