This area was once ruled by the
Mauryas, and then later the
Sathavahanas. The area was later taken over by the
Kadambas, who were soon displaced by the
Chalukyas of Badami. An inscription from Anaji dating to the 9th century CE indicates a branch of the Pallavas called the Nolambas ruled part of the district. Part of the district was briefly conquered by a branch of the
Gangas in
Asandi. By the middle of the 8th century, the Rashtrakutas from Malkhed had established supremacy over the Chalukyas, and conquered territory south to Tumkur. An inscription in the Bagali temple indicates part of Davanagere district was ruled by a Chalukya feudatory of the
Rashtrakutas in the 10th century. Other parts continued to be ruled by the Nolambas as feudatories of the Rashtrakutas. When Rashtrakuta power began collapsing, the Nolambas switched their loyalty to the Gangas and fought against the Chola invasions. When the
Chalukyas of Kalyani gained in power, the Nolambas became loyal to them. When the Cholas sacked Kampli, they appointed some of their Pandya vassals as governors of Nolambavadi corresponding to part of Davanagere. The Kalachuris, who were also feudatories of the Chalukyas, were soon given charge of the entire south of Chalukya domains. Their ruler Bijjala II overthrew the Chalukyas and his dynasty ruled until 1181, when the Chalukya prince Someshwara IV took back the throne. Briefly the
Hoysalas ruled parts of Davanagere district in the late 12th century before the region was taken by the
Yadavas of Devagiri. The Yadava and Hoysala rule in the region was overthrown by the invasions of
Malik Kafur of the
Delhi Sultanate in the 14th century, but soon the district came under the control of the
Vijayanagara Empire direct from
Vijayanagara. After the Vijayanagara Empire was severely weakened in 1565 after the
Battle of Talikota, the local nayakas in Davanagere started asserting their independence. Some of these chiefs were allowed to rule as feudatories of the
Adlil Shahis of Bijapur. Both the Mughals and Marathas briefly captured forts in the district. In 1763, one of these families, the Nayaks of Belagutti, submitted to
Hyder Ali and the district was under the rule of
Mysore.
Dhondia Wagh of
Channagiri who had created an independent principality resisted the Britishers after
Tipu Sultan's defeat until his death in 1800. The district then was kept by Mysore state. ==Geography==