TUMKUR, Karnataka

Main Attraction: FORT MADHUGIRI

Madhugiri Fort is in the small town of Madhugiri in Tumkur district. Madhugiri was part of the domain of the Gangas and later came under the rule of Ihe Nolambas. The erection of the original fort is ascribed to Raja Hera Gauda who hailed from a minor ruling family under the Vijayanagara kings in 15th Century. In 1678 A.D., the fort was captured by Devaraja, the Dalavayi of Mysore. Haider Ali extended and further strengthened it. The fort situated on the peak of a hill consisting of one huge mass of rock is considered to be one of the strongest in southern Karnataka.

Built of cyclopean granite set in lime mortar and enclosed by parapet, it accommodates a few secular buildings near the foot hills including a pillared Mantapa. There are several gates leading to the top of the hill such as Antarala-bagilu, Diddi-bagilu, the Mysore gate, etc. There are a number of springs within the fort. These reservoirs are provided with brick build steps. The fortification in the north had a series of bastions and battlements with musket holes.

Brief History

Tumkur district has also been named after its Head Quarters town as in the case of most of the other districts of the State. ‘Tumkur’ which itself is a derivative of ‘Tummeguru’ or ‘Tumbeluru’, the original name of the place. The Tumkur town has a history of only 2-3 centuries and is believed to owe its origin to `Kanthe Arasu’, a member of the Mysore royal family. The town does not have any historical relics to boast of, for even the traces of the fort, said to have been erected at the time of its founding, have already vanished completely. The area comprised in the district consists of a few places of great antiquarian interest and several places of historical importance. Sage Kadamba is believed to have had his hermitage near Kadamba in Gubbi taluk. On his way to Ayodhya after the conquest of Lanka, Shri Rama is said to have called on this sage at his hermitage for a brief sojourn during which at the request of his spouse Sita, he ordered the river Shimsha to be damned so as to form a large lake here. Sampige in Turuvekere taluk is identified with the ancient Champakanagar, the capital of Sudhanva of the Mahabharata period. The palaeolithic artifacts discovered near Biligere and Kibbanahalli reveal that certain places of the district were inhabited by the pre-historic man. The district has a megalithic site also and this is located on a crest of the low ride near Keralakatte village.

The district has not yielded any historical records belonging to the early dynasties of the South India such as the Satavahanas, Kadambas, Badami, Chalukya etc. The earliest record discovered here consisting of five copper plate grants ascribed to 400 A.D. belongs to the Gangas. The Gangas ruled over the Southern and Eastern districts of the State, from the early years of the Christian era up to 1025 A.D. and obviously has yielded numerous inscriptions belonging to the period of Shri Punsha (725-758 A.D.) and several hero stones testifying to the battles that were fought between the forces of the Gangas and Rashtrakutas. The last Ganga inscription found here is dated in 972 A.D., the period when Satyavakya Nolamba Kulantaka,i.e.,Marasimha III,was on throne.Of the Rashtrakutas there are three inscriptions and one of these refers to Vimaladitya as the Adhiraja of the entire Ganga/Mandala while another confirms the date and mode of death of Indira-Raja, the last of the Rashtrakutas who passed away on 20th March 982 A.D.,at Shravanabelagola. There are numerous inscriptions which apparently belong to the Chalukyas of Kalyan and these range from 1040 to 1200 A.D. However, these merely acknowledge the supremacy of the Chalukyas and are actually those of the Cholas and Hoyasalas. During this period it may be noted, the Nolambas were the principal local rulers and their kingdom was known as Nolambavadi 32000. They had their capital at Henjeru which is identified with the Hemavathi village on the northern border of Sira Taluk. Nidugal of Pavagada taluk was one of their strongholds. The district has yielded several records relating to the Nolambas rulers such as Mahendra who is stated to have uprooted the Cholas his son Nanniga and grandson Anniga or Bira Nolamba and Ahavamalla Nolamba. In about 974 AD the Nolambas were overrun by the Ganga king Marasimha-II who earned the title Nolamba-Kulantaka. The Cholas who appear to have wielded supreme power in this region from 1000 AD were overrun by the Hoyasalas.

