| Karnataka,
called as Karunadu (elevated land) in ancient times.
The course of Karnataka's history and culture takes
us back to pre-historic times. The earliest find
of the stone age period in India was a hand axe
at Lingasugur in Raichur district. The Ashoka's
rock edicts found in the state indicate that major
parts of Northern Karnataka were under the Mauryas.
Chandragupta Maurya, the great Indian emperor
abdicated the throne and embraced Jainism at Shravanabelagola.
Adding new dimensions to the cultural and spiritual
ethos of the land, many great dynasties left their
imprint upon the aesthetic development of Karnataka's
art forms. Prominent among them were the Chalukyas,
the Hoysalas and the mighty Vijayanagara Empire.
The Chalukyan's built some of the very early Hindu
temples in India. Aihole turned up as an experimental
base for the dynamic creations of architects.
The Hoysala's who ruled from the 11th to the 13th
century chiseled their way into the pages of glory
by building more than 150 temples, each one is
a master piece in its own way.
The amazing dexterity and fluidity of expressions
at Somnathpur, Halebid and Belur open themselves
to the wide eyed wonder in one's eyes. Vijayanagara,
the greatest of all medieval Hindu empires and
one of the greatest the world over, fostered the
development of intellectual pursuits and fine
arts. "The eye of the pupil has never seen
a place like it and the ear of intelligence has
never been informed that there existed anything
to equal it in the world" is what Abdur Razaaq
the Persian ambassador had to say about Krishnadevaraya's
time.
The Vijayanagara empire with its capital at Hampi
fell a victim to the marauding army of the Deccan
Sultan in 1565 A.D. As a consequence of this,
Bijapur became the most important city of the
region. This city is a land of monuments and perhaps
no other city except Delhi has as many monuments
as Bijapur. The Bahmani Shahis and the Adilshahis
of Bijapur have played a notable part in the history
of Karnataka by their contribution to the field
of art and architecture and also by their propagation
of Islam in the state.
|
