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Before assuming the name, ‘Karnataka’, the state was previously recognized as Mysore—or Mysuru, which was derived from the Sanskrit word for ‘buffalo town.’ It emanates from the deity Chamunda's defeat of the buffalo-demon Mahishasura. Legends about the hardships in southern India between Aryan peoples who penetrated from the north and the original Dravidian dwellers are ingrained in Mysore's prehistory; in iconic form, this conflict is depicted as a dispute between devils and demons on one hand and deities on the other. The area's established history concentrates on the kingly state of Mysore as it previously existed in 1953 because no single dynasty was able to rule the entire region inhabited by Kannada-speaking citizens, the region that mainly makes up current Karnataka.
The Kadambas, the Western Gangas, the Banas, and multiple nobles of the Pallava kingdom, which dominated from the early 4th to the late 9th century, were the primary kingdoms in the region of Mysore after the rule of Ashoka, pioneer of the Mauryan empire. The Chalukyas, a strong kingdom in what is now central Karnataka, took the rich soil of the upper Tungabhadra River area and the territory between that river and the Krishna from the Kadambas.The endeavors of the Chalukyas and their rivals, the Rashtrakuta kingdom, to merge the plateau and leverage the smoother territories of the coastal plains greatly enhanced Mysore but provoked retaliation from the Tamils to the east and south.
Towards the end of the 12th century, the Hoysala empire had gained power over the Deccan after infiltrating Gangavadi (today’s Mysore). However, their rule was short-lived, when the Hoysalas were forced to conform to the ideologies of the Delhi sultanate. During this time, the Vijayanagar dynasty gained prominence in this region by assuming control over Mysore. Then came the reign of the Wadiyars (Wodeyars) who took full advantage of the disputes that were rampant in Western India between the Mughal emperors and the Marathas. Soon, they started to capture various parts of the Deccan plateau and their authority was centralized.
The Wadiyars' successes, regrettably, were fairly short-lived, as bad governance at home and intervention in leadership wars in the plains eventually led to the subversion of power by the military explorer Hyder Ali. His acquisition of the Malabar Coast and the Karnataka Plateau strengthened Mysore's authority in the state. However, it also caused a range of conflicts between the British and Indians, which was commonly known as the Mysore Wars.
From 1831 to 1881, Mysore was ruled by a British commissioner, after which administration was returned to the Wadiyars. Following regional reorganizations in 1953 and 1956, the last of the Wadiyars had become governor of the state. In 1973, the state was renamed Karnataka. Ever since the state has primarily seen the governance of the Indian National Congress. However, there were brief periods when the state was controlled by the Janata (People’s) Party, its successor, the Janata Dal, and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
FAQs:
Q1. Who is known as the Father of Karnataka’s history?
This dynasty was ruled by Harihara I and Bukka Raya, who many researchers think were leaders of the last Hoysala King Veera Ballala III, and it flourished for more than two centuries. They are considered to be the Father of Karnataka’s history.
Q2. Who was responsible for Karnataka’s title?
Devaraj Urs is acclaimed for the changing of the name of Mysore State Karnataka. As per researchers, the term 'Karnataka' was popular six centuries ago. They claim that at the time, all of southern India was merged under the banner of Karnataka.
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