The old country of the Western Gangas on the middle Kaveri, from the Mysuru plain to the Biligirirangan and Kollegal edge and the Shimsha and Arkavati valleys.
The Hoysalas took it from the Chola governors in 1116-17. Its towns are Talakad, Srirangapatna, Melkote and Nanjangud, and its rice and sugar-cane are among the richest lands of the plateau. The Kaveri crossing at Talakad is the road to Kongu.
Who holds it
- Name
- not named for 1 January 1200
- Title
- Governor (dandanayaka) of Gangavadi for Ballala II
- Since
- not pinned
- Confidence
- low
No source we read names the holder for 1 January 1200.
Overlord
Veera Ballala II
What it holds
- Talakad and the Kaveri plain
- Srirangapatna and Melkote
- tank-irrigated rice and sugar-cane lands
How it was acquired
Won from the Chola governors by Vishnuvardhana in 1116-17.
How things stand that morning
Hoysala ground, administered by governors. The peace with the Cholas holds; the south and the Kongu edge are quiet.
Wealth
Rice, sugar-cane, tolls on the Kaveri crossings; no figure.
Military
Governors' garrisons at Talakad; no numbers.
Threats
- A Chola or Kongu-chief move on the Kaveri crossings
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Province names and extents come from the old Kannada district reckoning (Kamath; Fleet), not re-read here; the holder is not named in our sources.
On the map: The old district reckoning (96,000 villages) is a name, not a count; the polygon follows modern taluks.
Primary sources for Hoysala kingdom
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Epigraphia Carnatica: inscriptions of the Mysore country, Various (Hoysala chancery and temple scribes), edited by B. Lewis Rice and R. Narasimhachar (inscriptions of the 4th to 19th centuries; the series ran from 1886 to 1905, revised from 1972). The Hoysala kingdom of Veera Ballala II (reigning 1173 to 1220) is documented almost wholly by the inscriptions in this series, arranged by district and taluk with full English translations. Read online
- Inscriptions of the Silaharas, Various (Silahara chanceries), edited by V. V. Mirashi (inscriptions of the 9th to 13th centuries; edited 1977). Collects the records of the three Silahara houses: North Konkan (Thana), South Konkan, and Kolhapur.
- Sanskrit and Old Canarese Inscriptions relating to the Yadava Kings of Devagiri, Various (Yadava chancery), edited by J. F. Fleet (inscriptions of the 12th and 13th centuries; edited 1876). The first collected edition of the Yadava (Seuna) records, with texts and translations, from the Indian Antiquary. Read online
- South Indian Inscriptions (Archaeological Survey of India), Various (Chola, Pandya and other chanceries and temple scribes), edited by E. Hultzsch, V. Venkayya, H. Krishna Sastri and successors (inscriptions of the 7th to 17th centuries; the series ran from 1890). The temple inscriptions printed here are the primary record of the Tamil country in 1200. Read online
Sources and studies
- Hoysala Empire, Wikipedia (read for this sheet)
- Veera Ballala II, Wikipedia (read for this sheet)
- Kulottunga Chola III, Wikipedia (read for this sheet)
- OMNIA board notes for the place (a lead, checked against the other sources)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.