EXPLORE KARNATAKA

Karnataka is a South Indian state, surrounded by Maharashtra and Goa on the north, Andhra Pradesh on the east, and Tamil Nadu and Kerala on the south. The name ‘Karnataka’ is derived from ‘Kari-Nadu’, meaning ‘land of black soil. Situated on the western edge of the Deccan plateau, the state was formed in 1956. Here’s presenting 30 interesting facts about the state.

1. HISTORY

Karnataka was first created on 1s November 1956 with the name of the Mysore state. And on November 1973, it changed to Karnataka. Karnataka has an enthralling history. This state lying in the southern part of India has been under the rule of several dynasties that have shaped its history. It has been invaded by a number of rulers at different points of time in history. Due to the influence of various rulers and dynasties Karnataka became enriched with their distinctive culture and values.

In the ancient times Karnataka was known as Karunadu which means elevated land or high plateau. The history of Karnataka can be traced back to the prehistoric days.

Pre-history of Karnataka in brief

The pre-historic culture of Karnataka was very different from that of the northern part of India. During the pre-historic times the hand-axe culture was prevalent in Karnataka. This culture was similar to the pre-historic culture of Africa. The use of iron was known to the inhabitants of Karnataka even before 1200 B.C. This was far earlier than the time when the inhabitants of North India came to know about the use of iron.

Early history of Karnataka

The early rulers of Karnataka were from the northern parts of the country. During the 4^th and 3^rd century BCE parts of Karnataka was under the rule of the Maurya and Nanda Empire of North India. After the fall of the Mauryan Empire the Satavahana dynasty came to power in Karnataka around 3 BCE. They ruled over extensive parts of Northern Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Prakrit was their administrative language. Both Kannada and Telugu were found and evolved during their rule. The Satavahana dynasty ruled over Karnataka for almost 300 years.

The weakening of the Satavahana dynasty resulted in the Pallavas of Kanchi becoming the political power in Karnataka for a brief period of time. The domination of the Pallavas was brought to an end by indigenous dynasties, the Kadambas of Banavasi and the Gangas of Kolar. The ascent of the Kadamba dynasty and the Western Ganga Dynasty marked the starting point of Karnataka becoming an independent political entity.

2. THE FIRST WOMAN TO LEAD AN ARMED REBELLION AGAINST THE BRITISH IS FROM KARNATAKA

 Before the queen of Jhansi, Laxmi Bai took up arms; Rani Chennamma (1778-1829), Queen of the princely state of Kittur was the first person to lead an armed rebellion against British governance. In 1824, she rebelled against the kappa tax. More than three decades before Laxmi Bai.

Rani Lakshmi Bai was one of the leading warriors of the India's first struggle for independence. A symbol of bravery, patriotism and honour, Rani Lakshmi Bai was born on 19 November 1828 at Poona. Her actual name was Manikarnika. Her father Moropant Tabme was a court advisor, and mother Bhagirathi was a scholarly woman. At a very early age she lost her mother. Her father raised her in an unconventional way and supported her to learn to ride elephants and horses and also to use weapons effectively. She grew up with Nana Sahib and Tatya Tope, who were active participants in the first revolt of independence.

In 1842, Rani Lakshmi Bai got married to Raja Gangadhar Rao who was the Maharaja of Jhansi. After her marriage, she came to be known as Lakshmi Bai. In 1851, she gave birth to a son but unfortunately he died in his fourth month. After this tragic incident, Damodar Rao was adopted by the Maharaja of Jhansi as his son. Moved by the death of his son and his poor health, Maharaja Gangadhar Rao also died on 21 November 1853. When the Maharaja died, Rani Lakshmi Bai was just eighteen years old, but she didn't lose her courage and took up her responsibility.

Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India at that time, was a very shrewd person who tried to take advantage of the misfortune of Jhansi to expand the British Empire. The British rulers did not accept little Damodar Rao, as the legal heir of late Maharaja Gangadhar Rao and Rani Lakshmi Bai. Their plan was to annex Jhansi on the ground that it did not have any legal heir. In March 1854, Rani of Jhansi was granted an annual pension of 60,000 and was ordered to leave the Jhansi fort. She was firm on the decision not to give up the dominion of Jhansi to the British.

For strengthening the defence of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai assembled an army of rebellions, which also included women. For this great cause she was supported by brave warriors like Gulam Gaus Khan, Dost Khan, Khuda Baksh, Sunder-Mundar, Kashi Bai, Lala Bhau Bakshi, Moti Bai, Deewan Raghunath Singh and Deewan Jawahar Singh. She assembled 14,000 rebels and organised an army for the defence of the city.

In March 1858, when the British attacked Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai's army decided to fight and the war continued for about two weeks. The army fought very bravely, even though Jhansi lost to the British forces. After a fierce war when the British army entered Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai, tied her son Damodar Rao to her back and fought bravely using two swords in both her hands. She escaped to the fortress of Kalpi under the cover of darkness and was accompanied by many other rebellions. She departed to Gwalior and a fierce battle was fought between the British and the Rani's army. On the unfortunate day of 17 June of 1858, this great warrior martyred her life for India's freedom. 

Facts and Information about Rani Lakshmi Bai

Born	Manikarnika Tambe, 19 November 1828
Place of Birth	Varanasi, India
Nationality	Indian
Father	Moropant Tambe
Mother	Bhagirathi Sapre
Died	18 June 1858 (aged 29), Kotah ki Serai, near Gwalior, India
Spouse Name	Jhansi Naresh Maharaj Gangadhar Rao Newalkar
Chidren	She gave birth to a boy, later named Damodar Rao, in 1851, who died when four months old.
Education	She was educated at home and was more independent in her childhood than others of her age; her studies included shooting, horsemanship, and fencing.
Known for contribution as	Lakshmi Bai.
Awards and honours	honour of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi

TOURISM IN KARNATAKA; 

A land known for its silks, spices and sandalwood, Karnataka adds up as an experience to remember for a lifetime. Tourism in Karnataka stands out with its diverse offerings that include wildlife & national parks, monuments & heritage sites, beaches and pilgrimage sites. Yet another notable point is that tourist attractions in Karnataka are located at geographically extreme ends which interestingly makes silicon capital Bengaluru, the focal point of tour itineraries and travel packages in Karnataka.
FOR MORE DETAILS OF TOURIST PLACES IN KARNATAKA:  click here