This paper provides an overview of the role of various communities in constructing the oral history of Karnataka. Oral history, transmitted through songs, folktales, myths, rituals, and performance traditions, forms an important part of Karnataka’s cultural heritage. Different social groups, including tribal, nomadic, rural, pastoral, and folk communities, have contributed significantly to preserving and transmitting historical knowledge outside written records. The study highlights how oral traditions reflect collective memory, cultural identity, and social experiences of communities. It also emphasises the importance of these narratives in understanding alternative perspectives of history that are often absent in official written sources. The paper concludes that oral history is a collective cultural construction shaped by diverse voices and traditions across Karnataka.
Shashikumar V (Wed,) studied this question.