MYSORE DISTRICT

'Mysore District' (Kannada: ಮೈಸೂರು ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ) is an administrative district located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. A tourist's paradise with varied attractions from Mysore Palace to Nagarhole National Park; this district has a prominent place in the history of Karnataka. Mysore was ruled by the Wodeyars from the year 1399 till the independence of India in the year 1947. Mysore's prominence can be gauged from the fact that the Karnataka state was known previously as Mysore state.

Contents

Origin of Name

History

Geography

Climate

Geology

Economy

Industries

Information Technology

Tourism

Divisions

Demography

Notes

References

See also

External links

Origin of Name

'Mysore district' gets its name from the city of Mysore which is also the headquarters of the district. Mysore gets its name from the word ''Mahisuru''; which when expanded becomes ''Mahishana Ooru''; meaning Mahisha's town. Mahisha is the short name of the demon Mahishasura who is supposed to have ruled this area. Mahishasura created havoc on earth and when his cruelty became intolerable, he was killed by the Goddess Chamundeshwari. A statue of Mahishasura and a temple dedicated to Goddess Chamundeshwari on the top of Chamundi Hill near Mysore city stands testimony to this event.

History

The earliest known reference of rulers in Mysore district are the Gangas who during the rule of King Avinitha (469-529 CE), moved the capital from Kolar to Talakad on the banks of the river Kaveri in the Tirumakudal-Narsipur Taluk^[1] Talakad remained their regal capital till the end of the Ganga rule in the early 11th century. Gangas ruled over a greater part of Mysore district, then known by the name of ''Gangavadi''. In the end of the 8th century, the Rashtrakuta king Dhruva Dharavarsha defeated the Ganga king Shivamara_II and wrested Gangavadi from him. Gangavadi came under the governorship of Kambarasa, the son of Dhruva Dharavarsha. Gangas who were overthrown from Gangavadi, had to wait till their king Nitimarga Ereganga (853 - 869 CE) won a victory against the Rashtrakutas at Rajaramudu. Seeing the increasing might of the Gangas, the Rashtrakuta King Amoghavarsha I gave his daughter Revakanimmadi in marriage to the son of Ereganga, Butuga II who became the ruler of Gangavadi. Gangas ruled over Gangavadi till the Ganga king, Rakkasa Ganga (985-1024 CE) was defeated by the Cholas The History of the Gangas is discussed by History of Karnataka: Gangas of Talakad Arthikaje . In the year 1117, Vishnuvardhana, the great king of Hoysala dynasty seized Gangavadi and its capital Talakad from the Cholas. To commemorate this achievement, Vishnuvardhana built the Keerthinarayana temple at Talakad^[2]. Gangavadi was ruled by the Hoysalas till the death of their last ruler, Veera Ballala III after which Gangavadi became a part of the Vijayanagar Empire. In 1399, Yaduraya established the Wodeyar dynasty at Mysore^[3]. It remained as a feudatory to the Vijayanagar Empire owing allegiance to the Vijayanagar kings and the Vijayanagar representative at Srirangapatna, till the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire in the year 1565 CE. In the vacuum that got created, Raja Wodeyar I (1578-1617) established control and became the first major ruler of the Wodeyar family. He defeated the Vijayanagar representative in a battle at Kesare near Mysore, shifted his capital from Mysore to Srirangapatna in 1610 AD^[4]. The Wodeyars continued to rule over Mysore till the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II (1734-1766), when Hyder Ali Khan and his son Tipu Sultan became the virtual rulers of Mysore ^[5]. Though there were Wodeyar kings during the rule of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, they were mere figureheads. With the death of Tipu Sultan in the year 1799 under the hands of the British, the Wodeyars were reinstated to the throne of Mysore and the capital was also shifted back to Mysore. Prince Krishnaraja Wodeyar III who was just 5 years old was installed on the throne of Mysore in 1799^[5]. Wodeyars were the subisidaries of the British Empire and had to pay annual subsidies. During the rule of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, the British took the kingdom back from Wodeyars in the year 1831 under the pretext that the Wodeyar king did not pay the annual subsidy^[7]. Commissioners were appointed to rule over the Mysore kingdom. Mark Cubbon (Cubbon Road and Cubbon Park in Bangalore city are named after him) and L. B. Bowring (Bowring Hospital in Bangalore city is named after him) were the prominent British Commissioners who ruled over Mysore. However, the Wodeyar kings raised a plea against this with the British Parliament who gave a ruling favour of the Wodeyars. In the year 1881, Chamaraja Wodeyar IX (son of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III and Wodeyar king since 1868) was given back the reins of the Mysore kingdom from the British^[8]. The Wodeyars continued to rule over the Mysore Kingdom, till the rule of Jayachamaraja Wodeyar who in the year 1947, merged his Kingdom into the new dominion of independent India. He remained as a Maharaja till India became a republic in the year 1950 after which he was annointed as a ''Raja Pramukh'' (a constitutional position) as the head of the [Mysore] state till 1956. In 1956, after the reorganisation of Indian states, the Mysore state was born and Jayachamaraja Wodeyar was made as the governor of this state; the position which he held till the year 1964.

