Shimoga Town, 1908
Shimoga Town
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Head-quarters of the District and taluk of the same name, Mysore State, situated in 13 56' N. and 75 35' E., on the Tunga river, and terminus of the Birur-Shimoga railway line. Population fell to 6,240 in 1901 from 11,340 in 1891, chiefly owing to plague. In early times Mandali, a suburb to the south, was an important place under the Gangas. At a later period Shimoga was ruled by the Chalukyas and the Hoysalas, after which it came under Vijayanagar. From the sixteenth century it was held by the Keladi or Bednur kings, until Bednur was taken by Haidar All in 1763. The Marathas under Parasuram Bhao, in a battle near Shimoga in 1798, forced Tipu Sultan's army under the Benki Nawab to retire on Bednur ; and besieged Shimoga, which had to capitulate, and was plundered and burnt. After the fall of Tipu in 1799 it was again pillaged by Dhundia Wagh, and left a heap of ruins.
The present town has mostly sprung up during the last half of the nineteenth century, the Tunga being here crossed by a fine bridge. It is a prin- cipal station of the Roman Catholic and Wesleyan Missions. The municipality dates from 1870. The receipts and expenditure during the ten years ending 1901 averaged Us, 15,600 and Rs. 16,000. In 1903-4 they were Rs. 17,000 and Rs. 24,600.
