Shivamogga

Shivamogga (earlier Shimoga), in central Karnataka, has a history shaped by the Malnad forests, river valleys and changing South Indian kingdoms. The region lies on the banks of the Tunga River, and early references associate it with ancient Kadamba and Gangas rule, when it was a fertile hinterland dotted with small agrarian and forest villages.

From the 11th–13th centuries, Shivamogga zone came under the Hoysalas, who built temples and developed tank irrigation. Later it passed into the orbit of the Vijayanagara Empire, which controlled the rich Malnad–coastal trade routes, including spices, arecanut and forest products. After Vijayanagara’s decline, local Keladi / Ikkeri Nayakas emerged as powerful chiefs in this region, ruling from nearby strongholds while patronising temples and mathas. Eventually, the area was absorbed into the Mysore kingdom under the Wodeyars, and then into British-ruled Mysore province.

During British times, Shivamogga grew as a district headquarters and commercial town for the surrounding paddy, arecanut and timber-rich countryside. Coffee plantations in Malnad and later hydroelectric projects and education institutions boosted its importance. In independent India, Shivamogga expanded further with roads, rail, industries and colleges, becoming the main urban centre of Malnad, while its name stayed linked with nearby attractions like Jog Falls, Agumbe and the Western Ghats forests.