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Kittur | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 | |
 Interactive map of Kittur | |
| Coordinates:15°35′58″N74°47′16″E / 15.5993334°N 74.7878902°E /15.5993334; 74.7878902 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Karnataka |
| District | Belagavi |
| Named after | Kittur Chennamma |
| Government | |
| • Body | Town Panchayat |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.40 km2 (6.72 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 755 m (2,477 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 16,144 |
| • Density | 927.8/km2 (2,403/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Kitturians |
| Language | |
| • Official | Kannada |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 591115 |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KA |
| Vehicle registration | KA-24 |
| Nearest city | Dharwad,Belagavi |
| Website | http://www.chennamman-kitturtown.mrc.gov.in/en |
Kittur or Kitturu, historically known asKittoor, is a town and a taluk in theBelagavi district of theIndian state of Karnataka. It was part ofBailhongal taluka but was declared as an independent taluka on 23 October 2012 by the Chief Minister of Karnataka on the inauguration of Kittur Utsav. It is 177thTaluk of Karnataka State. It is a place of historical importance because of the armed rebellion ofKittur Chennamma (1778–1829),Rani of the State of Kittur against theBritish East India Company, during which a British Commissioner,St John Thackeray was killed.
At the 2011 census, it was a village underSampagaonC D Block with a location code number 598110.
Kittur was known as Geejaganahalli in the 12th century. In 1746, Kittur came under theMaratha Empire when it was handed over to them by the Nawab ofSavanur. In 1782, Mallasarja, the most powerful of the rulers of Kittur ascended the throne. His only son predeceased him, and so on his death in 1816, his second wife,Chennamma succeeded him to the throne. She is famous for her campaigns against the BritishEast India Company.[2]On the outskirts of the town lie the ruins of the palace within a fort. The palace was the residence of the Rani Chennamma.
In the 18th century, Kittur was ruled by theMarathas, until theThird Anglo-Maratha War, when it came under British suzerainty.[3]
In connection with a disputed succession to this chiefship in 1824, St John Thackeray, Commissioner of Dharwad, was killed in a battle when approaching the Kittur fort.[4] Later another unit stormed Kittur and capturedQueen Chennamma, who was imprisoned in Bailhongal Jail where she died. Rani Chennamma became a legend.[2]
Her death was followed by subsequent revolts by her generalSangolli Rayanna, who also waged several campaigns against the British East India Company. He was later hanged in 1831.[2]
The town lends its name to the fictitious coastal town in the 2008 novelBetween the Assassinations byAravind Adiga (Belagavi District has no coast, which rules out the real Kittur being the setting).
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Kittur".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 841.