MANUAL OF THE NJLAQIRI DISTRICT. 265 



The Hoysala Belldla dynasty possessed the suzerainty of Kdr- CHAP. XI. 

 ndta proper from the beginning of the tenth to the middle of the eTrly 

 fourteenth century, and at one period during the reigns of Vira History. 

 BelMla and Vira Narasimha (1188-1249) the whole of Karnata g-^T" 

 as far as the Kistna was subject to their sway, " and the pro- Beildla. 

 vinces of Malabar and Kanara on the west, the Dradira country on 

 the south and east, and part of Telingana on the north-east, 

 acknowledged them, if not as immediate masters, yet as exercis- 

 ing supreme authority over them through their officers, or through 

 the native rajas as vassals and tributaries." ^ The early kings 

 were Jains. Their capital was generally at Talkdd, near Kollegal, 

 on the Kaveri, but it appears at one time to have been trans- 

 ferred to Tuluva, and again, at a later period, to Dwarasam^udra 

 near Bednore, south of the Kistna. ^ 



The founder of the race, who was probably a petty feudatory 

 of the Kongu or Chola kings, was named Sola, and obtained the 

 cognomen of Hoyi — strike {Kanarese) — from his good fortune 

 and daring in killing, at the command of a rishi, a tiger which 

 had infested the neighbourhood of the shrine of the goddess 

 Vasantaka.^ This race of kings was eminently warlike. The 

 story in the Kongu-desa Rdjakal shows them to have been con- 

 stantly in conflict with the neighbouring princes, especially those 

 of Malabar and Canara. Mr. Rice quotes from an inscription 

 how the fourth king of the line, Vishnu Varddhana (1114- 1145), 

 is related to have overthrown the Tulu and Haihaga kings, became 

 possessed of Talkad, subdued Kongu, overcame Nolambadi 

 (Chitaldrug), gained possession of Kovatur (Coimbatore), sacked 

 Toreyur, and, pas ing Vellore, took up his residence at Conjeveram. 

 The boundaries of the kingdom are given : " the lower ghaut of 

 Nangala on the east ; Kongu, Cheram and Anemal on the south; 

 the Karkanar ghaut road of Konka on the west ; and Sarimale 

 on the north.'' These southern boundaries include the Nilagiris. 

 This king's chief residence was at Beliir in Hassan, where he 

 founded the celebrated temple. He became a convert to the 

 Vishnu faith through the influence of his wife and the preaching 

 of Ramdnuja Acharya, whom " he received and trusted" when 

 fleeing from the Chola king, who sought to compel him to 

 acknowledge the supremacy of Siva, and " with great devotion 

 protected many Vishnu temples, and was a Vishnu- bakti 

 (votary of Vishnu)."^ His successors, however, were some- 

 times of the Saiva faith, but they appear generally to have 

 shown toleration towards the Jains, whose religion had ceased to 



Descriptive Catalogve, Vol. I, p. cxi. 

 Kongn-di'sa Eajokih 



The other title, Hollala, is from halam, strrn^'th. 

 Kongu-d'so. Rajakal. 



34 