Geography

Mysore district is located between latitude 11°45' to 12°40' N and longitude 75°57' to 77°15' E. It is bounded by Mandya district to the northeast, Chamrajanagar district to the southeast, Kerala state to the south, Kodagu district to the west, and Hassan district to the north. It has an area of 6,854 km² (ranked 12th in the state). The administrative center of Mysore District is Mysore City. The district is a part of Mysore division. Before 1998, Mysore district also contained the Chamarajanagar district.
The district lies on the undulating table land of the southern Deccan plateau, within the watershed of the Kaveri River, which flows through the northwestern and eastern parts of the district. The Krishna Raja Sagara reservoir, which was formed by building a dam across the Kaveri, lies on the northern edge of the district. Nagarhole National Park lies partly in Mysore district and partly in adjacent Kodagu District.

Climate

The temperature in the district varies from 15 deg. C in winters to 35 deg. C in summers. Mysore district receives an average rainfall of 785mm^[9].

Geology

The types of soil found in this district are red soils (red gravelly loam soil, red loam soil, red gravelly clay soil, red clay soil), lateritic soil, deep black soil, saline alluvo-colluvial soil and brown forest soil^[10]. Some of the minerals found in this district are kyanite, silimanite, quartz, magnesite, chromite, soapstone, felsite, corundum, graphite, limestone, dolomite, siliconite and dunite^[11]

Economy

Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of this district as it is with the rest of India. Though the agriculture is highly dependent on the rainfall, the rivers Kaveri and Kabini provide the irrigation needs required for agriculture in this district. According to the 2001 census, about 3,25,823 farmers are involved in cultivation in this district. In the year 2001-2002, Mysore district yielded a foodgrain production of 608,596 Tonnes which is a contribution of 6.94% of the total food grain production in the state for the year^[12]. Some of the important crops grown here are cotton, grams, groundnut, jowar, maize, ragi, rice, sugarcane, sunflower and tur^[13]. Horticulture is another area contributing significantly to the economy; especially the palm oil production in H D Kote Taluk^[14].

Industries

Industries in Mysore district are mainly concentrated around the cities of Mysore and Nanjangud. Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has established six industrial areas in Mysore district to encourage Industrial Development of the district. These are located at Belagola, Belawadi, Hebbal (Electronic City), Hootagalli, Nanjangud and Thandavapura^[15].
Some of the major industries located near Mysore city are:

★ Vikrant Tyres Ltd. - Manufacturer of tyres

★ Automotive Axles Ltd. - Manufacturer of axles

★ Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML) - Manufacturer of heavy machinery

★ Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) - Manufacturer of silk garments

★ TVS Ltd. - Manufacturer of motor vehicles and parts
Some of the major industries located in Nanjangud are:

★ Nestle India Ltd

★ AT&S India Pvt Ltd.

★ TVS Motor Company

★ Bannari Amman Sugars Ltd

★ South India Paper Mills

★ S Kumars Reid & Taylor

★ Raman Boards

★ Jubilant Organosys

★ Bacardi Martini India Ltd.

★ Max Pharma

Information Technology

Mysore is proving to be the next IT hub in Karnataka after the phenomenal success of Bangalore. The Government of India has recognised Mysore as the numero uno among the 20 Tier II cities of India for thr promotion of IT industry^[16]. Currently, all of the IT related industries are concentrated around the Mysore city. The Software Technology Park (STP) in Mysore was inaugurated in Mysore in the year 1998 by the Prime Minister of India, Atal Behari Vajpayee. As of Aug-2006, there are 42 companies registered with the Mysore STP. Software exports from Mysore are expected to double to about Rs. 850 crores in the financial year 2006-07 from previous year's exports of Rs. 400 crores^[17]. Some of the major IT Companies located here are:

★ Wipro Infotech

★ WeP Peripherals Ltd. (earlier known as Wipro ePeripherals Ltd.)

★ Infosys Technologies

★ Software Paradigms (India)

★ Larsen and Toubro Infotech (L & T)

★ Comat Technologies

★ Excelsoft Technologies

★ Kaveri Technology Solutions

Tourism

Tourism is another big industry in Mysore. The importance of Mysore as a tourist destination was evident when it was selected as the venue for the Karnataka Tourism Expo in the year 2006 ^[18]. Though Mysore city is well known as a tourist place, other parts of Mysore district are yet to see growth in tourism. However, the tourism department plans to develop other areas in Mysore district like Bettadapura, Hedathali, Kapadi, Mudukuthore Betta, Mugur, T Narsipur and Nanjangud as tourist places^[19].

