History of Tulu Nadu
Encyclopedia
Tulunad, for Tulu
-Nad or Nadu, is the country of the Tulu ethnic people.
These also exists "Tulurvanam" or "Tulurvana" which used to be a part of Tulunadu. It is an area to the east of Kanhangad till Mercara. Karike in Kodagu or Sullia was the main seat of this area.
Ballal Kings of Sullia ruled this area around 1100years back. They belonged to Ashta Ballal parampara. Later on when Ballal king converted himself to Jainism Karike, in Kodagu became the headquarters. Interestingly very few have shown interest in this vast rich treasure of the Origin of Tulunadu.
During the rule of Vijayanagara Tulu nadu was administered in two parts – Mangaluru Rajya and Barakuru Rajya. Tulunad was the original homeland of the dynasty that founded the Vijayanagar Empire based in eastern Karnataka. Tulu Nadu was governed by feudatories of the Vijayanagara Empire until the 17th century. Krishnadevaraya one of the great kings of the Vijayangara Empire had his roots from Tulu Nadu.The Tuluva Dynasty lasted for about 150 years during the time of Vijayangar empire.The surname rayas was changed to rais as time passed.The longest reigning dynasty of Tulu Nadu was the Alupas. They were the feudatories of the prominent dynasties of Karnataka. The Kadamba dynasty of Banavasi was the earliest, under which the Alupas flourished. Later the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, Chalukyas of Badami, Chalukyas of Kalyani, Hoysalas of Durasamudra and Rayas of Vijayanagara were the overlords. The Alupas, however, were independent and their subordination was nominal at best. They ruled until the Vijayanagara kings totally dominated the Tulu Nadu from 14th to the 17th centuries. The region became extremely prosperous during Vijayanagara period with Barkur and Mangalore gaining importance. After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Keladi Nayakas of Ikkeri controlled much of Tulu Nadu.
E. Thurston wrote in his Castes and Tribes of Southern India (1955–56), “This is a caste found only in South Kanara. The Nadavas have retained four sub-divisions* , one of the most important being Masadi…. I have no information regarding the caste but they seem to be closely allied to the Bunt caste of which Nadava is one of the sub-divisions. The name Nadava or Nadavaru means people of the nadu or country…. They still retain their independence or character, their strong well developed physique, and still carry their heads with some haughty toss as their fore-fathers did, in the stirring fighting days, when as an old proverb had it ‘the slain rested in the yard of the slayer’, and when every warrior constantly carried his sword and shield. Both men and women of the Bunt community are among the comeliest of Asiatic races.”
Masadi (masadika) is the most common Tulu speaking sub-division of Bunts in Southern Tulu nadu. Nadavas are Kannada speaking people who live in Northern Tulu nadu from Brahmavar to Baindoor. Parivara Bunts also live in the northern parts and follow some of the Brahmin customs. Jain Bunts are those who converted to Jainism during the reign of various Jain rulers, especially Hoysalas.
Tulu Script
A script called Tulu is used in Tulunadu for centuries. All Tulu classics discovered recently are in Tulu script, and some in other scripts. This Tulu script was being used by Brahmins. Till recently they were using it for writing Mantras, for accounts etc.
Several inscriptions mention Buntas in various connections, earliest perhaps in the 9th century in the Udyavara inscription. Here a mention of Shivalli Brahmins and the Bantas of Chokipali (current day Chokkadi, near Udupi) is clearly made. Whether the Nadavas, the Kannada speaking people mostly found in the northern Tulu nadu are the same as the Bunts cannot be established with certainty. However, in the 20th century there was so much of intermingling of blood through marriage between the two groups that now they have become indistinguishable from each other. These two communities could have separate origins but with passage of time the two cultures certainly seemed to have merged. There are no records of the origin of the Bunt or Nadava community of Tulu nadu. It is strongly felt that they first made their appearance very early in the history of Tulu nadu, and they migrated from Northern regions.
It is almost certain that “in the early centuries of the Christian era, there were kings, some independent and some under the suzerain of overlords like Kadambas, Chalukyas and Hoysalas. There were constant skirmishes and fighting, and the ‘Buntaru’ or warriors were important stabilizing segments of the population. In due course the Bunts succeeded in becoming owners of lands that did not fall into the hands of the priestly class, namely Brahmins.” – South Kanara Manual, Vol I.
