History of Namakkal district is similar to that of the Salem district since the district of Namakkal is formed by the bifurcation of the Salem district. This district is located at eleven degree and twelve degree of the North latitude and seventy seven degree and forty minutes and seventy eight degree and five minutes of the East longitude. The district is situated at an altitude of three hundred meters above the mean sea level. After the struggle between the Cholas, Cheras and Pandiyas, the Hoysalas came to power and had control over it till the fourteenth Century followed by Vijayanagar Kings till A.D. 1565.
The Madurai Nayakas came to power in A.D. 1623. Two of the Polygons of Thirumalai Nayak; Ramachandra Nayaka and Gatti Mudaliars ruled the Salem area. The Namakkal Fort is said to have been erected by Ramachandra Nayakas. After about A.D. 1625, the area came under the reign of the Muslim Sultans of Bijapur and Golkonda Mysore kings and then the Marathas, when about the year 1750 A.D. the famous Hyder Ali came to power. This period is the witness of a great struggle for power between Hyder Ali and later Tipu Sultan, with the British.
The Rock Fort situated in the district of Namakkal in the Tamil Nadu state is a special feature of its kind. The Fort is spread over an area of one and half acres of flat surface and is accessible from the South-West by a flight of narrow steps. Namakkal was in the hands of Atikula King known as Gunasila. Later the taluk was over run by the Cholas in the Kongu Mangalam which was over-run by the Cholas in the ninth Century and passed on to Vijayanagar under the Viceroyalty of Madra. Namakkal was held by Killdhar or Caption on Hyder Ali until Namakkal was captured by the British in the year 1768.
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