Kolar Town
Kolar Town, 1908
Head-quarters of the District and taluk of Kolar, Mysore, situated in 13 degree 8' N. and 78 degree 8' E., n miles north of Bowring- pet railway station. Population (1901), 12,210. Kolar is a place of great antiquity, but little now remains in it that is" ancient. The original form of the name was Kuvalala, contracting to Kolala. The Gangas from early in the Christian era bore the title 'Lord of Kuvalala.' The present Kolaramma temple was erected by Rajendra Chola in the beginning of the eleventh century, when the Cholas over- threw the Ganga power. Early in the next century Kolala was taken by the Hoysala king, who drove the Cholas out of Mysore. When the Hoysala dominions were partitioned for a time in the second half of the thirteenth century, Kolar went with the Tamil districts to Rama- natha. In the fifteenth century, under Vijayanagar, Tamme Gauda, with the title of Chikka Rayal, obtained authority to repair the fort. The Sultan of Bijapur next subdued the place, and in 1639 it was a part of the jagir given to Shahji, father of Sivajl. The Mughals took it fifty years later, and about 1720 Fateh Muhammad, father of Haidar All, became Faujdar of Kolar under the Subahdar of Slra. After various fortunes, Kolar was ceded to Haidar All in 176 1. In 1768 it was taken by the British, in 1770 by the Marathas, in 1791 again by the British, and at the peace of 1792 restored to Mysore. The Makbara, or tomb of Haidar All's father, is one of the principal old buildings, and is maintained by an endowment. The fort walls were levelled some years ago and the ditch was filled up. Many new streets were laid out at the same time. Before the opening of the railway in 1864, Kolar was the great place of passage to and from Madras. Scorpions abound, and a pit under the entrance to the Kolaramma temple is kept full of them. A silver scorpion is one of the customary offerings. Mulberry is grown for the rearing of silkworms. Turkeys are reared in large numbers for export to Bangalore and other European centres. Coarse woollen blankets are woven. The Methodist Episcopal Mission has an orphanage and industrial school. The municipality dates from 1870. The receipts and expenditure during the ten years ending 1901 averaged Rs. 4,000. In 1903-4 they were Rs. 12,000.
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
