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Kempe Gowda I | |
|---|---|
_cropped.jpg) 108-foot tall statue of Kempegowda nearKempegowda International Airport | |
| Born | Hiriya Kempegowda (1510-06-27)27 June 1510 |
| Died | 1569(1569-00-00) (aged 58–59) |
| Resting place | Kempapura,Magadi,Ramanagara District 13°00′53″N77°04′53″E / 13.0146°N 77.08149°E /13.0146; 77.08149 |
| Other names | Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda, Kempe Gowda |
| Known for | Fortifier ofBengaluru |
| Predecessor | Kempananje Gowda |
| Successor | Gidde Gowda |
| Children | Gidde Gowda |
| Parent(s) | Kempananje Gowda, Lingamma |
Kempe Gowda I (27 June 1510 — 1569) locally venerated asNadaprabhu Kempe Gowda,[2][3] or commonly known asKempe Gowda, was a governor under theVijayanagara Empire inearly-modern India.[4][5] He is famous for the development ofBengaluru Pete in the 16th century. Kempegowda erected manyKannada inscriptions across the region.[6][7][8]
Hiriya Kempe Gowda (Hiriya meaning elder inKannada) was born in theYelahanka suburb ofBangalore in theMorasu Vokkaliga[9] community to Kempananje Gowda, the ruler of Yelhanka for more than 70 years.[citation needed] The Morasu Vokkaligas wereVijayanagara vassals at Yelahanka.
Sources vary on the ancestry of Kempe Gowda.Burton Stein and others note that Morasu Vokkaligas wereTelugu migrants to the Morasu-nadu area in the fourteenth century.[10][11] Some state that they were originally fromKarnataka[12] and were aKannada-speaking community,[13][14] although well-versed inTelugu.[14][13] Some sources mention that they were aTamil-speaking community fromKanchi which moved to present-day Karnataka in the early 15th century to serve in Vijayanagara armies.[15]
Kempe Gowda, who is reputed to have shown leadership skills during his childhood,[citation needed] was educated for nine years at agurukula in Aivarukandapura (or Aigondapura), a village nearHesaraghatta.[citation needed]
Fourth in succession from Rana Bhairave Gowda, founder of the dynasty of the Avati Nadu and great grandson of Jaya Gowda, a separate Vijayanagara feudal vassal, Kempe Gowda is the most famous of the Yelahanka rulers. Kempe Gowda assumed the chieftaincy of Yalahanka Nadu from his father in 1513 and would reign for 46 years.
It is believed that Kempe Gowda envisioned a town out of vast woodlands and plateaus during a hunting expedition when he ventured fromYelahanka towards theShivanasamudra with his courtier Veeranna and eldest son Gidde Gowda.[16]
In 1526, Kempe Gowda conquered the Sivagange principality (not to be confused withSivaganga in Tamil Nadu), 48 kilometres (30 mi) from Bangalore on the Bangalore-Pune Highway. He then annexedDomlur (a present-day suburb on the road from Bangalore to theold Bangalore airport). Within this vast forest area, and with imperial permission of the Vijayanagar EmperorAchyutharaya (an inscription atDasarahalli records the decree date as 1532), he builtBangalore Fort and the town in 1537, and moved his capital fromYelahanka to the newBengaluru Pete, the foundation of present-dayBangalore city.
Fearing Kempe Gowda's rise in power atPenukonda, Jagadevaraya, a neighbouringpoleygar atChannapattana, lodged a complaint EmperorSadashiva Raya. Kempe Gowda's territories were confiscated and he was imprisoned for five years. After being released, he was returned his territories.[17] Over the following years, however, pleased with his activities, the Emperor would bestow Kempe Gowda the nearby villages ofUlsoor,Begur,Varthur,Jigani, Thalagattapura,Kumbalgodu,Kengeri, and Banavara.[18]
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Kempe Gowda built a red fort with eight gates and a moat surrounding it. Inside the fort two wide roads ran from North to South and East to West. The other roads were made parallel or perpendicular to them. On an auspicious moment fixed by an astrologer, Kempe Gowda harnessed the bullocks to the ploughs at the central Doddapete square, at the junction of Doddapete (Avenue Road) andChikka pete, got the ground ploughed and worked the four main streets running in four directions. One ran from Halasoor (Ulsoor) Gate toSondekoppa Road from East to West, and another from Yelahanka Gate to the Fort running from North to South. These roads are the present Nagarthapete andChikka pete; and Doddapete respectively. The streets and the Blocks were demarcated for the purpose they were meant, like for business or residences etc. Streets of Doddapete, Chikkapete, Nagartha-pete were for marketing of general merchandise; Aralepete (Cotton pet), Tharagupete, Akki pete, Ragipete, Balepete etc. were for marketing of commodities likecotton,grain,rice,ragi, and bangles respectively: kurubarapete, Kumbara-pete, Ganigarapete, Upparapete etc. were for trades and crafts, and residences ofKuruba,Kumbara,Ganiga,Uppara castes respectively and similar petes' (Blocks). Halasoorpete, Manava-rthepete, Mutyalapete (Ballapurapete) etc. were meant for other groups of the society. The Agraharas were for the priests and learned classes. He got skilled artisans and craftsmen from the neighboring as well as far off places and got them settled so that they could pursue their vocations.