The earliest Hoysala inscription found in the district is dated in 1078 A.D. Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana is stated to have been in possession of both Gangavadi 96000 and Nolambavadi 32000. During the Hoysala supremacy also different tracks of this district were being administered by different local chiefs, for instance, an inscription dated in 1151 A.D states that a chief named Guli Bachi was ruling Marugerenad in Kaidala near Tumkur. He built the temples of Gangeshwara, Narayana and Chalavarishwara at Kaidala. The Vijayanagar Empire gradually absorbed the Hoysala dominions including this district. The earliest of the Vijaya Nagar inscriptions found in Tumkur districts refers to the reign of Bukka Raya (1344-1377 A.D.).

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Vijayanagara Kings granted various tracts of lands to their Vassal Chiefs bearing different titles, in recognition of the services rendered. Some of the petty principalities already in existence were allowed to continue to administer their traditionally acquired territories. Among such feudatory principalities that arose in the district a mention may be made of those with their headquarters at Nidigal, Holavanahalli, Madhugiri and Hagalavadi.

The Nidugal chiefs were the descendants of Harati Tippa Nayaka whose possession was in the northeast of the Chitradurga district. One of the inscriptions found in Pavagada Taluk describes him as ruling from Nidugal hill fort. He divided his territory among his seven sons. But on invasion of their share of the country by the Bijapur army, the descendants of the family retired to Nidugal fort under the leadership of Thimmanna Nayaka who had lost Dodderi. This family remained at Niduyal for a long time paying tributes to the Subedar of Sira. In 1761 A.D. when Sira was captured by Haidar Ali, the Nidugal chief also submitted himself to the conqueror and agreed to abide by the conditions imposed on him. This chief,Thimmanna Nayaka, was later compelled by Tippu Sultan to relinquish his rights over the territory. His sons were taken prisoners and lodged at Srirangapatna where they were ultimately put to death by the British.

The Holavanahalli family was founded by Baire Gowda, said to be one of those that settled at Avati during the 15th century. This chiefdom was soon taken over by the chief of Magadi who gave it away to his own brother Ankana Gowda. The dispossessed chief joined the Sira court where he was well received and invested with an important command. His younger son however sought the help of the Chief of Doddaballapur who captured Holavanavalli and placed the administration in the hands of the Sanna Baiche Gowda. But within the next couple of years Sira army attacked and captured Doddaballapur the former chief Baire Gowda, who had gone over to Sira court fell in the Sage and his eldest son Dodda Baiche Gowda was invested with the Government of Holavanahalli with an increase of territory. Subsequent members of this family fortified Koratagere and extended their territories until they were finally disposed by Hydar Ali of Mysore. The Madhugiri family or the Maddagiri line of Chiefs arose in a similar manner and extended its territory over the northern parts of the district by fortifying Madhugiri Channarayadurga and such other strategic points. In 1678 A.D. Madhugiri was captured by Dalavai Devaraj and the joint rulers named Rama Gowda and Thimma Gowda were taken prisoners and conveyed to Shrirangapattana. However, they were later released and granted Midigeshi as an estate.

Founded by Erimada Nayaka, the Hagavaladi line of chiefs exercised power over a large portion of the present Tumkur district for nearly 300 years from 1478 A.D. The credit of expanding their territories goes to Sali Nayaka the second ruler who captured Kandikere, Shettikere, Honnavalli, Turuvekere and such other places of strategic importance and also founded Chiknayakanahalli. His grandson Mudiyappa Nayaka-I was also equally successful in extending his territories; The ninth ruler who later gave up his throne to pursue his spiritual pursuits. His son, Mudduveerappa Nayaka, earned the title Jung Bahadur for having successfully resisted the onslaughts of Salabat Jung and Dilawar Khan. The twelfth ruler Channabasappa Nayaka was captured and imprisoned by Haider Ali at Srirangapatana. Soon after his death in the prison the Hagalavadi chiefdom was totally annexed to Mysore.

