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The Amrit Mahal (
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
:ಅಮೃತ ಮಹಲ್) is a breed of cattle that originated from the erstwhile state of
Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
in
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. They originated from the
Hallikar Hallikar (Kannada: ಹಳ್ಳಿಕಾರ್) is a breed of cattle native to the state of Karnataka, India. It derives its name from the Hallikar community traditionally known for their cattle rearing. It is commonly found in the traditional ...
and closely related breeds, ''Hagalavadi'' and ''Chithradurg''. Originally developed for use in war for transporting equipage, the bullocks are notable for their great endurance and speed. Their head is elongated with a ridge in the middle and a bulging forehead. The cows in contrast are poor milk-yielders and hence, are classified to be a draught breed. The Amrit Mahal is one of the two breeds, along with
Hallikar Hallikar (Kannada: ಹಳ್ಳಿಕಾರ್) is a breed of cattle native to the state of Karnataka, India. It derives its name from the Hallikar community traditionally known for their cattle rearing. It is commonly found in the traditional ...
, which have received the royal patronage and care from the erstwhile
Vijayanagara Kingdom The Vijayanagara Empire, also called the Karnata Kingdom, was a Hindu empire based in the region of South India, which consisted the modern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and some parts of Telangana and Maharas ...
,
sultans Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...
and
princely state of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary alliance with Bri ...
through conservation and development. Amrit Mahal was originally bred by the
Hallikar Hallikar (Kannada: ಹಳ್ಳಿಕಾರ್) is a breed of cattle native to the state of Karnataka, India. It derives its name from the Hallikar community traditionally known for their cattle rearing. It is commonly found in the traditional ...
community traditionally known for cattle rearing and animal husbandry. During Chikka Devaraja Wadiyar's reign a department was created within his administration known as "''Benne chavadi''" literally "butter department" which maintained cows and bulls, branded (with his initial ದೇ /Dē/) and maintained for supplying butter and milk to the royal household. This was taken over by
Hyder Ali Hyder Ali ( حیدر علی, ''Haidarālī''; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the att ...
and he renamed the administrative unit as "Amrit Mahal". The British took an interest in these cattle when Hyder Ali used them to move guns 100 miles in two days to Chelambram during the
Battle of Porto Novo The Battle of Porto Novo was fought on 1 July 1781 between forces of the Kingdom of Mysore and British East India Company in the place called Porto Novo (now known as Parangipettai) on the Indian subcontinent, during the Second Anglo-Mysore War. ...
and when
Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He int ...
used them to march across south India in a month. They were then adopted for use in the army by the
Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...
. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan, the British allowed them to be maintained by the Maharaja of Mysore but in thirteen years they were found to have regressed. In 1813, the pasture lands known as ''kaval'' or ''Kaaval'' (
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
:''ಕಾವಲ್'') and the cattle were placed under a Captain Harvey of the Madras Commissariat for management of the breed. In 1842, a report stated that the English Army was served efficiently by 230 Mysore bullocks in Afghanistan. In 1860, Charles Trevelyan closed down this unit as being uneconomical but it was re-established in 1867 with the assistance of the Mysore Maharaja and by 1870 about 4000 cows and 100 bulls were under government care. The charge moved back to the Maharaja of Mysore in 1883. The ''kaval''s were classified for use in wet, dry and cold weather. The cows would not come into season in the wet
malnad Malnad (; Malēnādu) is a region in the state of Karnataka in India. Malenadu covers the western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats or Sahyadri mountain range, and is roughly 100 kilometers in width. Malnadis a region of Karnataka ...
regions but had to be taken into the dry plains where they bred. Beginning in the 20th century, the kavals were increasingly diverted for other uses. File:Amruthamahal 02.JPG, Amrit Mahal cow File:Amruthamahal 01.JPG, Amrit Mahal Bull File:Commissariat farm Hunsur 1889.jpg, The Amrit Mahal farm in Hunsur c. 1889 File:Hunsur_Map.png, Map of the Hunsur commissariat farm


See also

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List of breeds of cattle List of cattle breeds — Over 1000 breeds of cattle are recognized worldwide, some of which adaptation, adapted to the local climate, others which were bred by humans for specialized uses. Cattle breeds fall into two main types, which are regar ...


References

{{Cattle breeds of India Cattle breeds originating in India Economy of Karnataka Cattle breeds