Hoysala Kingdom: Map & History
The Hoysala Kingdom was a prominent South Indian dynasty that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, as well as parts of Tamil Nadu and southwestern Telangana, between the 11th and 14th centuries CE.
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The Hoysala Kingdom was a prominent South Indian dynasty that ruled most of what is now Karnataka, as well as parts of Tamil Nadu and southwestern Telangana, between the 11th and 14th centuries CE. The capital was initially located at Belur and was later moved to Halebidu.
Modern Countries Once Part of Hoysala Kingdom
At its mapped extent, Hoysala Kingdom covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Hoysala Kingdom's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Hoysala Kingdom in Depth
History
Early inscriptions, dated 1078 and 1090, have implied that the Hoysalas were descendants of the Yadu by referring to the Yadava vamsha (or clan) as the "Hoysala vamsha". But there are no early records directly linking the Hoysalas to the Yadavas of North India.
Kannada folklore tells a legend of a young man, Sala (also known as Poysala), who saved his Jain guru Sudatta by killing a tiger (sometimes described as a lion) that they encountered whilst in a forest, at "Sosevur" located at present-day Angadi Village in Chikkamagaluru district, the original home of the Hoysala family. The word strike translates to "hoy" in Old Kannada, hence the name 'Hoy-sala'.
Economy
The Hoysala administration supported itself through revenues from an agrarian economy. Land was assessed as being wet land, dry land or garden land for the purposes of taxation, and judged according to the quality of the soil. Taxes on commodities (gold, precious stones, perfumes, sandalwood, ropes, yarn, housing, hearths, shops, cattle pans, sugarcane presses) as well as produce (black pepper, betel leaves, ghee, paddy, spices, palm leaves, coconuts, sugar) are noted in village records. The Hoysalas encouraged people to move to newly-built villages by means of land grants and tax concessions.
Taxes, collected in the form of cash, from trade and commerce generated considerable wealth for the Hoysala state, and enabled it to buy armaments, elephants, horses and precious goods.
Culture
The Hoysala rulers were originally patrons of Jainism. In the early period of the dynasty, Hoysala kings and ministers supported Jain institutions, temples, and scholars. King Vishnuvardhana began his reign as a Jain when he was known as Bitti Deva and continued to patronize Jain institutions before his conversion. He granted lands to his general Ganggaraj who supported Jain temples at Shravanabelagola and Kambadahalli thus expanding Jain religious infrastructure in the region.
Vishnuvardhana later converted to Vaishnavism under the influence of the philosopher Ramanujacharya. His queen Shantala Devi and his Family however remained Devotees of Jainism.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Hoysala Kingdom (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Hoysala Kingdom: Key Facts
| Capital | Halebidu |
|---|---|
| Official language | Kannada |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Founded | 1026 |
| Dissolved | 1343 |
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q466581 (CC0).
Hoysala Kingdom Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Hoysala Kingdom appears, with the other states of the time.
Hoysala Kingdom Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 111,360 km² in 1118 CE.
Hoysala Kingdom: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Hoysala Kingdom exist?
The Hoysala Kingdom is dated to 1111 CE – 1351 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Hoysala Kingdom?
The capital of the Hoysala Kingdom was Halebidu.
How large was the Hoysala Kingdom at its peak?
At its peak in 1118 AD the Hoysala Kingdom covered about 111,360 km².
How did the map of the Hoysala Kingdom change over time?
The Hoysala Kingdom appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1200 CE to 1300 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Other Sovereign Realms
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