Another group of people with similar culture was the Nayars of Tulu nadu. Inscriptions found in Barkur from the medieval period as well as the Grama Paddathi, which gives the history of Brahmin families in Tulu nadu, have made several references to the Nayars. They seemed to have intimate connections with the Brahmins and acted as their protectors, perhaps brought to Tulu nadu by the Kadamba kings in the 8th century. Kadamba king Mayuravarma, who is credited with bringing Brahmins from Ahichatra (from the North), also settled Nayars in Tulu nadu. Yet, there is no written proof for this occurrence and the only mention of the Nayars in the inscriptions comes after the Alupa period (early part of 14th century. Like some of the Kings of Malabar some South Kanara princes also have Nair ancestry. As an example the last ruler/king of Kanajar in Karkala Taluk was a Nayar Hegde.The royal house (oMjane ill) Kowdoor (adjacent to Kanajar) is “Naayara bettu” which still exists. But the main dynasty of Alupas are the descendants of Dravidian Pandyan kings and not of Bunt/ Nair origin. Nayara (Nair) and Menavas (Menon) are sub castes of the Bunt community and may have common origin from Indo-Scythian (who mixed with Nagas freely).Nairs or Nayars and Bunts belong to the same cast. Like Bunts and Nadavas (and other tuluva people) Nairs too follow their own form of inheritance called Marumakkathayam, which is “ali katt”. Bunts have “Nayaranna bali” (bali = matriarchal lineage).It is postulated that the Nair
s in Tulu nadu were later absorbed into the social stratum of the Bunt
/ Nadava community.
It is also postulated that the Nayars of Malabar originally migrated from the Tulu nadu as noted here: Manual of Madras Administration Vol II (printed in 1885) notes that the Nadavas are the same people as the Nayars of Malabar and the Bunts of Southern Tulu nadu.
Prof S. Shivaram Shetty’s research shows that a tribe called Kosars or Kossar
wandered into Tulu nadu after the Aryan invasion. Mercenaries by nature, they first settled in Deccan and established the Shatavahana kingdom in Andhra Pradesh. In Tulu nadu they founded the Alupa kingdom.
The Alupa Kingdom had the lineage of the Tulu Pandyan dynasty of Dravidian, Villavar and Minavar stock. The kings had the title Sri Pandya Dhanamjaya. The flag had the emblem a Double fish.Pandyan kingdom of Tamil Nadu has fish as emblem too. Kosars are not Pandyans but served Pegan s an ancient Tamil kingdom. But Satavahana Kosar and Bunts could be all central asian Scythian tribes.
During the rule of Vijayanagara Tulu nadu was administered in two parts – Manaluru rajya and Barakuru rajya. The people of the community to the north of River Kalyanapur (closer to Barakuru) called themselves Nadavas and spoke Kannada and people south of the river (closer to Mangaluru) came to be known as Bunts. There seems to have been a close relationship between the Bunts and Jains in Tulu nadu. Not only are their last names similar in many instances (Ajila, Ballala, Hegde, Banga, Chowta etc.) but they also have similar customs. Aliya santana is followed by both Bunts and Jains in Tulu nadu, perhaps the only Jain community in India to follow this matriarchal system of inheritance. Bunts of higher social standing were said to have converted to Jainism, though it is not clear when this conversion predominantly occurred.
After the fall of Vijayanagara Empire, during the rule of the Nayaks, in the 16th century, the Jains of Tulu nadu suffered a cultural recession. The glory of Jain period was abruptly curbed during the confusion of the take over of Tulu nadu by the Nayaks of Ikkeri. It is evidenced also by the lack of building great monuments and the bastis (like in Mudubidri). It is possible that during this period many of the Jains converted to Vedic Hinduism.
Tulu Nadu was governed by feudatories of the Vijayanagara Empire
until the 17th century. In the 18th, it was conquered by Haidar Ali, the ruler of Mysore
, and Mangalore became Mysore's chief naval entrepôt. After the British defeated Haidar's successor Tipu Sultan
in 1799, the region was attached to the Madras Presidency
before being reverted to the state of Mysore in the aftermath of independence. Mysore has since been renamed Karnataka
.
Tulu Nadu was originally called Alvakheda. Many historians agree that this is the region Emperor Ashoka referred to in his edicts as Satiyaputra, one of the four regions outside of his empire (the other three being Chola, Chera and Pandya kingdoms).