Temples of Vinayaka and Anjaneya were built at the Northern Yelahanka Gate of the fort (near the present head office ofState Bank of Mysore).Dodda Basavannanagudi (The Bull Temple) and in its neighbourhood, Dodda Vinayaka and Dodda Anjaneya and Veerabhadhra temples were also built outside the fort on the southern side.Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple was also built by Kempe Gowda. Kempe Gowda I encouraged the construction of temples and lakes and planned residential layouts, or agraharams, around each temple. The construction of the mud fort and severaltemples andlakes transformedBangalore from a sleepy village to a centre of culture based on vedic traditions.[19]
Tanks were built for the water supply to the town, to the moat around the fort and for the irrigation of crops. Inside the fort, a big pond enclosed by masonry of dressedgranite stones was dug and built (on the South-Western corner of the presentSri Krishnarajendra Market). Dhar-mambudhi tank, which supplied water to the town (present Subhash Nagar,BMTC bus stand andKSRTC bus stands, in front of thecity Railway Station), Kempambudhi tank (named after Ranabhaire Gowda's family Goddess, Doddamma or Kempamma), in Gavi-pura Guttahalli and Samp-igambudhi tank (named after one of the daughters-in-law: presentSree Kanteerava Stadium), which were meant forirrigation, were also built. Irrigational facilities gave much impetus toagriculture andhorticulture and also encouraged laying of gardens and raising groves of fruit crops.
Kempe Gowda died in 1569 having ruled for about 46 years. The 16th centuryKannada epitaph on his tomb proclaims that he died on the spot at Kempapura, a village inMagadi, while returning fromKunigal, reportedly after settling a dispute.
Kempe Gowda's tomb was accidentally found on 7 March 2015 by Prashanth Marur, a college official-turned-historian, while he was driving by Kempapura. It was also authenticated by group of historians who visited the tomb. It is believed that his son Kempe Gowda II built the tomb after his father's demise.[20] After confirmation, Marur wrote an article that was published inVijayavani on 3 September 2015.
According to some literary sources, Kempe Gowda's elder son Gidde Gowda succeeded him[21] and his lineage lasted for a century inMagadi, where they built numerous temples, forts, and tanks.
TheNelapattana subterranean town was built on the strategic foothills of theSavandurga to protect its city dwellers from neighbouring invasions. However, in 1728,Haider Ali, the commander-in-chief (dalvoy) of theKingdom of Mysore, defeated the ruler from Kempe Gowda's lineage and annexed the principality into the kingdom. The last Gowda ruler was imprisoned inSrirangapatana till his death. The family members were moved toHulikal village inMagadi. Some other family members were pensioned by DewanPurnaiah by gifting themjagirs, or land grants, atHosur in present-dayTamil Nadu, where the lineage continues as farmers.[22][23]
Kempe Gowda is also noted for his societal reforms and contribution to building temples and water reservoirs in Bengaluru.[24] While ruling, one of his social reforms was to prohibit the custom of amputating the last two fingers of the left hand of unmarried women during "bandi devaru", a late custom in the Morasu Vokkaliga community.
Kempe Gowda was a patron of arts and learning. In spite belonging to a purelyKannada speaking community,[14][13] He was a polyglot and authoredGangagaurivilasa, ayakshagana play, inTelugu.[14]
A metal statue of Kempe Gowda was posthumously installed in 1609 at Gangadhareshwara temple atShivagange.[citation needed]
In 1964, another statue was erected in front of theCorporation Office at Bangalore.
The city bus stand of Bangalore is namedKempegowda Bus Station in his honour.[25] Bangalore International Airport was also renamedKempegowda International Airport on 14 December 2013.[26][27]
TheBangalore Development Authority developed the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout in his memory.[28][29] TheMajestic metro station on thePurple Line ofBangalore Metro was also renamed Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Station., Majestic, in his honour.[30]
Educational institutions such asKempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Kempegowda Institute of Physiotherapy,[31] Kempegowda College of Nursing,[32] and Kempegowda Residential PU College have all been named after Kempe Gowda. A police station[33] and a park[34] in Bangalore are named in his honour. A busy[35] thoroughfare in the city is named Kempegowda Road.[36]
Since 2017, theGovernment of Karnataka has recognised Kempe Gowda's birth anniversary, orKempe Gowda Jayanthi.[37][38] TheKempegowda Award, a civic award presented annually by theBBMP, was set up in his memory.[39]
On 27 June 2020, commemorating Kempe Gowda's 511th birth anniversary, work on a 108-feet tall Kempe Gowda Statue and a 23-acre central park around the statue formally began with its inauguration by Chief MinisterB. S.Yediyurappa at theKempegowda International Airport.[40] The same was inaugurated by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi on 11 November 2022.[41]
![108-feet bronze statue of 'Nadaprabhu' Kempegowda at the Kempegowda International Airport[42]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aKempe_Gowda_statue%2c_Kempegowda_International_Airport%2c_Bangalore_(2022).jpg)
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)On the northern boundary of the future core of that kingdom was the area called Morasu-nadu (modern Bangalore and Tumkur districts) dominated by one of the large sections of the southern Karnatak peasantry, Morasu Vokkaligas, who seemed to have been Telugu migrants to the area in the fourteenth century.
Kempegowda was one of many Telugu warrior chieftains (palegars) of the late Vijayanagara state who made incursions into Tamil and Karnataka regions, and established their rule over vast agricultural tracts.
The Morasu Okkaligas originally belong to Karnataka.
Uttur in Yenamanji Nadu in present day Mulbagal tq could be the place of their origin. It is likely that the family also spoke Telugu as it was a popular literary medium in Vijayangara times. But all the Marasu Vakkalus are Kannada speaking.
But even writers from purely Kannada- speaking communities took to writing in Telugu, which raises questions again on the relationship between writerly choices and languages. Kempegowda (1513–1569), the builder of the city of Bangalore, wrote Gañgagaurivilasa (The play of Gañga and Gauri), a yaksagana ( verse-play) in Telugu
{{cite web}}:|first= has generic name (help)