FINAL REPORT UGC MINOR RESEARCH PROJECT on LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS: HOYSALA KING BALLALA III (1291-1342 A.D) Submitted by DR.N.SAVITHRI Associate Professor Department of History Mallamma Marimallappa Women’s Arts and Commerce College, Mysore-24 Submitted to UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION South Western Regional Office P.K.Block, Gandhinagar, Bangalore-560009 2017 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I would like to Express My Gratitude and Indebtedness to University Grants Commission, New Delhi for awarding Minor Research Project in History. My Sincere thanks are due to Sri.Paramashivaiah.S, President of Marimallappa Educational Institutions. I am Grateful to Prof.Panchaksharaswamy.K.N, Honorary Secretary of Marimallappa Educational Institutions. I owe special thanks to Principal Sri.Dhananjaya.Y.D., Vice Principal Prapulla Chandra Kumar.S., Dr.Saraswathi.N., Sri Purushothama.K, Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff, members of Mallamma Marimallappa Women’s College, Mysore. I also thank K.B.Communications, Mysore has taken a lot of strain in computerszing my project work. I am Thankful to the Authorizes of the libraries in Karnataka for giving me permission to consult the necessary documents and books, pertaining to my project work. I thank all the temple guides and curators of minor Hoysala temples like Belur, Halebidu. Somanathapura, Thalkad, Melkote, Hosaholalu, kikkeri, Govindahalli, Nuggehalli, ext…. Several individuals and institution have helped me during the course of this study by generously sharing documents and other reference materials. I am thankful to all of them. Dr.N.Savithri Place: Date: 2 CERTIFICATE I Dr.N. Savithri Certify that the project entitled “LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS: HOYSALA KING BALLALA iii (1299-1342 A.D)” sponsored by University Grants Commission New Delhi under Minor Research Project is successfully completed by me. This work has not been published anywhere before this in any University. Dr.N.Savithri Place: Date: 3 PART-A 1 Broad Subject : History 2 Duration : 2 years 3 Principal Investigator : Dr.N.Savithri Sex : Female Date of Birth : 5/5/1957 Qualification : M.A., Ph.D Designation : Associate Professor Address College : Mallamma Marimallappa Women’s Arts and Commerce College, Mysore Residential : #33, 2nd Cross, ‘G’ Block, Ramakrishna-nagara, Mysore-22 Contact Number : 9845032761 Email ID : [email protected] Name of Institution where the project will be undertaken a) Department : History b) University : University of Mysore c) Teaching Experience : 32 years d) Research Experience : 18 years e) Year of Award of : March 1996 Doctoral Degree f) Title of Thesis of : “Ruling and Rural Elites in the Doctoral Degree Maiden Regional of the Hoysalas” g) Publications Papers published : 10 Papers unpublished : 06 Books published : 02 4 PART-B PROPOSED RESEARCH WORK Final Report “LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS: HOYSALA KING BALLALA III (1291-1342 A.D) CONTENTS CHAPTER I 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Historical Background 1.2 Geographical Background 1.3 Sources 1.4 Review of Literature 1.5 Scope of the Study 1.6 Objectives 1.7 Methodology CHAPTER 2 2.1 Accession of Ballala III 2.2 Reunification of the Empire 2.3 Conflict with the Sevunas and Action against refractory feudatories 2.4 Malik Kafur’s attack on Dorasamudra CHAPTER III 3.1 Ballala III and his role in Civil War of Pandyas of Madurai 3.2 War against Kampiladeva 3.3 Ballala’s increase of sphere of influence in Tamil Country 3.4 Second Invasion on Dorasamudra during Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah 3.5 Third Invasion during the Reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq 3.5.1 The Revolt of Bahauddin Gurshasp 3.5.2 The Destruction of Kampili Kingdom 5 3.5.3 Ballala III and Gurshasp’s Revolt 3.6 Ballala’s Concentration of Southern Frontier 3.7 Battle of Kannanur and Koppam 3.7.1 Victory of Ballala III 3.7.2 Victory turned into a defeat and the tragic end of Ballala III 3.8 Ballala III and Vijayanagara CHAPTER IV Administration during Ballala III CHAPTER V Social Life during Ballala III CHAPTER VI Economic Life during Ballala III CHAPTER VII Religious Life during Ballala III CHAPTER VIII Education and Literature during Ballala III CHAPTER XI Inferences Appendices Maps Genealogy Bibliography Photos 6 CHAPTER-I LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS: HOYSALA KING BALLALA III (1291-1342 A.D) INTRODUCTION The Hoysalas have a dominant role in the political and cultural history; not only of Karnataka but also of south India. Their contribution in political history, administration, religion, literature and art and architecture are varied and interesting. Unfortunately not much work has been done on this dynasty. The Hoysala dynasty had the good fortune of having some very illustrious kings like Vishnuvardhana, Ballala II, Somesvara, Narasimha III and Ballala III who made their dynasty politically and culturally great. The Hoysalas ruled from 1000-1346 