Belgaum district

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BELGAUM
Image:Belgaum image {{{district_image_desc}}}
Karnataka Coat-of-arms
Location	{{{district_lat_d}}}°{{{district_lat_m}}}′N {{{district_long_d}}}°{{{district_long_m}}}′E
State	Karnataka
Division	{{{division_name}}}
Taluks	Athani, Chikkodi, Raibag, Hukkeri, Gokak, Ramadurg, Soundatti, Bailhongal, Belgaum, Khanapur
District headquarters	{{{district_hq}}}
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Area	{{{district_area}}} km²
Population ([[{{{population as of}}}]])	{{{district_population}}}
Codes Postal Telephone Vehicle	{{{590001}}} {{{district_telephone}}} {KA22,KA23,KA24,KA49}
Time zone	{{{district_timezone}}}
Website	{{{district_website}}}

The Belgaum District is a district in the state of Karnataka, India. The city of Belgaum is the district headquarters. By the 2001 Census of India, it had a population of 4,214,505 of which 24.03% were urban. [1] The district has an area of 12,000 square kilometers, and is bounded on the west and north by Maharashtra state, on the northeast by Bijapur District, on the east by Bagalkot District, on the southeast by Gadag District, on the south by Dharawad District and Uttara Kannada districts, and on the southwest by the state of Goa. The languages spoken in this district include Kannada and Marathi.

Contents 1 Border Dispute 2 History 3 Belgaum Division 3.1 Administration 4 Tourism and attractions 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Border Dispute

Main article: Belgaum border dispute.

Belgaum district was incorporated into the newly formed Mysore state (now Karnataka) with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act (1956), which reorganised India's states along linguistic lines,despite having a large Marathi-speaking population ^[1]; about three-fourths of the total population.^[2]. Since then Maharashtra government is claiming the district and the case is now in Supreme court of India.

[edit] History

Belgaum is the Divisional Head quarter of North Karnataka The ancient name of the town of Belgaum was Venugrama meaning Bamboo Village. The most ancient place in the district is Halsi; and this, according to inscriptions on copper plates discovered in its neighborhood, was once the capital of a dynasty of nine Kadamba kings. It appears that from the middle of the 6th century to about 760 the area was held by the Chalukyas, who were succeeded by the Rashtrakutas. After the break-up of the Rashtrakuta power a portion of it survived in the Rattas (875-1250), who from 1210 onward made Venugrama their capital. Inscriptions give evidence of a long struggle between the Rattas and the Kadambas of Goa, who succeeded in the latter years of the 12th century in acquiring and holding part of the district. By 1208, however, the Kadambas had been overthrown by the Rattas, who in their turn succumbed to the Yadavas of Devagiri in 1250. After the overthrow of the Yadavas by the Delhi Sultanate (1320), Belgaum was for a short time under the rule of the latter; but only a few years later the part south of the Ghataprabha River was subject to the Hindu rajas of Vijayanagara. In 1347 the northern part was conquered by the Bahmani Sultanate, which in 1473 took the town of Belgaum and conquered the southern part also. When Aurangzeb overthrew the Bijapur sultans in 1686, Belgaum passed to the Mughals. In 1776 the country was overrun by Hyder Ali of Mysore, but was retaken by the Peshwa with British assistance. In 1818 it was handed over to the British East India Company.In 1836 the southern district continuing to be known as Dharwad, the northern as Belgaum.

Kittur in Belgaum district is a place of historical importance. Rani Chennamma of Kittur (1778-1829) is known for her resistance to British rule; another person in the history of Belgaum known for his resistance to British rule is Sangolli Rayanna.

There are several names available for Belgaum city. Kannada people call Belgavi, Marathi people call Belgaon, North Indians call it as Belagam.

The British had a sizable infantry post here, having realised the military importance of its geographic location. Perhaps that is one of the reasons for Belgaum's sobriquet The Cradle of Infantry. Development of a Rail Network for movement of resources and later troops was one of the means employed by both the East India Company and the British to exert control over India. Belgaum's Railway Station, the Mahatma Gandhi Railway Station was established by the British. A signboard declaring the sobriquet can be seen hung on Platform 1 at the Railway Station.

Now the 'Visveswaraih Technological University' is established in Belgaum. Under this university comes all the technical and engineering colleges in the Karnataka State. Belgaum is also known for the Airmen Training School, an Indian Air Force training centre located at Sambra. The Maratha Light Infantry has it's regimental headquarters in Belgaum. The Commando School and School of jungle warfare and the Indian Army is also situated in Belgaum. The Asia's biggest Karnataka Lingayat(K.L.E.) Education Society is in Belgaum. The K.L.E Hospital of Belgaum is the Second Largest Hospital in Asia which provides all the modern facilities and treatment. Medical Council of Inida have one of its Regional Research Centre here ,the Indian Institute of Hydrology and Vaccine Institute are also situated here.

[edit] Belgaum Division

Belgaum is also the Divisional Headquarter ,it includes the districts of Bagalkot, Belgaum , Bijapur, Dharwad, Haveri, Gadag and Uttara Kannada.

[edit] Administration

Administration of Belgaum District has been divided into 10 Talukas. Athani taluka is the largest with an area of 1,995.70 Sq. Kms. and Raybag taluka is the smallest with an area of 958.8 Sq. Kms. The district comprises of three Revenu Sub-divisions and six Police Sub-divisions. Apart from the Belgaum City Corporation, there are 17 Municipalities, 20 towns, 485 Gram Panchayats, 1,138 habitated villages and 26 non-habitated villages. Belgaum is also the headquarters of the Belgaum Revenue Division.

[edit] Tourism and attractions

Jamboti, 20 km south-west of Belgaum, is a tourist magnet with its evergreen hilltop forests.

Varapoha Falls where the Mandovi River plunges 60 meters is a a beautiful waterfall.

[edit] References

^ Girish Kuber. "District’s always been bone of contention", The Economic Times, November 28,2005. Retrieved on 2006-11-1. (in English) ^ JAISHANKAR JAYARAMIAH. "Karnataka caught in ‘language’ web", The Financial express, November 21, 2005. Retrieved on 2006-11-1. (in English)

[edit] External links

• Belgaum on Wikimapia

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.