In 1638 A.D. under the command of Rahamdulla Khan the Bijapur army invaded the northern portions of this district. Along with the southern principalities of the Doddaballapur, Bangalore, Kolar and Hoskote, Sira was placed under the charge of Shahji and for quite some time Malik Rihan was the Governor of Sira.With the capture of Bijapur in 1686 A.D.,Aurangzeb established the Mughal supremacy in this regin. Sira was made the capital of a new province consisting of the seven paraganas of Sira, Basavapattana, Budihal, Doddaballapur, Hoskote, Kolar and Penukonda and was placed under the charge of a Subedar or Faujdar. Kashim Khan was the first Subedar and Dilwar Khan (1724-1756 A.D.) the last. During the period Sira and its neighborhood assumed considerable importance as a seat of administration and received royal patronage. Sheikh Farid for instance built a big mosque. Rustumjung, who earned for himself the title of Bahadur built a fort and a petta.

During the same period, parts of this district came to be annexed by the Wodeyars and Mysore in a phased manner as it were. In 1650 A.D. Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wodeyar (1638-1659 A.D.) made a beginning by acquiring Hebbar in Tumkur taluk from Immadi Kempe Gowda. By 1673 A.D., the kingdom of Mysore had been extended as Chikkanayakanahalli in the North. This was followed by the conquest of Chikka-Devanadurga (which he named after himself as Chikkadevarayanadurga), Maddagiri, Midigeshi, Bijjawara, Chennarayanadurga and several other places. By the end of his reign, except for Sira and its immediate surroundings, rest of the Tumkur district formed part of Mysore. These areas for were taken during the period of Haidar Ali on his conquest of Sira in 1761 and the annexation of Haggalavadi in 1776, with the fall of Tippu Sultan in 1799, this territory to passed into the hands of British who restored it in the Wodeyars of Mysore from which date the history of district coincides with the history of the erstwhile Mysore State. During the reign of Krishnamaraja Wodeyar-III (1811-1831 A.D.) the State consisted of six Faujdaris and the present Tumkur district stood included in the Maddagiri, i.e., Madhugiri Faujdari, in 1834 these were reconstituted into four divisions and Tumkur became the headquarters of Chitradurga division which encompassed the areas now included in these two districts.

In 1863, Chitradurga division was broken up and while Chitradurga district was added on to Nagar division and Tumkur area attached to the newly formed Nandidurga Division. Sira taluk was transferred from Chitradurga district to Tumkur in 1866. In 1879 all the divisions were abolished and in 1882 Chitradurga district was reduced to a sub-division under Tumkur. However in 1886, Chitradurga district was restored but Pavagada taluk was made a part of Tumkur district. The district consisted of 8 taluks namely Sira, Madhugiri, Pavagada, Tumkur, Chikkanayakanahalli, Honnavalli, Kunigal and Kadaba. In 1886, Kadaba and Honnavalli taluks were named after Gubbi and Tiptur. In 1928 and 1938, the sub-taluks of Koratagere and Turuvekere were elevated to the status of full-fledged taluks. Since then, but for the transfer of two villages of Madhugiri taluk from Madakasira taluks of Ananthpur district, there have practically been no changes in the administrative divisions of the district. The taluks of the districts are grouped into three revenue sub-divisions with headquarters at Tumkur, Tiptur and Madhugiri respectively. The taluks of Tumkur, Gubbi and Kunigal constitute the Tumkur sub-division and the other four taluks of Madhugiri, Sira, Koratagere and Pavagada constitute the Madhugiri sub-division. Tumkur district itself stands included in Bangalore division which is one of the four divisions into which the State is organised at present.