Karnataka History Touch

Karnataka History Touch

Our Karnataka is number one for greatest old temples and wealth, culture, simplicity, etc.  Please learn and know these things in life.

During Ancient times Karnataka was well known for the trade with Arab and European countries. This place was known as Kuntala Desha. Mauryan empire got established with Kanakagiri as the capital during Fourth Century B.C. The region was established upto Vindhyas at North and Deccan at South by Satakarnis. The areas was then ruled by Kadambas, Gangas and Chalukyas. Rashtrakuta Dynasty ruled this region during Eighth to Tenth Century. Later, Yadavas of Devagiri, Kalachuris of Kalyani and Hoysalas of Dwarasamudra were well known. Devaraya and Krishnadevaraya were the two powerful kings of Vijayanagara Empire founded by Vidyaranya through Hakka and Bukka and lasted till Sixteenth Century. Later the area was ruled by Nayakas, Paleyagars and Wodeyars. During Eighteenth century Haider Ali took over and his son Tipu Sultan ruled till his death. The area was then called Mysore.

 Karnataka has a hoary past. It is blessed with innumerable inscriptions, memorial (viz. Hero, Mahasati and Self immolation) stones and monuments of rich historical and cultural heritage. It has many sites of Prehistoric period and most of them are found scattered on the river valleys of Krishna, Bhima, Malaprabha, Ghataprabha, Cauvery, Hemavathi, Shimsha, Tungabhadra, Manjra, Pennar, Netravati etc. and their tributaries. It is very interesting to note that the Pre-historic studies in India started with the discovery of ashmounds at Kupgal and Kudatini in 1836 by Cuebold, a British officer in Bellary region, which then formed part of Madras Presidency. Subsequent discoveries have revealed the existence of stone age man with innumerable Pre-historic sites in Karnataka. The Pre-historic culture of Karnataka viz., the Hand-axe culture, compares favourably with the one that existed in Africa and is quite distinct from the Pre-historic culture of North India.

Places like Hunasagi, Gulbal, Kaladevanahalli, Tegginahalli, Budihal, Piklihal, Kibbanahalli, Nittur, Anagavadi, Kaladgi, Khyad, Nyamati, Balehonnur and Uppinangadi (Lower Palaeolithic) ; Herakal, Tamminahal, Savalgi, Salvadgi, Menasagi, Pattadakal, Vajjala, Naravi and Talakad (Middle Palaeolithic); Kovalli, Ingaleshvara, Yadwad and Maralabhavi (Upper Palaeolithic); Begaumpur, Vanamapurahalli, Hingani, Ingaleshwara, Tamminahal, Sringeri, Jalahalli, Kibbanahalli, Sanganakal, Brahmagiri, Uppinangadi, Mani and Doddaguni (Mesolithic); Maski, T. Narasipur, Banahalli, Hallur, Sanganakal, Hemmige, Kodekal, Brahmagiri, Kupgal, Tekkalkote, Kurnal, Srinivasapura,Beeramangala, Frenchrocks (Pandavapura) and Uttanur (Neolithic and Chalcolithic); Rajana Kolur, Bachigudda, Aihole, Konnur, Terdal, Hire Benakal, Kumaranahalli, Tadakanahalli, Maski, Banahalli, Badaga-Kajekaru, Belur, Borkatte, Konaje, Kakkunje, Vaddarse and Hallingali (Megalithic) are some of the important Prehistoric sites of Karnataka. The ragi grain is found commonly in Pre-historic sites of Africa and Karnataka. The early inhabitants of Karnataka knew the use of iron, far earlier than the North and iron weapons dating back to circa 1500 B.C have been found at Hallur, now in Hirekerur Tq. of Haveri district