This community was once wealthy and belonged to the upper Kshatriya class, holding caste status as Monarch, Rulers, Administrators and other prominent leadership role.
During the British rule, the foreigners allegedly joined hands with the Patils and Gowdas to defeat the Monarchs, Rulers belonging to Adi Karnataka clan and the number of its members got reduced alarmingly ( Around 1850's population of this community dropped to around 60,000 - 90,000) In the early 19th century, the remaining Samantha's were stripped of properties and even driven out of their settlements and forced to live in caves and forests.
After Independence, when the Government of India undertook a survey to identify the castes, they found the Adi Karnataka a unique lineage to be an Endangered Community with population about 500,000.
It was awarded the Schedule Caste status from their Kshatriya Class to provide the benefits from the government The population is around 3 million, major settlement in south karnataka.
Many families from Malur, Hosur, Krishnagiri, Den Kanakapura, Mysore, Mandya, Magadi and Hassan districts hold the AK dynasty's silver coins and artefacts with emblems.