Kalaburagi district, formerly known as Gulbarga district, is one of the 31
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
of
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 ...
state in southern
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 ...
.
Kalaburagi
Kalaburagi, formerly known as Gulbarga, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kalaburagi district and is the largest city in the region of North Karnataka (Kalyana-Karnataka). Kalaburagi is 6 ...
city is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district is the headquarters of
Kalaburagi division
Kalaburagi division, formerly known as Gulbarga division, is one of the four divisions of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has seven districts, namely: Bellary district, Bidar district, Kalaburagi district, Koppal district, Raichur district, ...
.
This district is situated in
north Karnataka
North Karnataka is a geographical region in Deccan plateau from elevation that constitutes the region of the Karnataka state in India and the region consists of 13 districts. It is drained by the Krishna River and its tributaries the Bhi ...
between 76°.04' and 77°.42 east longitude, and 17°.12' and 17°.46' north latitude, covering an area of 10,951 km². This district is bounded on the west by Bijapur district and
Solapur district
Solapur District (Marathi pronunciation: olaːpuːɾ is a district in Maharashtra state of India. The city of Solapur is the district headquarters. It is located on the south east edge of the state and lies entirely in the Bhima and Seena basi ...
of
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
state, on the north by
Bidar district
Bidar district is the northernmost part of the Karnataka state in India. The administrative headquarters of district is Bidar city. Geographically, it resembles the "Crown of the State", occupying its northeastern end. It is bounded by Kamared ...
Yadgir district
Yadgir District is one of the List of districts of Karnataka, 31 districts of Karnataka state in southern India.This district was carved out of Kalaburagi district as the 30th district of Karnataka on 10 April 2010. Yadgir town is the administr ...
, and on the east by
Sangareddy
Sangareddy, is a city and district headquarters of the Sangareddy district in the Indian state of Telangana. It was named after the ruler Sanga, who was the son of Rani Shankaramba, a ruler of Medak district, Medak during the period of Nizams. ...
and
Vikarabad
Vikarabad is also Known as Gangawaram(Ancient name) a town and mandal in Vikarabad district of the Indian state of Telangana. It is located in Vikarabad mandal of Vikarabad revenue division.
History
Vikarabad was known as Gangawaram ancient ...
districts of
Telangana
Telangana (; , ) is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India b ...
state.
History
The name of the area in Kannada is ''Kala-buragi'', meaning "stony land." In the 6th century CE, the district was under the control of the
Chalukyas
The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynas ...
. The
Rashtrakutas
Rashtrakuta (IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their ...
briefly conquered the area, but were driven out by the Chalukyas who ruled the area for the next two centuries. The
Kalachuris
The Kalachuris ( IAST: Kalacuri), also known as Kalachuris of Mahishmati, were an Indian dynasty that ruled in west-central India between 6th and 7th centuries. They are also known as the Haihayas or as the Early Kalachuris to distinguish them ...
then conquered the area and ruled it until 12th century, when they were driven out by the
Yadavas
The Yadava (literally, descended from Yadu) were an ancient Indian people who believed to be descended from Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. The community was formed of various clans, being the Abhira, Andhaka, Vrishni, and Satv ...
. Afterwards it was ruled by the Kakatiyas, who ruled until 1324, when their kingdom fell to the
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).
. The ambitions of the local governors led to the formation of the
Bahmani sultanate
The Bahmani Sultanate, or Deccan, was a Persianate Sunni Muslim Indian Kingdom located in the Deccan region. It was the first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan,
, who made Kalaburagi their capital. The Bahmanis eventually fell and left in their place a patchwork of 5
Deccan Sultanates
The Deccan sultanates were five Islamic late-medieval Indian kingdoms—on the Deccan Plateau between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range—that were ruled by Muslim dynasties: namely Ahmadnagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur, and Golconda. Th ...
. Kalaburagi was ruled by the
Bidar sultanate
Bidar sultanate was one of the Deccan sultanates of late medieval southern India. The sultanate emerged under the rule of Qasim Barid I in 1492 and leadership passed to his sons. Starting from the 1580s, a wave of successions occurred in th ...
until its annexation by
Bijapur
Bijapur, officially known as Vijayapura, is the district headquarters of Bijapur district of the Karnataka state of India. It is also the headquarters for Bijapur Taluk. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural ...
in 1619. Soon the district would become part of the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
, but the
Asaf Jahi
The Asaf Jahi was a Muslim dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Hyderabad. The family came to India in the late 17th century and became employees of the Mughal Empire. They were great patrons of Persian culture, language, and literature, the famil ...
governors of the Deccan later broke away and formed their own
Hyderabad State
Hyderabad State () was a princely state located in the south-central Deccan region of India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and t ...
, and Kalaburagi was ruled by them. This state became a princely state of British India, until its annexation by India in 1948. Afterwards, Kalaburagi, along with Bidar and Raichur, became part of Karnataka and were known as the
Kalyana-Karnataka
Kalyana-Karnataka is a region of the Indian state of Karnataka, which was part of Kingdom of Hyderabad ruled by the Nizams and the Madras presidency of British India. The region comprises Bidar, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal and Kalaburagi of Hyder ...
region. Since this time, this region has continuously been lagging the rest of the state in social indicators and is considered the most backward region of Karnataka.
Economy
In 2006 the
Ministry of Panchayati Raj
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is a branch of the Government of India. Ministry of Panchayati Raj looks into all matters relating to the Panchayati Raj and Panchayati Raj Institutions. It was created in May 2004. The ministry is headed by a m ...
named Kalaburagi one of the country's 243 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the five districts in Karnataka currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).
Places of interest
Historical places
*
Sannati
Sannati or Sannathi is a small village, located on the banks of the Bhima River in Chitapur taluk of Kalaburagi district of Northern Karnataka. It is famous for the Chandrala Parameshwari Temple and the excavations by the Archaeological Survey o ...
