Z0» MANUAL OP THE KILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. XI. with the Torea or low-caste chief of Karugahalli near Mysore. 

 eTrly "^'^^y espoused the maiden's cause and slew the bridegroom^ and 

 HisTOEY. out of gratitude the lady became the willing bride of Vijaya, 

 who changed his religion from that of Vishnu to the Jangama, 

 and became the Wodea of Hadinad and Karugahalli. This event is 

 placed at the beginning of the fifteenth century. Little is known 

 of the history of his descendants until the reign of Chama Rdja 

 the Bold (1571-75)^ who reunited the dominion which his father 

 Betad Cham Rdj had divided between his three sons.^ This 

 monarchy taking advantage of the weakness of Vijayanagar, was 

 the first to refuse to pay tribute to its viceroy. He built or 

 repaired the fort and tower hitherto called Puragiri^^ but hence- 

 forth known and to be known to the world as Mysore (the 

 buffalo-town). His son Raja Wodear (1578-1617) ousted the 

 viceroy from Seringapatam (1610) and transferred thither the 

 seat of government, and changed the religion of the State to 

 that of Vishnu.^ It was at this time that the Wodeas of Kalala 

 (descended from the Vijayanagar family), which lies on the 

 Ootacamand- Mysore road, identified their interests with those of 

 the house of Mysore, and thenceforth the scions of this stock 

 have filled the office of Dalavaye,* minister and general, of the 

 Mysore kingdom. This alliance was perhaps in a measure due to 

 the hatred of the Wodeas of Kalala for the Wodeas of Ummatur. 

 These chiefs, who undoubtedly for a long period exercised rule 

 over the Nilagiris, and who in their adversity found a refuge 

 here, and for a time, perhaps, preserved their partial independence 

 in the Mdlekota fort near Kalhatti,^ possessed the fort of Ummatur, 

 lying three leagues to the east of Kalala near Yelandur and the 

 Billi-rangum hills. They were related to the Vijayanagar 

 viceroy, Sri Ranga Rayal, and their principality was an impor- 

 tant fief of that empire. The house of Kalala had been nearly 

 exterminated by the Ummatur chief. The survivor, on coming to 

 man's estate, allied himself to the Mysore king Rdja Wodear, who 

 thus aided, subdued Ummatur and annexed it to the Mysore 

 raj (1613). Mr. Metz mentions that there are still living 

 near Malekota Betar (huntsmen) whose ancestors were in the 

 service of the Ummatur Raja as tax-gatherers, and hence are still 

 cordially hated by the Badagas. This fact is noteworthy, as 

 it tends to show that the common view that the Badagas came 



1 WiLKS, Vol. I, Chapter II. 



'^ Said to be the same as Parikere, where the Kongu kings acquired the 

 recognition of their dominion in the fifth century. — Mysore Gazetteer, Vol. I, 

 p. 241. 



3 WiLKS, Vol. I, Chapter II. 



* Derived from dala (Kan.), army ; hence leader of an army. 



* See Mr. Brekks' Xilgherru Hilh, p. 45. 



