Banga Arasa or Banga Raja is the dynastic title of a medieval ruling family of coastal Karnataka, India. The word Banga is the name of a clan and a surname of the Bunts [1] and the word Arasa or Raja means a ruler in the Tulu language. The dynasty followed the Bunt custom of matrilineal inheritance (ALiyasantana). The Banga Arasas claimed descent from the ancient Alupas and the rulers bore the Alupa royal title Pandyapparasa. [2] The Banga Arasas were said to have been given control of 15 sub-divisions (Magane) of Southern Tulu Nadu by the Hoysala Ballal Emperor, Vira Narasimha. [3] The Banga Arasas ruled from 1224 C.E until the conquest of South Canara by the British in 1799 CE. Descendants of the dynasty survive. However, the family seems to have stopped the coronation ritual after 1889 CE. Since the cessation of the coronation ritual no member of the family has borne the princely title Banga Arasa or Banga Raja instead preferring the aristocratic title Ballal. [4] The dynasty patronized Jainism.They also built Hindu temples as well as shrines to deities of the Buta Kola folk tradition. Ullalthi, a form of the mother goddess worshiped in the Buta Kola tradition was the tutelary deity of the dynasty. [3]
Following the decline of the Alupas, the coastal districts of Karnataka which is also known as Tulu Nadu came under the sway of various local Bunt-Jain feudal families. The formation of the Banga Arasa dynasty took place around the same time. However, the Banga Arasas claimed an ancient lineage as they considered themselves to be the direct descendants of the Alupas. [2] The first known king of the Banga Arasa dynasty was Pandyastha Banga who was crowned by the Hoysala Ballal Emperor Vira Narasimha himself. The Banga Arasas were said to have subdued the Nandar dynasty of Nandavara [4] and took control of their territories as well. The Banga Arasas were also known to have established matrimonial relations with the neighboring Chowta royal family. Queen Abbakka Chowta was married to the Banga king Lakshmappa Arasa. The Banga Arasas were at their peak during the reign of Lakshmappa Arasa Bangaraja I (1400-1455 A.D.), who built four palaces at Bangawadi (now called Bangadi), Belthangady, Mangalore and Nandavara. Due to the prevalence of the matrilineal Aliyasantana law of inheritance five women from the family also ruled.
Vithala Devi (1239-1264 A.D.) is the first known queen of the dynasty. The chronology of the Banga Arasas is given in the table below.
Ruler's name | Year of reign |
---|---|
Pandyastha Bangaraja | 1224- 1239 C.E |
Vithala Devi | 1239-1264 C.E |
Kamaraya I | 1264-1274 C.E. |
Padumala Devi | 1274-1287 C.E |
Havali Bangaraja I | 1287-1323 C.E. |
Shankara Devi | 1323-1349 C.E. |
Havali Bangaraja II | 1349-1400 C.E. |
Lakshmappa Arasa Bangaraja I | 1400-1455 C.E. |
Shankara Devi II | 1455-1491 C.E. |
Kamaraya II | 1491-1533 C.E. |
Havali Bangaraja III | 1533-1545 C.E. |
Lakshmappa Arasa Bangaraja II | 1545-1556 C.E. |
Kamaraya III | 1556-1612 C.E. |
Lakshmappa Arasa Bangaraja III | 1612-1629 C.E |
Havali Bangaraja IV | 1629-1631 C.E. |
Shankara Devi III | 1631-1653 C.E. |
Havali Bangaraja V | 1653-1699 C.E. |
Lakshmappa Arasa Bangaraja IV | 1699-1767 C.E. |
Kamaraya IV | 1767-1799 A.D |
The Hoysala kingdom was a Kannada dynasty originating from the Indian subcontinent that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, parts of Tamilnadu and South-Western Telangana between the 10th and the 14th centuries. The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur, but was later moved to Halebidu.
Tulu Nadu or Tulunad is a region and a proposed state on the southwestern coast of India. The Tulu people, known as 'Tuluva', speakers of Tulu, a Dravidian language, are the preponderant ethnic group of this region. South Canara, an erstwhile district and a historical area, encompassing the undivided territory of the contemporary Dakshina Kannada(Kudla), Chikmagalur (Elyamagalnur), Hasan(Paasano) Udupi(Odipu)and some parts of Shimoga districts of Karnataka State and Kasaragod district (Kasrod) and Kannur of Kerala state forms the cultural area of the Tuluver.
Belle is a village in the southern state of Karnataka, India. It is located in the Kaup taluk of Udupi district. The village is known for its historic Moodu-Belle Mahalingeshwara Temple dedicated to Shiva.
The Bunt people are an Indian community who historically have inhabited the Tulu Nadu region in South India. Bunts were traditionally a warrior-class or martial caste community, with agrarian origins, forming the landed gentry of the region. They are the dominant land-owning, farming and banking community of Tulu Nadu and speak Tulu and Kundagannada as their mother tongue. Today, the Bunts are a largely urbanised community, with a population size of less than one million worldwide.
