Legend As per the
Gramappadhathi, Dakshina Kannada (along with the rest of the west coast) was created by
Parshurama standing on top of the Western Ghats, and caused the land to rise from the sea by throwing his axe. It was then given to 64 families of Brahmins to settle. He created a temple on Kunjaragiri Hill in memory of his mother. Kutashila, spoken of in the
Markandeya Purana, is believed to be the town of
Kollur, the abode of
Mookambika Devi. Several rivers in the district, including the Netravati, are believed to be mentioned in the Markandeya Purana. Other traditions in the local Paddanas speak of
Mayurasharma's inviting of Brahmins from
Ahichchhatraa and his organisation of the district.
Early history The earliest recording of what would become Dakshina Kannada district is found in
Sangam literature, specifically in a poem of
Mamulanar.
M Govinda Pai identified the kingdom of Harita mentioned in the
Harivamsha as Dakshina Kannada, specifically correlating the word
Mudugara with Moger, part of the title of the fishermen community in the district. Pai speculated as an alternative that the entire strip from North Kanara to Kanyakumari was inhabited by Nagas who worshipped snakes, and that the character Shankachuda mentioned in several works including the work
Nagananda, was from this region. Their origins go back further, and if Greek identifications are to be believed the Alupas may have been prominent local chiefs since the 2nd century CE. The
Halmidi inscription of 450 CE mentions an Alupa chief fighting as a commander of the
Kadambas in a battle against the Kekayas and
Pallavas. In a stone inscription near Gudnapur dated to c. 500 CE, the Alupas are mentioned as subordinates to the Kadambas. In 602, the
Mahakuta Pillar inscription refers to the Aluvas as being conquered by
Kirtivarman I of the Chalukyas. In the
Aihole inscription, it appears the
Chalukyas had crushed an Alupa rebellion in the early 7th century. During the reign of
Vinayadtiya, it is mentioned how the Alupa chiefs helped the king restore peace after the disastrous war with the Pallavas. This Alupa ruler, Aluvarassa I, travelled from Mangalapura (modern Mangalore).
Vijayanagara Empire A 1204 inscription shows Mangalore had regained its position as capital from
Barkur. Over the course of the 13th and 14th centuries, Alupa power declined steadily until Alupakheda was annexed by the
Vijayangara Empire. The first Vijayanagara inscription in the district was from 1345 in
Attavara. For the next three centuries, the empire administered Tulu Nadu with a firm hand especially as Tulu Nadu was the conduit through which much of their western trade, and how they secured horses from Arabia.
Harihara Raya built a fort at Barkur, and instituted a revenue system where half of crops went to the cultivators while the rest were divided between landlords, Brahmins and the state.
Ibn Batutta mentioned how the Muslim governor of 'Honore' paid tribute to a Vijayanagara revenue collector in Barkur with the title Wadiyar. While passing from Karwar to Kozhikode, he stayed in a port identified as 'Manjarur', identified as Mangalore, and noted the country to be prosperous but with few wheeled vehicles. In 1860, the British split the area into
South Canara and
North Canara, the former being retained in the Madras Presidency, while the latter was made a part of
Bombay Presidency in 1862.
Kundapur Taluk was earlier included in North Kanara but was later re-included in South Kanara. South Kanara included present Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kasaragod districts and the
Aminidivi Islands.
Independence movement During the 1920s, several newspapers in the district drew inspiration from the freedom struggle such as
Tilaka Sandesh,
Satyagrahi and others. South Kanara participated in the non-cooperation movement led in the district by
Karnad Sadashiva Rao. All independence movements gained significant traction in the district, and Gandhi and Nehru both visited Mangalore during the Freedom struggle. In 1942 large numbers of leaders were jailed in the Quit India movement. The Udupi district was formed from the northern taluks of Dakshina Kannada in 1997. Later, the
Karnataka Government, for the purpose of administration, split the greater Dakshina Kannada district into Udupi and present day Dakshina Kannada districts on 15 August 1997. Three taluks of the former district –
Udupi,
Karkala and
Kundapura – formed the new
Udupi district. == Administration ==