The political history of Tulu Nadu can be classified as follows:
1. The Alupa (Aluva) period
2. The Rayas of Vijayanagara period
3. The Nayakas of Keladi
period
4. The Sultans of Mysore period
5. The British period.
6. Post-Independence period.
The longest reigning dynasty of Tulu Nadu was the Alupas
(Aluvas). They were the feudatories of the prominent dynasties of Karnataka. The Kadamba dynasty of Banavasi was the earliest, under which the Alupas flourished. Later the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, Chalukyas of Badami, Chalukyas of Kalyani, Hoysalas of Durasamudra and Rayas of Vijayanagara were the overlords. The Alupas, however, were independent and their subordination was nominal at best. They ruled until the Vijayanagara kings totally dominated the Tulu Nadu from 14th to the 17th centuries. The region became extremely prosperous during Vijayanagara period with Barkur and Mangalore gaining importance. After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Keladi Nayaka
s of Ikkeri
controlled much of Tulu Nadu. At the end of 18th century, Haider Ali
and Tippu Sultan controlled the region. Mangalore
played a prominent role in Tippu’s battles with the British. The British gained full control in 1801, after the defeat of Tippu in 1799. The British ruled the region with Madras (now Chennai
) as its headquarters. When the Indian independence was achieved in 1947, Tulu Nadu became part of Madras state. When the states were divided into linguistic states in the 1950s, Tulu Nadu became part of Karnataka.
, ruling from the port cities of Mangalore
, etc., the region was called the Missao do Sul, or the Mission of the South. Tipu Sultan
conquered the region and the British conquered it from him. Under the British, the region was organized as the Districts of North Canara and South Canara
.
The name "Canara" was given by the Portuguese who took it from Kannada or Karnataka. The Portuguese mistakenly believed that the entire Deccan was a single entity and referred to all natives in their dominions as Canarese. They even initially referred to Konkani
as Canarese Brahman language.
The two districts were made a part of the Madras Presidency
, but North Canara was later transferred to the Bombay Presidency
. After Independence, the two Canaras were made part of Mysore State
and then, of Karnataka State. The name "Canara" has been Indianized as "Kannada", so that the districts are now Uttara Kannada
and Dakshina Kannada
.
The district of South Canara was recently bifurcated to create the District of Udipi.
There is an on-off movement among the Tulus for a Tulunad state, spearheaded by the now largely defunct Tulu Sena.
Tulunad was the original homeland of the dynasty that founded the Vijayanagar Empire based in eastern Karnataka.
were already a prominent group and even today are uniquely preserved in Tulu Nadu. Though small in number, the Jains left behind indelible reminders of their glory with temples (bastis
) in (Moodabidri
) and monolithic statues of Bahubali
, the gomateshwara, in Karkala
, Venoor and Dharmasthala
.
Madhvacharya
in the 13th century built the eight monasteries (Matha
) in Udupi. In the 16th century there was a large influx of Catholics to Tulu Nadu from Goa. They built excellent educational institutes and contributed to the development of education in the region. The Muslim community of Tulu Nadu were basically Arab traders who married local women and settled there. Some of them speak the Beary
language, which is a mix of Tulu
and Malayalam and others speak Urdu.
Tulu language
The Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
-Nad or Nadu, is the country of the Tulu ethnic people.
These also exists "Tulurvanam" or "Tulurvana" which used to be a part of Tulunadu. It is an area to the east of Kanhangad till Mercara. Karike in Kodagu or Sullia was the main seat of this area.
Ballal Kings of Sullia ruled this area around 1100years back. They belonged to Ashta Ballal parampara. Later on when Ballal king converted himself to Jainism Karike, in Kodagu became the headquarters. Interestingly very few have shown interest in this vast rich treasure of the Origin of Tulunadu.
