The Kadamba capital of the Hangal-500 country and one of the oldest towns of the north-west plateau.
The Tarakeshwara temple and the fort of tradition (the Virata-nagara of the Mahabharata, in local legend) stand here. Wikipedia (Veera Ballala II) dates Ballala's annexation of Hangal about 1178 and a seizure by a Kalachuri commander about 1179; the campaign board has him recorded holding it by about 1192, and a record dated about 1196 claims victories over minor ruling families. The Kadamba chief still coins gold and keeps his army, and gives nominal allegiance to the nearer of the Hoysala and the Yadava (board).
Who holds it
- Name
- The Kadamba chief of Hangal as a Hoysala client (not named for this year); a Hoysala dandanayaka beside him
- Title
- lord or governor
- Confidence
- low
Lord in 1200
The Kadamba chief of Hangal as a Hoysala client (not named for this year); a Hoysala dandanayaka beside him
What the town holds
Annexed by Ballala II about 1178 on Wikipedia, seized by a Kalachuri commander about 1179, and recorded as Ballala's by about 1192 on the campaign board's account; the old house is left in place.
Allies and rivals
Yadava claim from the north; Gutta chiefs on the Tungabhadra.
How things stand that morning
Hoysala-held on the campaign board's reading (recorded by about 1192); the loyalty of the chief follows the nearer army.
Communities
Brahmin and Jain households; Lingayat communities rising on the Hoysala north (see the religious records)
Militia
The Kadamba household troops; no numbers
Walls and castle
A hill-less fort with a moat; the Tarakeshwara enclosure
Trade and crafts
Gold coinage of the Hangal Kadambas; rice from the Varada valley; stone masonry
Places of note
- Tarakeshwara temple: the great Shiva temple of Hangal
Where the sources disagree
- The sid brief draws a Yadava reading on the Hangal march; we draw Hoysala-held with a contested note.
Evidence: The town and its temple are firm; the Kadamba chief is not named for 1200.
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
- Kadambas of Hangal, Wikipedia (read for this sheet)
- Hoysala Empire, Wikipedia (read for this sheet)
- Veera Ballala II, 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.