Extending over 192000 sq. km on the Western half of the Deccan Plateau bounded by Andhra Pradesh in the east, Maharashtra in the north and Tamil Nadu/Kerala on the south; Karnataka emerges through the mists of antiquity. The historian is thrilled by the array of dynasties that marched their armies to battle and ruled over this land. The Chalukyas, Kadambas, Rastrakutas, Hoysalas, Gangas, Vijaynagar Rajas, Hyder Tippu and the Wodeyars have left their king sized footprints on its sand. It is here the skilled artists have treated stone like ivory and executed filigree work of great finesse.


It was to Sravanbelgola, Karnataka, in the 3rd century BC that Chandragupta Maurya, India's first great emperor, retreated after he had renounced wordly ways and embraced Jainism. Many centuries later, the mighty 17 metre high statue of Gomateshvaras, which celebrated its 1000th anniversary in 1981, was erected at Sravanbelgola. Fifteen hundred years ago at Badami in the north of the state, the Chalukyan built some of the earliest Hindu temples in India. All later south India temple architecture stems from the Chalukyan designs at Badami. In 1346 Halebid was annexed by the Hindu kingdom of Vijaynagar, founded in 1336 with its capital at Hampi. Hampi is one of the most beautiful, extensive and fascinating of India's ruined kingdoms.

Following the demise of rulers of Vijaynagar, the Wodeyars of Mysore gradually grew in importance and established their own rule over a large part of southern India. Their capital was at Srirangapatnam. Their power remained more or less unchallenged until 1761 when Hyder Ali (one of the generals) rose to great strength and deposed them. These were the years of bitter rivalry between the British and French for control of the Carnatic, and Hyder Ali, followed by his son Tipu Sultan, were assisted by the French in consolidating their hold over the area in return for assistance in fighting the British. In 1799, however, the British finally defeated Tipu Sultan (who himself was killed in the battle).