History of Tulu Nadu
Historically, Tulu Nadu included the two separate lands of Haiva and Tuluva. The Ballal Kings of Sullia had ruled this area around 1100 years back.During the rule of Vijayanagara Tulu nadu was administered in two parts – Mangaluru Rajya and Barakuru Rajya. Tulunad was the original homeland of the dynasty that founded the Vijayanagar Empire based in eastern Karnataka. Tulu Nadu was governed by feudatories of the Vijayanagara Empire until the 17th century. Krishnadevaraya one of the great kings of the Vijayangara Empire had his roots from Tulu Nadu.The Tuluva Dynasty lasted for about 150 years during the time of Vijayangar empire.The surname rayas was changed to rais as time passed.The longest reigning dynasty of Tulu Nadu was the Alupas. They were the feudatories of the prominent dynasties of Karnataka. The Kadamba dynasty of Banavasi was the earliest, under which the Alupas flourished. Later the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, Chalukyas of Badami, Chalukyas of Kalyani, Hoysalas of Durasamudra and Rayas of Vijayanagara were the overlords. The Alupas, however, were independent and their subordination was nominal at best. They ruled until the Vijayanagara kings totally dominated the Tulu Nadu from 14th to the 17th centuries. The region became extremely prosperous during Vijayanagara period with Barkur and Mangalore gaining importance. After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Keladi Nayakas of Ikkeri controlled much of Tulu Nadu.
E. Thurston wrote in his Castes and Tribes of Southern India (1955–56), “This is a caste found only in South Kanara. The Nadavas have retained four sub-divisions* , one of the most important being Masadi…. I have no information regarding the caste but they seem to be closely allied to the Bunt caste of which Nadava is one of the sub-divisions. The name Nadava or Nadavaru means people of the nadu or country…. They still retain their independence or character, their strong well developed physique, and still carry their heads with some haughty toss as their fore-fathers did, in the stirring fighting days, when as an old proverb had it ‘the slain rested in the yard of the slayer’, and when every warrior constantly carried his sword and shield. Both men and women of the Bunt community are among the comeliest of Asiatic races.”
Masadi (masadika) is the most common Tulu speaking sub-division of Bunts in Southern Tulu nadu. Nadavas are Kannada speaking people who live in Northern Tulu nadu from Brahmavar to Baindoor. Parivara Bunts also live in the northern parts and follow some of the Brahmin customs. Jain Bunts are those who converted to Jainism during the reign of various Jain rulers, especially Hoysalas.
Origin and Antiquity
A number of myths and legends persist concerning the origin of Tulunadu. One such myth is the creation of Kerala by Parasurama, a warrior sage. The Brahminical myth proclaims that Parasurama, an avatar of Mahavishnu, threw his battle axe into the sea. As a result, the land of Kerala arose and was reclaimed from the waters.Parasurama was the incarnation of Maha Vishnu. He was the sixth of the ten avatars (incarnation) of Vishnu. The word Parasu means 'axe' in Sanskrit and therefore the name Parasurama means 'Ram with Axe'. The aim of his birth was to deliver the world from the arrogant oppression of the ruling caste, the Kshatriyas. He killed all the male Kshatriyas on earth and filled five lakes with their blood. After destroying the Kshatriya kings, he approached assembly of learned men to find a way of penitence for his sins. He was advised that, to save his soul from damnation, he must hand over the lands he had conquered to the Brahmins. He did as they advised and sat in meditation at Gokarnam. There, Varuna -the God of the Oceans and Bhumidevi - Goddess of Earth blessed him. From Gokarnam he reached Kanyakumari and threw his axe northward across the ocean. The place where the axe landed was Kerala. It was 160 katam (an old measure) of land lying between Gokarnam and Kanyakumari. Puranas say that it was Parasuram who planted the 64 Brahmin families in Kerala, whom he brought down from the north in order to expiate his slaughter of the Kshatriyas. According to the puranas, Kerala is also known as Parasurama Kshetram, ie., 'The Land of Parasurama',as the land was reclaimed from sea by him.Tulu Script
A script called Tulu is used in Tulunadu for centuries. All Tulu classics discovered recently are in Tulu script, and some in other scripts. This Tulu script was being used by Brahmins. Till recently they were using it for writing Mantras, for accounts etc.
Several inscriptions mention Buntas in various connections, earliest perhaps in the 9th century in the Udyavara inscription. Here a mention of Shivalli Brahmins and the Bantas of Chokipali (current day Chokkadi, near Udupi) is clearly made. Whether the Nadavas, the Kannada speaking people mostly found in the northern Tulu nadu are the same as the Bunts cannot be established with certainty. However, in the 20th century there was so much of intermingling of blood through marriage between the two groups that now they have become indistinguishable from each other. These two communities could have separate origins but with passage of time the two cultures certainly seemed to have merged. There are no records of the origin of the Bunt or Nadava community of Tulu nadu. It is strongly felt that they first made their appearance very early in the history of Tulu nadu, and they migrated from Northern regions.
