Geography and history of Karnataka provides a wide array of information about the land and its cultural heritage. Karnataka has seen foreign invasion since a long time and thus, the geography and history of Karnataka presents the admixture of these foreign cultures in its own cultural flavor.

Talking about the the first ingredient of geography and history of Karnataka, we can come to the following information about Karnataka:

Area - 191,791 square kilometers.
Latitude - 74° and 78° East.
Longitude - 11° and 18° North.
Capital - Bangalore.
Districts - 30.
Principal language - Kannad.
Population - 44,977,201.

Natural regions -
the Coastal stri
the Sahyadris, and
the Deccan Plateau.
Passes -
the Subhrahmanya Ghat
the Charmadi Ghat
the Shiradi Ghat, and
the Agumbe Ghat.
Rivers - Krishna and Kaveri.

Talking about the second component of the geography and history of Karnataka, we can say that Karnataka finds a reference in the Ramayana, a great epic poem of ancient India.

The history of Karnataka at a glance is as follows:

the history of Karnataka starts with Chandragupta Maurya.
After the Mauryas, emerged the Satavahanas who ruled Karnataka for nearly 300 years, followed by Kadambas, Pallavas, Gangadikaras and so on.
Karnataka saw the rise of Muslim rulers with Malik Kafur.
A Hindu Kingdom emerged in 1336 at Vijayanagar under the rule of Harihara (Hakka) and Bukka.
The Bahamanis established themselves in 1337, but soon they were replaced by the empire of Vijaynagar.
Then followed a series of Sultans and ultimately the Britishers established a firm basis in Karnataka.
And in 1973, Karnataka became a part of the Indian Union.

Thus, as it is evident, the geography and history of Karnataka is a rich store of information which can be used for greater effect, if perused minutely.

Last Updated on 26^th March 2013

Geography of Karnataka

Travel to Karnataka