Ballari was once part of an area also known as Kuntala Desha (ಕುಂತಲ ದೇಶ)[1][2][3] or Kuntala Vishaya (ಕುಂತಲ ವಿಷಯ) (Vishaya – a territorial division or district of a kingdom). Many inscriptions refer to the Western Chalukyas as rulers of Kuntala or Kondala.[4][5]
An inscription during the Gangas of Talakadu speaks of a certain Sindha Vishaya (ಸಿಂಧ ವಿಷಯ), which consists parts or whole of today's Ballari, Haveri, Gadag, Dharawada, Koppala and Bagalakote districts.[1] Many inscriptions by Yadavas[6] and Kalyani Chalukyas[7] refer to this areas as Sindavadi (ಸಿಂದವಾಡಿ) or Sindavadi-nadu (ಸಿಂದವಾಡಿ-ನಾಡು) (Sindavadi-1000).
Nolambavadi
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]
The Sanganakallu settlement, spread over an area of Шаблон:Convert, 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
The Bellary area was also ruled briefly by the Cholas during the wars between Kalyani Chalukyas and the Cholas (often involving 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 Pallava family called 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]
1100–1188 AD
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]
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]
Soon after, Asaf Jah I assumed independence from Mughal control to establish Hyderabad as a separate state, beginning the Asaf Jahi dynasty. Asif Jah I assumed the title Nizam-ul-mulk, and Bellary was included in the Nizam's Dominion.[18][map 5]
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]
In 1796 AD, Asaf Jah II, harassed by the Marathas and Tipu Sultan, had opted to get British military protection under Lord Wellesley's doctrine of Subsidiary Alliance. As part of this agreement, Asif Jah II ceded a large portion of the acquired territory including Bellary, to the British, with the consent of the Hande Nayakas to be added to the Madras Presidency as 'Bellary District'. This area was also known as the Ceded Districts,[map 7] a term still used for the areas, and was considerably larger than the present district, including the present districts of Kadapa (Cuddapah), Anantapuram and much of Karnoolu (Kurnool).[17]
1800–1807 AD
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 MajorThomas Munro, the first collector of the Ceded Districts (1800–1807), who disposed of the eighty palayagars (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]
1808 AD
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.
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]
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, Harapanahallitaluk was transferred to Davanagere district, reducing the number of talukas in the district to seven.[21]
2004 AD
Bellary City Municipal Council was upgraded to a City Corporation.[24]
As of September 2023 some of the Telugu people of Bellary City who are proper residents of the city have raised an issue that Bellary City should be a Union Territory and Telugu should also be the official language and have the equal status with Kannada in the City of Bellary, because they were verbally discriminated by some of the kannada people with regard to their language stating that their mother tongue is Telugu and it is the official language of Andhra Pradesh and they should not speak in Telugu in Bellary and speak only in Kannada or else they should go out of Bellary to Andhra Pradesh, from the time when Veteran Telugu actor and politician N.T. Rama Rao's statue was built at Kamma Bhavan of Bellary and was inaugurated by Telugu Desam leader Nara Chandrababu Naidu. But the issue raised by Telugus have not gained any popularity.