It is almost certain that “in the early centuries of the Christian era, there were kings, some independent and some under the suzerain of overlords like Kadambas, Chalukyas and Hoysalas. There were constant skirmishes and fighting, and the ‘Buntaru’ or warriors were important stabilizing segments of the population. In due course the Bunts succeeded in becoming owners of lands that did not fall into the hands of the priestly class, namely Brahmins.” – South Kanara Manual, Vol I.
Another group of people with similar culture was the Nayars of Tulu nadu. Inscriptions found in Barkur from the medieval period as well as the Grama Paddathi, which gives the history of Brahmin families in Tulu nadu, have made several references to the Nayars. They seemed to have intimate connections with the Brahmins and acted as their protectors, perhaps brought to Tulu nadu by the Kadamba kings in the 8th century. Kadamba king Mayuravarma, who is credited with bringing Brahmins from Ahichatra (from the North), also settled Nayars in Tulu nadu. Yet, there is no written proof for this occurrence and the only mention of the Nayars in the inscriptions comes after the Alupa period (early part of 14th century. Like some of the Kings of Malabar some South Kanara princes also have Nair ancestry. As an example the last ruler/king of Kanajar in Karkala Taluk was a Nayar Hegde.The royal house (oMjane ill) Kowdoor (adjacent to Kanajar) is “Naayara bettu” which still exists. But the main dynasty of Alupas are the descendants of Dravidian Pandyan kings and not of Bunt/ Nair origin. Nayara (Nair) and Menavas (Menon) are sub castes of the Bunt community and may have common origin from Indo-Scythian (who mixed with Nagas freely).Nairs or Nayars and Bunts belong to the same cast. Like Bunts and Nadavas (and other tuluva people) Nairs too follow their own form of inheritance called Marumakkathayam, which is “ali katt”. Bunts have “Nayaranna bali” (bali = matriarchal lineage).It is postulated that the Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
s in Tulu nadu were later absorbed into the social stratum of the Bunt
Bunt
A bunt is a special type of offensive technique in baseball or fastpitch softball. In a bunt play, the batter loosely holds the bat in front of the plate and intentionally taps the ball into play.- Bunting technique :...
/ Nadava community.
It is also postulated that the Nayars of Malabar originally migrated from the Tulu nadu as noted here: Manual of Madras Administration Vol II (printed in 1885) notes that the Nadavas are the same people as the Nayars of Malabar and the Bunts of Southern Tulu nadu.
“They appear to have entered Malabar from the North rather than the South and to have peopled first the Tulu, and then the Malayalam country. They were probably the off-shoot of some colony in the Konkan or the Deccan. In Malabar and south of Kanara as far as Kasargod, they are called Nayars and their language is Malayalam. From Kasargod to Brahmavar, they are termed as Bunts and speak Tulu. To the north of Brahmavar, they are called Nadavars, and they speak Kanarese.”
Prof S. Shivaram Shetty’s research shows that a tribe called Kosars or Kossar
Kossar
-Origin theories/myths:*Krishnasami Aiyangar explores the Nalur Kosar, as foreigners to Tamil country...
wandered into Tulu nadu after the Aryan invasion. Mercenaries by nature, they first settled in Deccan and established the Shatavahana kingdom in Andhra Pradesh. In Tulu nadu they founded the Alupa kingdom.
The Alupa Kingdom had the lineage of the Tulu Pandyan dynasty of Dravidian, Villavar and Minavar stock. The kings had the title Sri Pandya Dhanamjaya. The flag had the emblem a Double fish.Pandyan kingdom of Tamil Nadu has fish as emblem too. Kosars are not Pandyans but served Pegan s an ancient Tamil kingdom. But Satavahana Kosar and Bunts could be all central asian Scythian tribes.
During the rule of Vijayanagara Tulu nadu was administered in two parts – Manaluru rajya and Barakuru rajya. The people of the community to the north of River Kalyanapur (closer to Barakuru) called themselves Nadavas and spoke Kannada and people south of the river (closer to Mangaluru) came to be known as Bunts. There seems to have been a close relationship between the Bunts and Jains in Tulu nadu. Not only are their last names similar in many instances (Ajila, Ballala, Hegde, Banga, Chowta etc.) but they also have similar customs. Aliya santana is followed by both Bunts and Jains in Tulu nadu, perhaps the only Jain community in India to follow this matriarchal system of inheritance. Bunts of higher social standing were said to have converted to Jainism, though it is not clear when this conversion predominantly occurred.
