Mangaloreans - History

History

Historically, Tulu Nadu included the two separate lands of Haiva and Tuluva. The Ballal Kings of Sullia had ruled this area around 1100 years back. The Bunt, Brahmin migration to Tulu Nadu might have happened during the lifetime of the Kadamba king Mayuravarma at 345 AD. During the 13th century, the Hindu philosopher Madhvacharya built the eight Mathas (monasteries) in modern Udupi district.

During the rule of the Vijayanagara dynasty, Tulu Nadu was administered in two parts—Mangaluru Rajya and Barakuru Rajya. Tulu Nadu was the original homeland of the Tuluva Dynasty, the third dynasty of the Vijayanagara monarchy. Tulu Nadu was governed by feudatories of the Vijayanagara Empire until the 17th century. The longest reigning dynasty of Tulu Nadu was the Alupas. They were the feudatories of the prominent dynasties of Karnataka. The Kadamba dynasty of Banavasi was the earliest, under which the Alupas flourished. Later the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta, Chalukyas of Badami, Chalukyas of Kalyani, Hoysalas of Durasamudra and rayas (kings) of Vijayanagara were the overlords. The Alupas, however, were independent and their subordination was nominal at best. They ruled during the Vijaynagara domination of Tulu Nadu from 14th to the 17th centuries. The region became extremely prosperous during Vijayanagara period with Barkur and Mangalore gaining importance. After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, much of Tulu Nadu came under the control of the Keladi Nayakas of Ikkeri.

Over the following many centuries, more ethnic groups migrated to the area. Various Konkani peoples arrived by sea, as Mangalore was a major port that served not only the Portuguese but also the Arabs for maritime trades. Jains were already a prominent group and even today are uniquely preserved in Tulu Nadu. Though small in number, the Jains left behind indelible reminders of their glory with temples (bastis) in Moodabidri, and monolithic statues of Bahubali and the Gomateshwara in Karkala, Venoor and Dharmasthala. In the 16th century, there was a large influx of Goan Catholics to this region from Goa. They built prominent educational institutions and contributed to the development of education in the region. The Muslim community of Tulu Nadu are basically descended from Arab traders who married local women and settled there. They speak Beary bashe, which is a mix of Tulu and Malayalam.