History of Bellary

Ballari was once part of an area also known as Kuntala Desha (ಕುಂತಲ ದೇಶ)

Western Chalukyas as rulers of Kuntala or Kondala.^[4][5]

An inscription during the

Yadavas^[6] and Kalyani Chalukyas^[7]

refer to this areas as Sindavadi (ಸಿಂದವಾಡಿ) or Sindavadi-nadu (ಸಿಂದವಾಡಿ-ನಾಡು) (Sindavadi-1000).

During the rule of Western Chalukyas, the area around Bellary was part of Nolambavadi (ನೊಳಂಬವಾಡಿ) (referred to as Nolambavadi-32000), which included parts of the present Shivamogga, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Ballari and Anantapuram Districts.^[8] Further, some inscriptions mention that Nolambavadi-nadu (ನೊಳಂಬವಾಡಿ-ನಾಡು) was a part of Kuntala desha^[6]

Timeline

• Neolithic Age^{[9][10][11][12]}

Numerous

ash mounds at Sanganakallu, Budhihal, Kudithini, Tekkalakote, Hiregudda and Kupgal in Bellary District, Maski in Raichur district and Palvoy & Velpumudugu in Ananthapuram district. These ash mounds were formed by the accumulation and burning of dung in rituals performed by Neolithic pastoralists

.

The Sanganakallu settlement, spread over an area of 1,000 acres (4.0 km²), is one of the largest neolithic complexes known around Bellary. Some of the neolithic artefacts found here have been :

• Houses of mud and stone, querns, stone axes, incised and painted pottery.
• Rock art as evidence of rituals and social ceremonies involving ringing rocks, still preserved in the form of hand-percussion marks.
• Grinding grooves where stone axes were polished
• Shallow concave surfaces on boulders where grain was processed
• Dolerite dykes quarried
  to manufacture stone tools on an industrical scale.

Bellary was ruled in succession by the

Hoysalas

.

The Bellary area was also ruled briefly by the

Vengi Chalukyas

), the region constantly changing hands under turmoil.

A dynasty called Ballariya Naredu ruled Bellary under the Hoysalas.[1]

• 9th century AD and 1000–1250 AD

A branch of the

Nolamba-Pallavas ruled Nolambavadi-32000.^[13] Later in the 11th century AD, they ruled parts of Nolambavadi under Western Chalukyas and Hoysalas.^[7][14]

Feudatories of Kalyani Chalukyas, Kalachuryas and Hoysalas, calling themselves Pandyas (Nolambavadi Pandyas), ruled parts of Nolambavadi-32000. They were actively involved in the conflicts amongst their overlords.[15]^[16]

• 1336–1565 AD

After the Sevuna Yadavas and the Hoysalas (and the

Bukka I. The Bellary area was dominated by the Vijayanagara rulers until 1565 AD.^{[map 1]}

Bellary itself was ruled by the family of Hande Hanumappa

Palayagara

(ಪಾಳೆಯಗಾರ – vassal) of the Vijayanagara rulers.

The dominance of the Vijayanagara empire ended with the

Bijapur.^{[map 2]}

Bellary was subsidiary to the

Marathas under Shivaji.^{[map 3]} The story goes that as Shivaji was passing that way some of his foragers had been killed by the garrison, prompting him to occupy Bellary; but he restored it again to the Hande Nayakas at once on condition that tribute should be paid to him.^[17]

Bellary fell to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's campaign in the Deccan ^{[map 4]}).

• 1724 AD

Asaf Jah I, who was the Subedar of Gujarat and Malwa, defeated and killed the Delhi sponsored Mobariz Khan, the Subedar of the Deccan, at the battle fought at Shakar Kheda in the district of Berar

.

Soon after,

Nizam-ul-mulk, and Bellary was included in the Nizam's Dominion.^{[18][map 5]}

Bellary became tributary to

Salabat Jang and the Subedar of Aadavaani (Adoni) and Raichur.^[17]

The Hande Nayaka of Bellary refused to pay tribute to Basalat Jang, which prompted him to occupy Bellary. The Nayaka then pleaded for Hyder Ali of Mysuru (Mysore) to rescue Bellary. Hyder Ali forcefully expelled the occupiers, after which the Hande Nayakas were tributary to him.^{[17][19][map 6]}

• 1792 AD

At the partition of

Asaf Jah II.^[17]

After the defeat and death of Tipu Sultan in the

Asaf Jah II and the British.^[17]

In 1796 AD, Asaf Jah II, harassed by the Marathas and Tipu Sultan, had opted to get British military protection under

Kadapa (Cuddapah), Anantapuram and much of Karnoolu (Kurnool).^[17]

All through these political changes since Vijayanagar times, the Hande Nayakas were the de facto rulers of Bellary – while their masters constantly changed, locally their powers were absolute. All this changed with the arrival of

Polygars) of the districts either with pensions or assimilation of their estates and established the Ryotwari system – land revenue collected directly from the tiller of the soil.^[17]

The ceded districts area was split into two districts, Bellary and Kadapa.[17] The Bellary area was still larger than Kadapa and the second largest district in Madras Presidency, measuring 13000 square miles (nearly twice the size of Wales), and a population of 1,250,000 (one and half times that of Wales).^[20]

• 1840 AD

Bellary became the headquarters of the district. The Collector until this year lived in Anantapuram.^[17]

• 1867 AD

The Bellary Municipal Council was created, along with the Adoni Municipal Council.^[17] These were the only two municipal townships in the whole of Bellary district for a long time.

• 1882 AD

Seven of the southern talukas were carved out to form Anantapuram district, further reducing the size of Bellary District.

The Maratha

Sandur was surrounded by Bellary district.^{[17][map 8][map 9]}

A steam cotton-spinning mill was established.[17]

• 1901 AD

Bellary was the seventh largest town in Madras Presidency, and was one of the chief military stations in Southern India, garrisoned by British and native Indian troops under the British Indian Government. A company of the Southern Mahratta Railway Volunteer Rifles was also stationed in the town.^[17]

The town included a civil railway station to the east of the Bellary Fort, the cantonment and its railway station on the west, the Cowl Bazar and the suburbs of 'Bruce-pettah' (currently spelt Brucepet) and 'Mellor-pettah', named after two British officers once stationed in the town.^[17]

The town was also headquarters for the Roman Catholic Mission and the London Mission.^[17]

The industries in the town included a small distillery and two steam cotton-presses. The steam cotton-spinning mill established in 1894 had 17,800 spindles, and employed 520 hands.^[17]

• 1 October 1953 AD^[21]

  

Bellary district of Madras State was divided on linguistic basis.

Areas with significant

Mysore state, which would later become Karnataka

state.

Areas of the district with significant

D.Hirehaalu, Kanekallu, Bommanahaalu, Gummagatta) were merged into Anantapuram and Karnulu districts in what would later become Andhra Pradesh

state.

Bellary city had a majority of Telugu speaking population with highest minority of Kannada speakers, But it was included into Mysore state after a protracted debate and controversy.[22]^[23]

• 1997 AD

With the re-organisation of the districts in Karnataka,

taluk was transferred to Davanagere district, reducing the number of talukas in the district to seven.^[21]

Bellary City Municipal Council was upgraded to a City Corporation.[24]

• 2018 AD

taluk

was again transferred back to Bellary District

• 2021 AD

Bellary

.

• 2023 AD

As of September 2023 some of the

Telugus

have not gained any popularity.

References

Maps

General

External links

• Official Website of Bellary City Corporation