29/06/2021
Chitradurga Fort :
Chitradurga Fort or as the British known as it Chitaldoorg, straddles many hills and a peak dominating a flat valley in the Chitradurga District, Karnataka, India. The fort’s name Chitrakaldurga, which suggests ‘picturesque fort’ in Kannada, is that the namesake of the town Chitradurga and its administrative division.
Chitradurga Fort Architecture:
The Chitradurga Fort was built in stages between the17th and 18th centuries by the family rulers of the region, as well as the Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas and Hoysalas also as the Nayakas of Chitradurga, feudalistic lords in theVijayanagar Empire. And the Nayakas of Chitradurga or Palegar Nayakas were most responsible for the growth of the fort between the 15th and 18th centuries. They were defeated by Hyder Aliat Chitradurga in 1779. Later the fort was expanded and strong by Hyder Ali and his son Tippu sultan who won Madakari Nayaka V the last ruler of the Nayaka tribe. The Chitradurga Fort is made in a very series of seven concentric fortification walls with numerous passages, a citadel, masjid, warehouses for grains and oil water domes and great constructed temples. There are18 temples in the higher fort and one large temple in the beautiful fort. And among these temples the historical oldest and most fascinating is that the Hidimbeshwara temple. The musjid was an addition during Hyder Ali’s rule.The fort’s several interconnecting tanks was used to harvest rain water, and also the fort was said to ne’er suffer from a water shortage.
Chitradurga Fort History:
Chitradurga is made of 2 words in the Kannada language ‘chitra’ means that “picture” and ‘durga’ means that “fort” and is labeled with English word ‘Fort’ to create the name “Chitradurga Fort”. it’s additionally locally called “Kallina Kote” or Stone fort, that is additionally fashioned of 2 Kannada words ‘Kallina’: “Stone” and Kote:“Fort”. different names used in Kannada are ‘Ukkina Kote”: “Steel Fort” (metaphorically used to mean an impregnable fort) and ‘Yelusuttina Kote’: “Seven circles fort”
Chitradurga Fort lies in the inside of a valley shaped by the Vedavati River. The Tungabhadra stream flows to the northwest of the Fort. Seven hills represent the Chinmuladri vary. The seven circles of the fort enclose these hills. Options of large rock hills and scenic valleys, large towering boulders are seen in the fort precincts. The hills on that major a part of the fort and also the city rest belong to the biggest old rock of granite formation in the country. The very best hill peak of the area is found at Jogi Matti, five kilometers (3.1 mi) to the south of Chitradurga. And the highest elevation of the hills at the fort is 976 meters (3,202 ft). The area covered by the fort is reported to be 1,500 acres (607.0 ha).
The Chitradurga Fort is found 120 kilometre (74.6 mi) from Hampi, the UNESCO World Heritage site and 200 kilometre (124.3 mi) from Bangalore. The closest railhead is Davanagere on the Bangalore/Mysore – Arasikere railroad track railway line
A number of inscriptions of the Chalukyas, the Hoysalas and also the Vijayanagar kings are found in and round the fort. These inscriptions trace the history of the fort to the 3rd Millennium B.C. Ashokan period biggest granite rocks mold found near Brahmagiri additionally link Chitradurga to the Mauryan Empire during the reign of the royal dynasties of Rashtrakutas and Chalukyas, Hoysalas. However the area where the fort currently exists achieved prominence only below the family rule of the Nayakas of Chitradurga or “Paleygars” (called “little Kings”) as a feudatory of the Vijayanagar Empire.
Between 1500 AD and 1800 AD, Chitradurga Fort witnessed a turbulent history beginning with the Vijayanagara Empire; Vijayanagar Empire had got management of this region from the Hoysalas. And Vijaynagara rulers brought the Nayakas the traditional native chieftains of the area below their management as their feudatory, till their family reign ended in 1565 A.D. And after the Nayakas of Chitradurga took independent management of the region and their tribe dominated for over 200 years till the last of their rulers Madakari Nayaka V was defeated by Hyder Ali of Mysore Kingdom, in 1779. During of these years, Chitradurga Fort was central to the dominate particularly of the Nayakas.
Timmana Nayaka or Thimmappa Nayaka a chieftain from Matti in Davangere taluk dominate the rule of Saluva Narasimha was the primary ruler in the hierarchy of the Nayakas of Chitradurga. Initially, he was a chieftain below the Vijayanagar Empire however was shortly elevated to the rank of Governor of Chitradurga by the Vijayanagar ruler in recognition of his wonderful Provence in military service to the empire. His rule coated areas of the Davangere district and Chitradurga district. His rule lasted for a short period and over with his captivity and death in the jail of theVijaynagar Empire. And After his son Obana Nayaka or Madakari Nayaka (1588–1602) succeeded him. And the Madakari Nayaka was rolled by a series of hierarchical or other adopted types of successions of the same kin; Madakari Nayaka V was the final ruler of the clan from 1758 to 1779. And the Bharamappa Nayaka who ruled from 1689 till 1722 is considered the best of the Nayaka rulers famous for building forts, palaces, tanks and temples, including many gateways and bastions. He fought many more battles opposite the Mughals.
However it was during the reign of Madakari Nayaka V (1758 to 1779) that town of Chitradurga and also the Fort were enclosed by the troops of Hyder Ali. And the Madakari Nayaka used the fort perfectly for defense during 3 battles that were fought against Hyder Ali. Sometimes he had allied himself with Hyder Ali of Mysore Kingdom and at other times with the Marathas. The Hyder Ali attacked the Chitradurga Fort 1st time in 1760, the second time in 1770 and also the third time successfully in 1779 once he defeated Madakari Nayaka. The Madakari Nayaka was taken a captive and killed. Nayaka’s gamble of playing with each Hyder Ali and also the Marathas didn’t work out. He was betrayed by the Marathas and a few native Muhammadan officers in his service. After his death the treasury at the fort is said to own yielded a rich bounty. It absolutely was during one such war that the heroics of Onake Obavva the wife of a warrior guarding the fort became a legendary event.
The family reign of the Nayakas lasted for over 200 years and also the Chitradurga fort was their stronghold and also the terribly heart of their province.
In the Fourth Mysore War, Tippu sultan was killed by the British in 1799, and also the Mysore Kingdom was reordered below the Wodeyars. The Chitradurga became a part of Mysore kingdom rule. The British considered Chitradurga Fort a probably helpful base for providing a robust line of defense to Mysore’s north side border, between 1799 and 1809; the British garrisoned their troops in the fort. Later, the management of the fort was renovated to the govt of Mysore.
