Irrigation System in Tumkur District An Epigraphic Study PDF

IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN TUMKUR DISTRICT: AN EPIGRAPHIC STUDY
Author(s): Sridhar and Venkatesha T.S.

Source: Proceedings of the Indian History Congress , 2013, Vol. 74 (2013), pp. 162-166
Published by: Indian History Congress
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44158812
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IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN TUMKUR
DISTRICT: AN EPIGRAPHIC STUDY
Sridhar and Venkatesha T.S.
The study of the irrigation system in Tumkur district, Karnataka,

undertaken with the main purpose of examining the part played by t
rulers, queens, administrators, merchants and subjects in ancient an
medieval period in the promotion of irrigation activities. The worth
any measure is judged by its result or the benefit it confers on th
people. Since agriculture happened to be the primary occupation of t
people of this region it would be useful to study aspects of irrigatio
Modern Tumkur district cover the Taluks of Tiptur, C.N. Halli,
Turuvekere, Gubbi, Sira, Pavagada and Madugiri. The area is still dott
with important old irrigational works which are active.
The study may also help to identify and locate the areas of drought
or famine where help is needed today. Most of the rulers and patro
invariably concentrated their irrigation activities in areas where wat
facilities were least available and agricultural possibilities were greate
provided that water was available. In areas where tank irrigation w
promoted most we have today barren patches of land (for instance
Pavagada, Madhugiri, Koratagere) for the lack of regular maintenanc
of such works for different reasons. The tanks have been abandoned
because either they have gone dry and are reduced to mere cattle-ponds
or the cost of maintenance has become heavy. Sometimes the tanks
have been deliberately dried up to put those areas to more profitable
non-agricultural purpose. At times they have been converted to wet
lands by draining tanks to meet the increasing consumer need of
essential agricultural commodities. Sometimes the agriculturists
themselves have opted for commercial crops such as groundnuts, cotton,
maize and other garden corps, which do not so much depend on tank
irrigation as they are largely rain fed crops.
The agriculturist is least bothered about the disastrous effects of
such dangerous experiments either on the fertility of the soil or the
entire area becoming one day a drought affected area. Some tanks are
becoming play grounds. For instance the ancient historical tank of
Tumkur is today turned into a park. The authorities choose to abandon
the old tanks. It is a very dangerous trend. The maintenance of tanks
becomes a thing of the past and as the cost becomes prohibitive, the
authorities choose to abandon the old tanks. On the other hand the
growth of wet crops has been kept up. The old tanks should have been
maintained at all costs to avoid the risk of famines due to the failure of
rains.

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Ancient India 1 63
Vignaneshwara in his work Mitaksh

bridges should be built across streams an
Whatever the hurdles, conservation of
Kalahana has mentioned in his Rajat
structures which were constructed by u
called 'Suyyas' and these suyyas brough
in those days.2 Agricultrual history
historical sources, particularly inscript
information on the construction of tan
water. Tumkur is a well developed distr
situated in the southern part of Karntak
and cultural background. The total ge
square kms. Average rain fall in the dist
There are nearly 2010 tanks in this di
river base. Some of the areas are draine
mukhi and North Pinakini rivers. Near
cultivated from these tanks. This region
and several hills like Madugiri, Devar
Durga and Nidugal Durga, etc.3 Numerou
in Tumkur District which provide us
constructions, donations and their repair
of the tanks, temples were also constru
made efforts to construct a large numbe
The economy and social structure was
The present paper is confined to few histo
The area is engulfed by Malenadu region
found here, actual sources of agriculture in
local palegars, ministers and women got
the tanks, water sheds and wells because
follow these water harvesting methods
ample information about these tanks an
The Gangas, Nolambas, Hoysalas and
responsible for the construction of tanks i
of the Gangas, who ruled the region from
light on constructional works related
Gundu, Jalashaya and Kola,4 etc. There a
types of tanks in Melekote inscription
one is Shila Thataka (stone tank), anothe
This is the first inscription which tells a
of this region, but these tanks are not e
said to be in Srinivasapura taluk of Kola
Tumkur district has tanks belongin
Paliavas) to which reference hás already

