Naragunda is a town in

Gadag district Gadag is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. It was formed in 1997, when it was split from Dharwad district. As of 2011, it had a population of 1064570 (of which 35.21 percent was urban). The overall population increased by 13.14 perc ...

in the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...

Geography

Nargund is located at . It has an average elevation of 605 metres (1984 feet).

Etymology

The name "Nargund" comes from "Nari Gundu", which means "Hillock of Foxes" in Kannada. The town is marked by such a hillock right in the centre of town. Although known to be a place full of foxes in the past, it has none now and is pocked with windmills on all sides.

Nargund Fort

Nargund Fort is located on a hill in the center of town. It was created by the Maratha King Chhatrapati

Shivaji Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adil ...

in 1674. The fort was planned to be challenging for any enemy to capture it. It was established in order to delay annexation by the Mughals of the territory, acting as a stronghold over the area. Unlike other forts in Karnataka, Nargund Fort had no fortresses or multiple floors (storeys). There was no garden or sanctuary inside. Aside from a few ornamental components, the architecture of Nargund Fort was based on bare essentials such as a reservoir, an ammunition storage space, a large well for uninterrupted water supply and watch towers. As of now, the fort has become a ruin. Most of the structures inside the fort have been destroyed over time. It was under Maratha rulers for 15 years after its creation. In 1692, Mughal emperor

Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...

invaded the fort and captured it, by defeating the Maratha army. However, the Marathas recaptured the fort from Mughal rulers under Ramrao Dadaji Bhave in 1705. In the 18th century Nargund Fort along with the surrounding region was under the authority of King Venkat Rao of the Bhave family, which was subservient to the Marathas. The suzerainty of the Maratha rulers over Nargund Fort remained till 1778, when it was captured by the King of Mysore, Hyder Ali. In 1784, Hyder Ali's son, Tipu Sultan, controlled the fort. Nargund Fort played a vital part during the revolt against the British in the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the for ...

. Bhaskar Rao Bhave, also known as Baba Saheb of Nargund, raised a mutiny against British rule in 1858. He was successful in capturing the Koppaldurg fort and killing the commander of the British force, but was defeated because of betrayal and the fort was captured by the British.

Demographics

India

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

, Nargund had a population of 32,548. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Nargund has an average literacy rate of 56%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 67%, and female literacy is 45%. In Nargund, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Nargund Town Municipal Council

Nargund is a Town Municipal Council place in the district of Gadag, Karnataka. The town is divided into 23 wards for which elections are held every 5 years.

References

{{Gadag Cities and towns in Gadag district