First mention of the town was made as "Bhallunke" in the
vachanas of 12th century
sharanas. The sharana Kumbara Gundaiah was from Bhalki who was part of Bhakthi movement.
The 1857 War of Independence Bhalki's importance in the 1857 war is played out at the very end of the war, when one of
Tatya Tope's followers is arrested and tried by the
Nizam, in 1867. This person was Madho Rao, alias Rama Rao, the nephew of Shrimant
Shahu Chatrapati, the Maharaja of
Satara. He was also known as
Jung Bahadur, as referred by Sir Richard Temple in his diaries. During a search, officials discovered that Jung Bahadur carried several papers in English and Marathi, translation of a deed of agreement and a seal saying he was the `Chatrapati of Satara'. Jung Bahadur raised an army of over 1500 people in and around the forests of Bhalki, spending up to 20,000
Rupees. and gave 200 Rupees to his follower Deva Rao to recruit 500 soldiers. A
jamadar got a monthly salary of 40 Rupees, a
sepoy 30 Rupees and a
sawar 10 Rupees. He recruited soldiers in the villages issuing them
Kaulnamas or appointment letters, in which he asked young men to join him in the task of
"murdering the British and regaining the lost glory of the Royal family of Satara". Jung Bahadur and his followers moved on foot from village to village, disguised as
mendicants. He caused great damage to the British government, and captured a
cantonment area called Ashti in
Bidar district. He and his main followers were eventually arrested by two officers of the British resident in
Hyderabad state. Their trial however, was conducted by the Nizam’s courts. The
Magistrate of the criminal court, Moulvi Nasrullah Khan, completed the trial in less than a month, charging them with
"trying to bring about insurrection against the empire". Jung Bahadur, Bheem Rao, Balakishtayya and Vithoba were sentenced to
transportation to life. Jung Bahadur is said to have spent his last days in the
Hyderabad prison, where he died. His followers Yeshwanta and Jehangir Ali were sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. Others like Eshwanna Naikwadi and Vir Peddappa were given minor punishments. ==Geography==