Hegde or Heggade Pergade is a common surname found primarily in the Kanara, Tulu Nadu and Konkan regions of India. It is prevalent among various Hindu communities in these regions, including the Kuruba Gowda, Bunt, Saraswat Brahmins, Kannada Jain, Havyaka Brahmin, and Vokkaliga communities of Karnataka.
The Jain Bunt are the Jains of Bunt caste from Tulunaad area of India. They have a feudal and martial race heritages, because of ties to the erstwhile royalty of the area. They are classified as Other Backward Class (OBC) by the Government of Karnataka.
Būta Kōlā, also referred to as Daiva Kōlā or Daiva Nēmā, is a shamanistic Hindu dance performance practised, believed and protected by the Tuluvas of Tulu Nadu and parts of Malenadu of Karnataka and Kasargod in northern Kerala, India. The dance is highly stylized and performed as part of 'Bhootaradhane' or worship of the local deities worshipped by the Tulu speaking population. It has influenced Yakshagana folk theatre. Būta kōlā is closely related to Theyyam of North Malabar region and Theyyam is the evolutionised form of Bhuta Kola.
Aliyasantana, literally "nephew or niece as heir" in Tulu, is the matrilineal system of inheritance practiced by Tuluva community in the Tulunaad region of Karnataka, India. It is similar to the Marumakkathayam system of the Kerala. Nephew here means son of one's sister.
Ballal is a surname from coastal Karnataka in India. It is found among Shivalli Madhva Brahmins,Hindu Samantha Arasu, Bunt and Jain Royal communities.
The Alupa dynasty was an Indian Hindu dynasty that ruled from 200 to 1444 A.D. in Southern India. The kingdom they ruled was known as Alvakheda Arusasira and its territory spanned the coastal districts of the modern Indian state known as Karnataka.
Veera Ballala II was the most notable king of the Hoysala Kingdom. His successes against the Yadavas of Devagiri, the Southern Kalachuris, the Pandyas of Madurai and the waning Western Chalukya Empire, and his domination over the diminishing Cholas of Tanjore took the Hoysalas to the peak of their power. The historian Chaurasia claims that by the end of the 12th century, Ballala II's conquests had made the Hoysalas the most powerful dynasty of Deccan. According to historian Derrett, Ballala II was "the most outstanding among Hoysala kings", and historian William Coelho in comparing Ballala II to King Vishnuvardhana writes, "he vied in glory with his grandfather".
Chowta is a surname from coastal Karnataka in India. It is found among Jain Bunt & Hindu Bunt.
Kalasa is a taluk located in Chikmagalur district in Karnataka. Kalasa is home to the Kalaseshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Kalasa lies 92 Kilometres West of Chickmagalur and is located on the banks of the Bhadra River. Kannada language is spoken here.
Rani Abbakka Chowta was the first Tuluva Queen of Ullal who fought the Portuguese in the latter half of the 16th century. She belonged to the Chowta dynasty, an indigenous Tuluva dynasty who ruled over parts of coastal Karnataka, India. Their capital was Puttige. The port town of Ullal served as their subsidiary capital. The Portuguese made several attempts to capture Ullal as it was strategically placed. But Abbakka repulsed each of their attacks for over four decades. For her bravery, she came to be known as Abhaya Rani. She was also one of the earliest Indians to fight European colonialism and is sometimes regarded as the 'first woman freedom fighter of India'. In the state of Karnataka, she is celebrated along with Rani Kittur Chennamma, Keladi Chennamma, Rani Chennabhairadevi and Onake Obavva, as the foremost women warriors and patriots.
Mangaloreans are a collection of diverse ethnic groups that hail from the historical locales of South Canara (Tulunaad) on the south western coast of Karnataka, India, particularly the residents native to Mangaluru.
Karkala is a town and the headquarters of eponymous Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka state in India. It lies near the foothills of the Western Ghats, Karkala has a number of natural and historical landmarks, and is a major tourist and transit destination due to its strategic location along the way to Hebri, Sringeri, Kalasa, Horanadu, Udupi, Kollur, Subrahmanya and Dharmasthala.
Ajila is a common surname of the Bunt people, the landed gentry of Tulu Nadu region in the south west of India.They were mostly in Tamil Nadu region.It is believed that the founder of this community was named Ajila A Abhilashmanzil.It is also the name of the Jain Bunt Dynasty who ruled the principality of Venur for several centuries. The most notable of the Ajila kings was Veera Timmannarasa Ajila IV.
Santara or Bhairarasa was a medieval ruling dynasty of Karnataka, India. The area covered by their kingdom included territories in the Malenadu region as well as the coastal districts of Karnataka. Their kingdom had two capitals. Karkala in the coastal plains and Kalasa in the Western ghats. Hence the territory they ruled was also known as the Kalasa-Karkala kingdom. The Santaras were Jains and had matrimonial relations with the Saivite Alupa royal family. The Santaras became the feudatories of the Vijayanagara Empire after its rise. During this period, the Santara ruler Veera Pandya Bhairarasa erected the monolith of Bahubali in Karkala. The dynasty passed into oblivion after invasions by the Nayakas of Keladi and later by Hyder Ali.
The Chowta dynasty was a Jain dynasty that ruled parts of the Tulu Nadu region during the 12th – 18th centuries.