Archaeological excavations have revealed certain remains in the district which prove that the place was inhabited by man sine the early times. In 1881, two early stone-age tools were discovered in a 'Shingle bed' at Nyamati, at a short distance from the Tungabhadra River. They were bifacial pebble tools made of quartzite, one with a rounded working edge and the other with a pointed working edge. A number of Neolithic sites were uncovered at Guddemaradi on the bank of Tunga River near Shimoga city, Nilaskal near Nagar in Hosanagar taluk, Kunda hill near Agumbe in Thirthahalli taluk, Yeddegudde near Thirthahalli and at Ashoka Nagar, Anaveri and Nagasamudra in Bhadravati taluk. Three Iron Age megalithic sites, with different megaliths, have also been found in the district, at Nilaskal in Hosanagar taluk and Shimoga, which have menhirs, and at Arehalli in Thirthahalli taluk, which has portholed burial chambers. The different dynasties that held sway here till the 11th century are the Mauryas, the Satavahanas (3rd century), the Kadamba dynasty, the Ganga dynasty and the Chalukya dynasty (4th-6th century), the Rashtrakutas dynasty, Banavasis and Hoysalas (7th, 8th, 10th and 11th centuries). The Kalachuris were in power for a short period of time in the 12th century, and they had their capital at Belagutti. In the 14th century, the Hoysala power came to an end, and the district became a part of the Vijayanagar Empire. At the beginning of the 16th century, the house of Keladi Nayakas (also called Ikkeri or Bidnur Nayakas) established themselves in this area. There was also a small principality of Basavapatna in the east of the district. In 1763, Hyder Ali captured Bidnur, capital of Keladi nayakas, and as a result, this district along with other areas of their kingdom was annexed to Mysore. After 1799, during the early period of Wodeyars of Mysore, the Nagar Naujdari included Shimoga and Kadur (now Chikmagalur). The history of Shimoga district thus evidences a rich tradition of dynastic rule. |