, a small village, located on the banks of the
Bhima River
The Bhima River (also known as Chandrabhaga River) is a major river in Western India and South India. It flows southeast for through Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana states, before entering the Krishna River. After the first sixty-five ki ...
in
Chitapur
Chitapur or Chittapur is a Town and Taluk in Kalaburagi district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is also the headquarters of the Chittapur taluk. It is known for polished stones and toor dal.
Geography
Chitapur is located at . It is situ ...
taluk is known for its
Ashokan edicts
The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of more than thirty inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, attributed to Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire who reigned from 268 BCE to 232 BCE. Ashoka used the expre ...
, Buddhist
stupa
A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation.
In Buddhism, circumamb ...
and sole surviving image of
Emperor Ashoka
Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...
(r. 274–232 BC) himself.
*
Manyakheta
Malkhed originally known as Manyakheta (IAST: Mānyakheṭa, Prakrit: "Mannakheḍa"), and also known as Malkhed,Village code= 311400 Malkhed (J), Gulbarga, Karnataka is a town in Karnataka, India. It is located on the banks of Kagina river i ...
, a village located on the banks of the Kagina river in
Sedam
Sedam or Seram is a town in Kalaburagi district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of the Sedam Taluka.
Geography
The town is spread over an area of .The population and area of major towns in Karnataka has been menti ...
taluk was the Capital city of the
Rashtrakuta
Rashtrakuta (IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their ...
dynasty. This village is 40 km southeast to the District Headquarters
Kalaburagi
Kalaburagi, formerly known as Gulbarga, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kalaburagi district and is the largest city in the region of North Karnataka (Kalyana-Karnataka). Kalaburagi is 6 ...
and 18 km west to the Taluk Headquarters
Sedam
Sedam or Seram is a town in Kalaburagi district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of the Sedam Taluka.
Geography
The town is spread over an area of .The population and area of major towns in Karnataka has been menti ...
.
*
Kalaburagi Fort
The Gulbarga Fort is located in Kalaburagi in the Kalaburagi district of North Karnataka. It was subsequently significantly enlarged in 1347 by Al-ud-din Hasan Bahmani of the Bahmani Dynasty after he cut off his ties with the Delhi Sultanate; ...
built in 1347 Kalaburagi's old moated fort is in a much deteriorated state, but it has a number of interesting buildings inside, including the Jama Masjid, reputed to have been built by a
Moorish
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or se ...
architect during the late 14th or early 15th century who imitated the great mosque in Cordoba, Spain. The mosque is unique in
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 ...
, with a huge dome covering the whole area, four smaller ones at the corners, and 75 smaller still all the way around. The fort itself has 15 towers.
Kalaburagi
Kalaburagi, formerly known as Gulbarga, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kalaburagi district and is the largest city in the region of North Karnataka (Kalyana-Karnataka). Kalaburagi is 6 ...
also has a number of imposing tombs (Haft Gumbaz) of
Bahmani
The Bahmani Sultanate, or Deccan, was a Persianate Sunni Muslim Indian Kingdom located in the Deccan region. It was the first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan,
kings.
Geography
Kalaburagi is situated in Deccan Plateau located at and the general elevation ranges from 300 to 750 meters above mean sea level. The main river is the
Bhima
In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...
.
Subdivisions
Kalaburagi district presently comprises the following 11 talukas after the separation of
Yadgir district
Yadgir District is one of the List of districts of Karnataka, 31 districts of Karnataka state in southern India.This district was carved out of Kalaburagi district as the 30th district of Karnataka on 10 April 2010. Yadgir town is the administr ...
from it.
#
Kalaburagi
Kalaburagi, formerly known as Gulbarga, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kalaburagi district and is the largest city in the region of North Karnataka (Kalyana-Karnataka). Kalaburagi is 6 ...
Jevargi
Jevargi is a town in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka, India. It is the headquarters of the Jevargi Taluk.
Geography
Jevargi has an average elevation of . The town is spread over an area of .The area of major towns in Karnataka has been mentio ...
#
Sedam
Sedam or Seram is a town in Kalaburagi district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of the Sedam Taluka.
Geography
The town is spread over an area of .The population and area of major towns in Karnataka has been menti ...
Chitapur
Chitapur or Chittapur is a Town and Taluk in Kalaburagi district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is also the headquarters of the Chittapur taluk. It is known for polished stones and toor dal.
Geography
Chitapur is located at . It is situ ...
#
Chincholi
Chincholi is a panchayat town and a taluka in Kalaburagi district in the state of Karnataka, India.
Geography
Chincholi is located at . It has an average elevation of 462 metres (1515 feet). The town is spread over an area of 6 k ...
According to the 2011 census Kalaburagi district has a
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
of 2,566,326, roughly equal to the nation of
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
or the US state of
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. This gives it a ranking of 162nd in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its
population growth rate
Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 83 million annually, or 1.1% per year. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to ...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.94%. Gulbarga has a
sex ratio
The sex ratio (or gender ratio) is usually defined as the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. Many species devia ...
of 971
females
Female (symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction.
A female has larger gametes than a male. Females a ...
for every 1000 males, and a
literacy rate
Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...
of 64.85%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 25.28% and 2.54% of the population respectively.
Languages
According to the 2011 census, 65.70% of the population spoke
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 ...
Lambadi
Lambadi, Gor Boli, Banjara, Labanki or Banjari is a language spoken by the once nomadic Banjara people across India,Ancient Pastoral Nomadic Community of India Ancient Warrior Community/Raajputs Medieval Traders/Grain Carriers Modern Grain Tra ...
, 4.08%
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
, 2.47%
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
and 2.05%
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...