After the fall of Vijayanagara Empire, during the rule of the Nayaks, in the 16th century, the Jains of Tulu nadu suffered a cultural recession. The glory of Jain period was abruptly curbed during the confusion of the take over of Tulu nadu by the Nayaks of Ikkeri. It is evidenced also by the lack of building great monuments and the bastis (like in Mudubidri). It is possible that during this period many of the Jains converted to Vedic Hinduism.
Tulu Nadu was governed by feudatories of the Vijayanagara Empire
Vijayanagara Empire
The Vijayanagara Empire , referred as the Kingdom of Bisnaga by the Portuguese, was an empire based in South Indian in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Yadava lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts...
until the 17th century. In the 18th, it was conquered by Haidar Ali, the ruler of Mysore
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom of southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire...
, and Mangalore became Mysore's chief naval entrepôt. After the British defeated Haidar's successor Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
in 1799, the region was attached to the Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
before being reverted to the state of Mysore in the aftermath of independence. Mysore has since been renamed Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
.
Tulu Nadu was originally called Alvakheda. Many historians agree that this is the region Emperor Ashoka referred to in his edicts as Satiyaputra, one of the four regions outside of his empire (the other three being Chola, Chera and Pandya kingdoms).
The political history of Tulu Nadu can be classified as follows:
1. The Alupa (Aluva) period
2. The Rayas of Vijayanagara period
3. The Nayakas of Keladi
Keladi Nayaka
Keladi Nayaka Kingdom were an important ruling dynasty of post-medieval Karnataka, India. They initially started to rule as a feudatory of the Vijayanagar Empire...
period
4. The Sultans of Mysore period
5. The British period.
6. Post-Independence period.
The longest reigning dynasty of Tulu Nadu was the Alupas
Alupas
The Alupas kings were a minor dynasty who ruled parts of coastal Karnataka. Later with the dominance of Kadambas in Banavasi, they became feudatory to them. With the changing political scenario, soon they became the feudatories to Chalukyas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagara Rayas...
(Aluvas). They were the feudatories of the prominent dynasties of Karnataka. The Kadamba dynasty of Banavasi was the earliest, under which the Alupas flourished. Later the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, Chalukyas of Badami, Chalukyas of Kalyani, Hoysalas of Durasamudra and Rayas of Vijayanagara were the overlords. The Alupas, however, were independent and their subordination was nominal at best. They ruled until the Vijayanagara kings totally dominated the Tulu Nadu from 14th to the 17th centuries. The region became extremely prosperous during Vijayanagara period with Barkur and Mangalore gaining importance. After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Keladi Nayaka
Keladi Nayaka
Keladi Nayaka Kingdom were an important ruling dynasty of post-medieval Karnataka, India. They initially started to rule as a feudatory of the Vijayanagar Empire...
s of Ikkeri
Ikkeri
Ikkeri is situated in Shimoga district of Karnataka state at about 6 km to the south of Sagara. The word Ikkeri in Kannada means "Two Streets". It was, from about 1560 to 1640 AD, the capital of the Keladi chiefs, afterwards removed to Bednur...
controlled much of Tulu Nadu. At the end of 18th century, Haider Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
and Tippu Sultan controlled the region. Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
played a prominent role in Tippu’s battles with the British. The British gained full control in 1801, after the defeat of Tippu in 1799. The British ruled the region with Madras (now Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
) as its headquarters. When the Indian independence was achieved in 1947, Tulu Nadu became part of Madras state. When the states were divided into linguistic states in the 1950s, Tulu Nadu became part of Karnataka.
Modern History
Under PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, ruling from the port cities of Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, etc., the region was called the Missao do Sul, or the Mission of the South. Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
conquered the region and the British conquered it from him. Under the British, the region was organized as the Districts of North Canara and South Canara
South Canara
South Canara was a district under the British empire, located at . It was bifurcated in 1859 from Canara district. It was the undivided Dakshina Kannada district...
.