Divisions

Mysore district is divided into three subdivisions, Hunsur, Mysore and Nanjangud. The Mysore district administration is headed by the Deputy Commissioner who also has the additional role of a District Magistrate. Assistant Commissioners, Tahsildars, Shirastedars (revenue official at Tahsil level), Revenue inspectors and Village Accountants help the Deputy Commissioner in the administration of the district. Mysore city is the headquarters of the district. It lies on the north eastern part of the district and is well known for its beautiful palaces and also for the festivities that take place during Dasara.
Mysore district consists of the following seven Taluks:

★ Mysore

★ Hunsur

★ Piriyapatna

★ Krishnarajanagara

★ Heggadadevanakote

★ Nanjangud

★ T Narsipur
Mysore district elects 11 members to the Legislative Assembly of the State of Karnataka. The 11 assembly constituencies are:

★ Chamaraja, Krishnaraja, Narasimharaja, Chamundeshwari (belonging to Mysore city)

★ Hunsur

★ Piriyapatna

★ Krishnarajanagara

★ Heggadadevanakote

★ Nanjangud

★ T Narsipur

★ Bannur
Mysore district also elects 1 member to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The Mysore Lok Sabha constituency consists of all the Assembly constituencies mentioned above except for Nanjangud, T Narsipur and Bannur which belong to the Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency.

Demography

Mysore district has a population of 2,641,027 (2001 census), of which 1,344,670 (50.91%) are males and 1296357 (49.09%) are females . The district population is 37.19% urban and 62.81% rural. The literacy rate of the district is 63.5% with 71% of males and 56% of females being literate. 82.8% of urban population and 51.8% of rural population are literate^[20].
Hindus constitute 87.44% of the population with Muslims making up 8.87% of the population; the remaining part of the population is made up by Christians, Buddhists and other religious groups^[21].
Kannada is the dominant language in this district.
Jenu Kuruba, Betta Kuruba, Paniya and Panjari Yerevas and Soligas are some of the ethnic groups found in Mysore district. Their population is mainly concentrated in the H D Kote and Hunsur Taluks; in and around the region comprising the Nagarhole National Park^[22].

Notes

1. Kamath (2001), p40
2. The history of Talakad has been presented by Temple Tales Latha Senali
3. A history of Mysore kings is presented by Correspondent
4. A history of the Wodeyar kings of Mysore is presented by Kings of Mysore, royal family, heitage Correspondent
5.
6.
7. A brief description of the British Raj's rule at Mysore is described by From Tipu to the Raj Bhavan Janardhan Roye
8.
9. Average Rainfall in the districts of Karnataka are specified by Rainfall National Informatics Centre
10. Types of soil found in Karnataka are described by Traditional Soil Groups of Karnataka and their Geographic Distribution National Informatics Centre
11. List of Mining Leases given out by the State of Karnataka is mentioned by Mining Leases National Informatics Centre
12. Statistics related to Agriculture are presented by Agricultural Statistics National Informatics Centre
13. Statistics related to cultivation of various crops in Karnataka are presented by Agricultural Statistics National Informatics Centre
14. Palm Oil production in Mysore district is discussed by Annual Report 2005-06 National Informatics Centre
15. Industrial Areas developed by KIADB in Mysore district are mentioned in the webpage: KIADB Industrial Areas
16. Mysore is the number one among Tier II cities for the promotion of IT industry is discussed by Software exports from Mysore to cross Rs. 850 cr. this year Staff Correspondent
17.
18. Tourism Expo in Mysore is described by Karnataka Tourism Expo 2006 begins in Mysore today Staff Correspondent
19. Plans to grow other areas in Mysore district as tourist places is discussed by A tryst with the wild Shankar Bennur
20. Population of Mysore district and literacy details can be obtained from the webpage: Census of India webpage
21. Data related to the 2001 Census; classified according to religion is provided in detail in the website of the Census department of India in this webpage
22. A detailed report on the tribes found in the Nagarhole National Park is presented by Report and Recommendation on Request for Inspection, India Ecodevelopment Project, Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarhole) National Park The Inspection Panel

References

Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat, A Concise history of Karnataka from pre-historic times to the present, Jupiter books, MCC, Bangalore, 2001 (Reprinted 2002) OCLC: 779604

See also

★ Mysore (City)

★ Mysore division

External links

★ www.mysore.nic.in