 Beginning with the 12th century , important socio @-@ political changes took place in the Deccan , south of the Krishna river . During this period , the Hoysalas , native <unk> from the <unk> region ( hill country in modern Karnataka ) were on the <unk> as a political power . They are known to have existed as chieftains from the mid @-@ 10th century when they distinguished themselves as subordinates of the Western Chalukyas of Kalyani . In <unk> , Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana defeated the <unk> of <unk> and annexed <unk> ( parts of modern southern Karnataka ) , thus bringing the region back under native rule . In the following decades , with the <unk> of the <unk> power , the Hoysalas proclaimed independence and grew into one of the most powerful ruling families of southern India . Consequently , literature in Kannada , the local language , flourished in the Hoysala empire . This literature can be broadly subdivided as follows : works dominated by the themes of Jain writings , contrasting works by Veerashaiva writers not belonging to the vachana poetic tradition , <unk> to Shaiva writings from Jain writers , early <unk> works ( Vaishnava ) , works from the birth of the Bhakti ( devotional ) movement in the Kannada @-@ speaking region , writings on secular topics , and the first writings in native metres ( ragale , sangatya and shatpadi ) . 