27.59.233.121 on Thu, 24 Sep 2020 05:42:16 UTC
164 I HC: Proceedings , 74th Session , 2013
from Baragur, Sira Taluk. According to the record6 dated 920 A.D. this
tank was built by Narayanabbe, wife of Nolamba Ayyappa Deva. It has
considerably large capacity of irrigating 227 acres of achcut and 57
acres of garden land. It was restored in 1886 at the cost of Rs.4194/-
and in 1901 at the cost of Rs.1507/-7. The second one Doddabanagere
in Sira Taluk, is known as Periyabanagere and is mentioned in the
inscription.8 The tank was built by Viajayarasa and Kesarasa the sons
of king of Chandragudi. It has a capacity of 458 units and an Achcut
of 398 acres of wet land and 81 acres of garden land. The tank was
restored in 1 895 at the cost of Rs. 1 7 1 0/-.9
Among all the tanks of Tumkur District, Kunigal tank is very

noteworthy. It has its own historical background and significant place.
According to the inscription10 it was built by Sreepurusha of the Ganga
dynasty and renovated by Krishna III or Kannaradeva, the Rastrakuta
king. There are some historical and mythical references to the existence
of this tank. Another historical structure of this district is Hebbur Tank.
Hebbur has its own historical background which has been regarded as
the land of wells, tanks and temples. This tank was constructed by
Doddaiah Arasu, son of Nanjaraja odeyar, in the year 1 749. 1 1 We can
find a rare issue in this inscription. All tank related inscriptions refer
mostly to members of the royal family, king, queen, commander-in-
chief who were the responsible for their construction but in this
inscription there is reference to tank building laborers like Vaddas (stone
cutters). Their names have also been mentioned here.
In the same region we have a record of the historically famous
Mydala Tank. This is very close to Tumkur city. The inscription of
Eshwara Dannanayaka or military official of Hoysala dynasty gives an
account of the construction and maintenance of this tank. According to
this inscription Eswara the official ruled over some parts of Tumkur
District, renovated the Jina temple of Mandaragiri. His wife Padmavathi
supported her husband's benevolent works. She also constructed a tank
and donated a wet land below the tank.12 This tank is the source of
drinking water for Tumkur city. Of the Hoysala rulers there are some
records of Vinayaditya, which refer to the construction and maintenance
of the tanks. Gottikere inscription of Vinayaditya dated 1052 A.D. refers
to the construction of Gottikere tank. This tank was built by Keerthi
Shetti in the name of his mother Manchavve and he installed a statue
of Mancheshwara beside the tank.13
Another record of Hoysala Veeranarashimha refers to the

construction of Vishnu Samudra, a huge tank at Vittala Devanahalli.14
An inscription of Aralaguppe, Tiptur taluk gives information about this
tank. According to this record Jakka Maragowda the village head, built
the tank of Araaluguppe.15

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Ancient India 1 65
Of the big tanks of Tumkur District

Hoysalas, the one from Honnuduke belonging to Hoysala
Vishnuvardhana and dated 1150 A.D. has a capacity of 191 units, it
irrigated 1 66 acres of wet land and 1 5 1 garden land.16 An undated record
of Hoysala Veeraballala from Shettikere,17 Chikkanayakanahalli taluk,
records a tank with a capacity of 142 acres of wet land and 158 acres
of garden land. The tank was restored in 1886 and 1909 at the cost of
Rs.4194 and 1557 respectively.18 A third tank from Honnavalli belongs
to Veeraballala-11 and is dated 1202 A.D.19 It has a capacity of 171
units and irrigated 156 acres of wet land and 1 13 acres of garden land.
It was restored in 1 883 at the cost of Rs. 4072. 20
It is clear from the records that the Hoysalas built large number of
tanks and temples. The people of this region were given land grants,
gifts and enjoyed irrigation facilities. (The capacity of tanks is
represented in unit, each unit standing for 6th deep water spread over 1
acre).
The Vijayanagara records in inscription of Bukka-II states that
Hydraulic Engineer Singaiah Bhatta brought the water of river Penne
to Penagonda by digging a .channel which was named Preatapa
Bukkaraya Kaluve after Bukkaraya.21 Another record of Veerabukkaraya
refers to the tanks built by Allapanayaka the bodyguard of Bukkanna
odeyar at Devarayana Durga.22
The Kandikere inscription23 of Chikkanayakanahalli Taluk, dated
1637 A.D., belonging to Venkataraya with the capacity of 204 units
irrigated 213 acres of wet land and 92 acres of garden land. The tank
was restored in 1893 at the cost of Rs. 3036/-. The Venkatapura tank,
Pavagada taluk, dated 1668 belonging to Srirangaraya-III of
Vijayanagara dynasty24 has a capacity of 70 units and irrigates 400
acres of wet land and no garden land.
It is interesting to note that the Chikkakere had greater capacity of
1 1 1 units and its Achukattu was almost equal to it, though the tank
cannot be assigned to any period definitely.25
There are several references to tank constructions and maintenance
through out Tumkur district, but we do not come across details recording
the persons who established the irrigation facilities, the amount of labor
and money that was spent for such works in inscriptions up to 9th century.
However from the 10th century onwards epigraphs provide ample
information on the excavation of tanks, fixing sluices, strengthening
breech of tanks, digging channels and wells and the silting of tanks,
etc.

