Farming class and the fragmented polity: a study of Yalahanka Nada Prabhus of Karnataka

Abstract

After the decline and disintegration of Vijayanagar Empire many backward class people assumed the power in their Paleyapattus as Paleyagars. These Paleyagars belonged to different castes or professional classes. These people were hunters, shepherds, pottery makers and also other professions they followed. They were successful in their attempt to establish their power by taking advantage of the anarchy after the decline of Vijayanagar Empire. Among all the backward classes it is quite interesting that the farming class or the cultivator class or the agricultural family was able to establish their rule at Yalahanka Nadu and they were also called Kempegowda family of Bengaluru and they had their capital at Magadi and also Bangalore the present capital of Karnataka. They were belonged to Morasu vokkaliga family or the people engaged in the cultivation. They were highly successful in curtailing the attack from the Muslim invaders of the period, but also exhibited good administration and their patronage to Bengaluru an urban city, and the construction of many forts, temples and other monuments speaks their wonderful contribution. This paper highlights these aspects.