Kadambas started reigning the upper part of Tungabhadra basin from its capital in Banavasi soon after the Chutus were thrown out of power.  Around 5th century, they had their capital at Dwarasamudra and had expanded the territory to Cauvery basin. Their northern frontier was bordered to the river Krishna.  At around 530 AD, they lost part of their region to the feudatory Pulakesin-I, the Chalukya of Badami.  It was during Ajayavarman Kadamba, they were made to acknowledge their suzerainty to the Chalukyas.  In 607 AD, the Kadambas were extinguished by Pulakesi-II and thus earlier Kadamba dynasty ceased to exist once for all, either leaving no traces of their coinage or with the unattributable coins!

In 973, the Western Chalukyas rose to power by defeating the Rashtrakutas with the help of Kadambas family.  In favour, the Kadamba chief Chatta Deva was allowed by Taila-II to rule Banavasi.  Chatta Deva (980 - 1031 AD) consolidated his domain in the western Tungabhadra basin under Chalukya shelter.

The next successors named Jayasimha (1031 - 1037 AD), Mayuravarman (1037 - 1048 AD), Toyimadeva (1047 - 1075 AD) and Shantivarma (1075 - 1094 AD) reigned peacefully thereafter.  During Toyimadeva's (Taila) reign, the capital was moved from Banavasi to Hangal.  The division within the Kadambas was reunited  during Taila-II's reign.  Taila-II (1094 - 1130 AD) formed a alliance with Pandya's of Uchchangi through marital knot, which further empowered him to sustain his power against Hoysala's troubles atleast for some time.  But later, when Vishnuvardhana Hoysala battled with him and captured both Banavasi and Hangal.  Taila-II was put to death by Vishnuvardhana and Pandyas of Uchchangi ceased to exist anymore.

Subsequent rulers of Kadambas namely Mayuravarma, Mallikarjuna and Tailama, the three brothers followed each other in succession.  Though their reign were too short, they just managed to protect whatever domain they were left with.  Kirtideva (1150 - 1180 AD) reigned by acknowledging his suzerainty at first to Chalukyas and then to the next overlord Kalachuris.  He managed to throw Hoysalas from the ancestral Kadamba land and to reoccupy them.  During the next ruler Kamadeva's reign (1180 - 1217 AD), there was a battle between Kalachuri and Hoysalas which was strong enough to deteriorate their powers, and Kamadeva was a opportunist to ascend the throne independently.  Later, during Chalukya's restoration, he acknowledged the suzerainty to Chalukyas.  But the subsequent fall of Chalukyas by the Yadavas made him to change over the acknowledgement of suzerainty to Yadavas.  In 1310, the crushing defeat of Yadavas in the hand of Ala-al-din Mohammad Khilji, the Yadavas ceased to exist and so the Kadambas of Hangal.  Kadamba family was still in picture by ruling ruins of the kingdom, as witnessed by the inscriptions which mentions the ruler Purandara of Hangal Kadamba family.