The name "Canara" was given by the Portuguese who took it from Kannada or Karnataka. The Portuguese mistakenly believed that the entire Deccan was a single entity and referred to all natives in their dominions as Canarese. They even initially referred to Konkani
Konkani language
KonkaniKonkani is a name given to a group of several cognate dialects spoken along the narrow strip of land called Konkan, on the west coast of India. This is, however, somewhat an over-generalisation. Geographically, Konkan is defined roughly as the area between the river Damanganga to the north...
as Canarese Brahman language.
The two districts were made a part of the Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
, but North Canara was later transferred to the Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
. After Independence, the two Canaras were made part of Mysore State
Mysore State
The Kingdom of Mysore was one of the three largest princely states within the erstwhile British Empire of India. Upon India gaining its independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Mysore merged his realm with the Union of India...
and then, of Karnataka State. The name "Canara" has been Indianized as "Kannada", so that the districts are now Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada
Uttara Kannada also known as North Canara or North Kanara, is a district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is bordered by the state of Goa and Belgaum District to the north, Dharwad District and Haveri District to the east, Shimoga District and Udupi District to the south and the...
and Dakshina Kannada
Dakshina Kannada
- Geography :The district geography consists of sea shore in the west and Western Ghats in the east. The major rivers are Netravathi, Kumaradhara, Phalguni, Shambhavi, Nandini or Pavanje and Payaswini which all join Arabian sea. Vast areas of evergreen forests which once covered this district, have...
.
The district of South Canara was recently bifurcated to create the District of Udipi.
There is an on-off movement among the Tulus for a Tulunad state, spearheaded by the now largely defunct Tulu Sena.
Tulunad was the original homeland of the dynasty that founded the Vijayanagar Empire based in eastern Karnataka.
Diverse identities
Over the following many centuries, more ethnic groups migrated to the area. Konkana kingdom|Konkanas and Gouda Sarasvats arrived by sea, as Mangalore was a major port that served not only the Portuguese but also the Arabs for maritime trades. JainsJainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
were already a prominent group and even today are uniquely preserved in Tulu Nadu. Though small in number, the Jains left behind indelible reminders of their glory with temples (bastis
Basadi
Basadi is a Jain shrine or temple.The word is generally used in South India, including Maharashtra. Its historical use in North is preserved in the names of the Vimala Vasahi and Luna Vasahi temples of Mount Abu...
) in (Moodabidri
Moodabidri
Moodabidri , is a small town 37 km northeast of the Dakshina Kannada district headquarters, Mangalore, in Karnataka, India....
) and monolithic statues of Bahubali
Bahubali
According to Jainism, Bahubali, called Gomateshwara , was the second of the hundred sons of the first Tirthankara, Rishabha, and king of Podanpur. The Adipurana, a 10th century Kannada text by Jain poet Adikavi Pampa According to Jainism, Bahubali, called Gomateshwara , was the second of the...
, the gomateshwara, in Karkala
Karkala
Karkala is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 380 km from Bangalore, it lies near the Western Ghats....
, Venoor and Dharmasthala
Dharmasthala
Dharmasthala is a temple village on the banks of the Nethravathi River in the Belthangadi taluk of the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka....
.
Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya
Madhvācārya was the chief proponent of Tattvavāda "Philosophy of Reality", popularly known as the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy. It is one of the three most influential Vedānta philosophies. Madhvācārya was one of the important philosophers during the Bhakti movement. He was a pioneer in...
in the 13th century built the eight monasteries (Matha
Matha
A matha ) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of Hinduism and Jainism. A matha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram.-Advaita Mathas:...
) in Udupi. In the 16th century there was a large influx of Catholics to Tulu Nadu from Goa. They built excellent educational institutes and contributed to the development of education in the region. The Muslim community of Tulu Nadu were basically Arab traders who married local women and settled there. Some of them speak the Beary
Beary
The Beary is a small Muslim community concentrated mostly in coastal South Kanara , in the district of Karnataka, a south Indian state. It is an ethnic society, having its own unique traditions and distinct cultural identity...
language, which is a mix of Tulu
Tulu language
The Tulu language |?]]]) is a Dravidian language spoken by 1.95 million native speakers mainly in the southwest part of Indian state Karnataka known as Tulu Nadu. In India, 1.72 million people speak it as their mother tongue , increased by 10 percent over the 1991 census...
and Malayalam and others speak Urdu.