Extending over 192000 sq. km on the Western half of the
Deccan Plateau bounded by Andhra Pradesh in the east,
Maharashtra in the north and Tamil Nadu/Kerala on the
south; Karnataka emerges through the mists of antiquity.
The historian is thrilled by the array of dynasties that
marched their armies to battle and ruled over this land.
The Chalukyas, Kadambas, Rastrakutas, Hoysalas, Gangas,
Vijaynagar Rajas, Hyder Tippu and the Wodeyars have left
their king sized footprints on its sand. It is here the
skilled artists have treated stone like ivory and executed
filigree work of great finesse.
It was to Sravanbelgola, Karnataka, in the 3rd century
BC that Chandragupta Maurya, India's first great emperor,
retreated after he had renounced wordly ways and embraced
Jainism. Many centuries later, the mighty 17 metre high
statue of Gomateshvaras, which celebrated its 1000th
anniversary in 1981, was erected at Sravanbelgola. Fifteen
hundred years ago at Badami in the north of the state,
the Chalukyan built some of the earliest Hindu temples
in India. All later south India temple architecture
stems from the Chalukyan designs at Badami. In 1346
Halebid was annexed by the Hindu kingdom of Vijaynagar,
founded in 1336 with its capital at Hampi. Hampi is
one of the most beautiful, extensive and fascinating
of India's ruined kingdoms.
Following the demise of rulers of Vijaynagar, the Wodeyars
of Mysore gradually grew in importance and established
their own rule over a large part of southern India.
Their capital was at Srirangapatnam. Their power remained
more or less unchallenged until 1761 when Hyder Ali
(one of the generals) rose to great strength and deposed
them. These were the years of bitter rivalry between
the British and French for control of the Carnatic,
and Hyder Ali, followed by his son Tipu Sultan, were
assisted by the French in consolidating their hold over
the area in return for assistance in fighting the British.
In 1799, however, the British finally defeated Tipu
Sultan (who himself was killed in the battle).
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