A.D. They nearly ruled for 350 years. a) Sources Our knowledge of the History of Karnataka has remarkably increased since the beginning of the twentieth century. Many archaeological remains and literary works have been brought to light sources of information for the purpose of study of the History of Karnataka in general and in the History of the Hoysalas in particular. For this purpose much credit should be given to the eminent scholars and epigraphists of the West like Cunningham, J.F. Fleet and B.L. Rice. Dr. Fleet started the systematic collection and publication of the numerous inscriptions in the northern Karnataka areas of then the Bombay province1. The publication of twelve volumes of Epigraphia Carnatica by B.L.Rice and another four (Volumes 14-17) from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Mysore came into being with translations and notes. In addition to it, the text part of inscriptions along with transliterations and references have been published. They added extra information to the historicity of towns and temples of the Hoysala period. 7 Now the University of Mysore has taken the work of revising and reediting the inscriptions of Epigraphia Carnatica and Mysore Archaeological Reports and brought out the nine volumes. Besides, Epigraphia Indica, Indian Antiquary, South Indian Inscriptions and Hyderabad Archaeological series have published number of Hoysala epigraphs.2 The Kannada Research Institute, Dharwar contains a few inscriptions, belonging to Bombay Karnataka regions. Epigraphical Sources The subject under study possessed enough of Hoysala epigraphs. In total, there are about 2000 inscriptions. Majority of the inscriptions are found in the districts of Hassan, Mysore, Mandya and Bangalore. But some of them are defaced and fragmentary. Only a very few of them are completely spoiled. The inscriptions are purely poetic in style. They were composed in different metres like Kanda, Vritta, Champu etc. They are engraved both on copper plates and stone. The script is in Kannada, Sanskrit and Tamil. Outwardly the inscriptions register gifts for all sorts of charitable purposes but a thorough and careful study of them reveal the activities of the state in the overall development and progress of society. From the inscriptions we get information as to the number of different portfolios of the administrative machinery, the concept of danas, social structure based on the system of Chaturvarna and their mobility, eighteen samayas and so on. For example, kings were engaged in making great gifts of the four Vedas.3 The Neralige copper plate of Hoysala Ballala II aims at the settlement of Brahmins and the promotion of learning.4 Custom of offering Annadana and Santarpana was the main feature of this period.5 Thus the study of Hoysala inscriptions to a great extent serves our purpose in enlightening the above aspects. The inscriptional evidences to an extent supply the concept of different terms like 8 Kutumba (family) Vamsa, Vivaha (marriage) and Harihara cult etc. they are adequate to undertake a critical study of state activities in relation to the progress of the Hoysala society. b) Geographical Background The physical geography consists of natural vegetation, soils and rivers, Karnataka is bounded by Maharashtra in the north, Kerala and Tamilnadu in the South, Andhra Pradesh in the east and Arabian sea in the west. Topographically the state is divided into four parts. 1. Coastal region 2. Northern Maidan 3. Malnad 4. Southern Maidan Coastal Region The low lying tract between Western Ghats and the Arabian sea is a picturesque region of great beauty. It is full of rivers, isolated peaks and detached range of hills and receives heavy and assured rainfall between June and August, measuring about 254cms to 279cms. The soils are lateritic except in isolated stretches near the seaside where alluvium is found. It has dense forest followed by coconut and arecanut gardens. Besides there are many kinds of trees of great size and of much economic value, such as bamboo, teak and rosewood. Western coastal line contains good harbours. Through these harbours contact was maintained with distant countries from earliest times. This region consists of the western portion of North Kanara and South kanara districts. Northern Maidan The Northern Maidan consists of Belgaum, Bidar, Bijapur, Gadag, Gulbarga, Raichur and Bellary districts. As the western districts of Belgaum, Bijapur and Dharwar are on the edge of Western 9 Ghats, they are thickly wooded and enjoy a better water supply than the arid Deccan plains, which are in the adjacent Maharashtra. It is dominated by black soils. The important tanks are found constructed in Malaprabha basin, southern areas of Tungabhadra valley and the lower Bhima region. The main crops are jowar, wheat and cotton. Malnad Region The Malnad is separated from the coastal region by the steep wall of the Ghats and in the east it gradually merges with the southern maidan. It is a land of forests and mountains. Malnad covers Shimoga, Chitradurga, Chikmagalur and Hassan districts. The climate is generally hot and wet.