Nayakas of

Chitradurga Chitradurga is a city and the headquarters of Chitradurga district, which is located on the valley of the Vedavati river in the central part of the Indian state of Karnataka. Chitradurga is a place with historical significance which is locate ...

(1588–1779 CE) ruled parts of eastern

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...

during the post-Vijayanagara period. During the rule of

Hoysala Empire The Hoysala Empire was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur, but was later moved ...

and

Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Mahar ...

, they served as a feudatory chiefdom. Later after the fall of the Vijayanagara empire, they ruled at times as an independent Chiefdom and at other times as a vassal of the

Mysore Kingdom The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary alliance with Brit ...

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

and

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Sh ...

. Finally their territories merged into the province of Mysore under the British.

Origin

According to historian Barry Lewis, the earliest chieftains of the kingdom were local chiefs (''Dandanayakas'') of the

Bedar Bedar may refer to: *Bedar (ship), traditional double-ended Malay ship * Bédar, municipality of Almería province in Spain * Bedar (Kabul), delegate to Afghanistan's Constitutional Loya Jirga *Alternative name for the Ramoshi The Ramoshi (alter ...

caste under the

Hoysala empire The Hoysala Empire was a Kannadiga power originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur, but was later moved ...

, during their rule over what is today Karnataka. They later won the attention and appreciation of the

Vijayanagar The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Maharas ...

kings through their acts of bravery and were appointed as governors of the region. According to historian

Suryanath Kamath Suryanath Upendra Kamath (26 April 1937 – 21 October 2015) was an Indian historian who served as the Chief Editor of the Karnataka State Gazetteer from 1981 to 1995. Early life Kamath was born in a Konkani-speaking family on 26 April 1937. ...

, the Chitradurga chiefs under the Vijayanagara empire were originally from the

Davangere district Davanagere district is an administrative district of Karnataka state in India. It is the centre of Karnataka. The city of Davanagere is the district headquarters. It had a population of 1,643,494 of which 32.31% was urban as of 2011. This dist ...

in Karnataka.According to Suryanath Kamat, Timmappa Nayaka the founder of the kingdom was from

Davangere Davanagere is a city in the centre of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the seventh largest city in the state, and the administrative headquarters of eponymous Davangere district. Hitherto being a cotton hub and hence popularly known ...

in Karnataka Some Marathi records call them ''Kala Pyada'' in admiration for their fighting qualities. The

Chitradurga Fort Chitradurga Fort, or as the British called it Chitaldoorg, is a fortification that straddles several hills and a peak overlooking a flat valley in the Chitradurga District, Karnataka, India. The fort's name ''Chitrakaldurga'', which means 'pictur ...

was their stronghold and the very heart of the province.

The Nayaka clan

Timmanna Nayaka (1568–1589) of Matti: A chieftain from Matti in

taluk during the rule of Saluva Narasimha. He ruled areas covering

and

Chitradurga district Chitradurga district is an administrative district of Karnataka state in southern India. The city of Chitradurga is the district headquarters. Chitradurga gets its name from Chitrakaldurga, an umbrella-shaped lofty hill found there. Tradition ...

. Obanna Nayaka I (1588–1602) is also known as Madakari Nayaka I. Kasturi Rangappa Nayaka I (1602–1652) In 1602, Obanna Nayaka was succeeded by his son Kasturi Rangappa Nayaka. He was a brave soldier who defeated sultan's of Bijapur. His reign was full of conflicts with neighbouring chiefs. Several battles were fought with the ''Paleyagar'' (chief) of Basavapattana over territories such as Mayakonda, Santebennur, Holalkere, Anaji, and Jagalur, all of which ultimately became part of the Chitradurga territory. At the time of his death in 1652, the kingdoms possessions yielded a revenue of 65,000 ''Durgi''

Pagodas A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...

. Madakari Nayaka II (1652–1674) Rangappa Nayaka was succeeded by his son Madakari Nayaka II in 1652 who is credited with a number of military successes, particularly in the regions east of Chitradurga.　He killed Shah Adib Allah in 1671 in a battle at Chitradurga. Obanna Nayaka II (1674–1675) His rule saw civil unrest. He was killed by his own men. Shoora Kantha Nayaka (1675–1676) His rule saw civil unrest. He was killed by his own men. Chikkanna Nayaka (1676–1686) Madakari Nayaka III (1686–1688) Donne Rangappa Nayaka (1688–1689) Bharamanna Nayaka of Bilichodu (1689–1721) known as the last of the great Nayakas of Chitradurga, he became a Maratha ally and fought in the battle of

Dodderi Dodderi, also known as B.Dodderi or Brahmana Dodderi is a village in Soraba Taluk, Shimoga District in the state of Karnataka, India. The village has a primary school, a post office, a registered group of women called 'Radhika Mahila Mandali'. ...

in 1695 but had to pay tribute later to the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

for supporting the Marathas. He fought many pitched battles against the Mughals, and is credited for building many temples including the Ranganatha Swamy at Niratadi, and irrigation tanks. He was also known as "Bichchugatti Bahramanna Nayaka" Madakari Nayaka IV (1721–1748) was a Maratha feudatory. He was killed during continued hostilities against the Nayakas of Davangere. Kasturi Rangappa Nayaka II (1748–1758), son of Kasturi Rangappa Nayaka II, retook Mayakonda territory. He achieved this with the help of the Maratha Sardar Murari Rao and the Subedar of Advani. Kasturi Rangappa Nayaka is said to have made various expeditions to the north and south, and in the latter direction gained some possessions in the Budihal region. He is also said to have maintained close ties with the Subedar of Sira. He died in 1754 without an heir. Madakeri Nayaka the last, son of one Bharamappa Nayaka of Janakal-Durga, became his successor.

Madakari Nayaka Ontisalaga Madakari Nayaka or Madakari Nayaka V or Karigundi Nayaka (1742 - 1782) was the last Nayaka ruler of Chitradurga, India. He belongs to Bedar Nayaka caste and is considered to be the greatest of the Nayakas of Chitradurga and also S ...

(1758–1779) was a brave soldier and a shrewd administrator as well (also called as Madakari Nayaka V). He allied himself with Haider Ali of the

at times and at other times with the

Marathas The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...

. It was during his time that Haider Ali attacked the

leading to the heroics of "

Onake Obavva Onake Obavva ( kn, ಒನಕೆ ಓಬವ್ವ, 18th Century) was a Karnataka hindu warrior who fought the forces of Hyder Ali single-handedly with a pestle (''Onake'') in the kingdom of Chitradurga of Karnataka, India. Her husband was a guard ...

". Later having been betrayed by the Marathas and some local officers, Madakari Nayaka was defeated by Hyder Ali, taken prisoner and killed. The Chitradurga Nayakas form an integral part of Kannada folklore.

Notes

References

History of Nayakas of Chitradurga, Barry Lewis, Dept of Anthropology, University of Illinois
*Dr. Suryanath U. Kamath, A Concise history of Karnataka from pre-historic times to the present, Jupiter books, MCC, Bangalore, 2001 (Reprinted 2002) {{DEFAULTSORT:Nayakas of Chitradurga 1674 establishments in India 1818 disestablishments in India Dynasties of India Empires and kingdoms of India Former confederations Former countries in South Asia Historical Hindu empires Maharashtra States and territories established in 1674 History of Karnataka