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166 IHC: Proceedings, 74th Session, 2013
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1 . J.R. Garpure (ed.), Mitakshara Samhithe of Vignaneshwara, Bombay, 1 939,

2. Nirpaje Bheema Bhatta (kan. tra), Kannada Sahita Parishat, 2008, p. 45.
3. G. V. Hegde, Studies of Water Resources of Tumkur district, paper presente
seminar on mineral resources of Tumkur district, 12,h Dec. 2008, p. 80.
4. Kuppuswamy, History of Tank Irrigation in Karnataka, QJMS , Vol.73,
Society, Bangalore.
5. Ithihasa Darshana , Vol. 19, B.M. Shree Prathistana, Bangalore, M.G. Ma
Melekote Shashanokta Buddha Vihara.
6. E.C., XII, Sira-39.
7. G.R. Kuppuswamy, Irrigational potentialities of major tanks, QJMS , Vol.78, p.213.

8. E.C., XII, Sira-9.
9. K. Abhishankar (ed.), Tumkur District Gazetteer , 1984.
10. P.V. Krishnamurthy, Rashtrakuta Kannaradevana Shashanada Shodah, Itihasa
darshana , Vol.20, p. 39.
11. EC, XII, Tumkur-24.
12. EC, XII, Tu-38.
13. EC, XII, Tiptur-1 1.
14. EC, XII, Tip-38 and EC-XII, Tip-55.
15. Rangaswamiah, Tank Irrigation of Karnataka, QJMS , Vol.78.
16. EC, XII, Chikkanayakanahalli-2.
1 7. Mohan Deekshit and Kuppuswamy, Karnatakadalli kere Neeravari - Gandhi Bavan,
Bangalore, 1999, p. 23.
18. EC, XII, Tiptur-1 1.
19. Kuppuswamy, Economic History of Medieval Karnataka.
20. EC, X, Gudibande-6.
21. EC, XII, Tu-39.
22. Mysore Archaeological Report 1923 , Chikkanayakanahalli-129.
23. EC, XII, Pavagada-93.
24. 8G.R. Kuppuswamy, Irrigational Potentialities of Major Tanks, QJMS , Vol.78.

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IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN TUMKUR DISTRICT: AN EPIGRAPHIC STUDY

Author(s): Sridhar and Venkatesha T.S.

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44158812

This content downloaded from

The study of the irrigation system in Tumkur district, Karnataka,

This content downloaded from

Vignaneshwara in his work Mitaksh

This content downloaded from

Among all the tanks of Tumkur District, Kunigal tank is very

Another record of Hoysala Veeranarashimha refers to the

This content downloaded from

Of the big tanks of Tumkur District

This content downloaded from

1 . J.R. Garpure (ed.), Mitakshara Samhithe of Vignaneshwara, Bombay, 1 939,

6. E.C., XII, Sira-39.

7. G.R. Kuppuswamy, Irrigational potentialities of major tanks, QJMS , Vol.78, p.213.

This content downloaded from

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