The
former military personnel, Timmana Nayaka rose
to the rank of Governor of Chitradurga as a reward for his excellence in
military achievements, from the Vijayanagara ruler. His son Obana
is known by the name Madhakari Nayaka. Madakari Nayaka's son Kasturi
Rangappa succeeded him and consolidate the kingdom to
rule peacefully . As he had no heirs to succeed him, his adopted
son - the apparent heir was enthroned but got killed in few months by the
Dalavayis.
Chikkanna Nayaka,
the brother of Madakari Nayaka II sat on the throne
in 1676, and his another brother succeeded him with the title Madakari
Nayaka-III. The unwillingness of Dalawayis to accept Madakari
Nayaka-III's rule gave an opportunity to one of the distant
relation Bharamappa Nayaka to ascend the throne
in 1689. Somehow, the subjects of Chitradurga did not experience
a good reign of their rulers as they lived on the throne for very brief
period. The Hiri Madakari Nayaka (1721
- 1748), Kasturi Rangappa Nayaka-II, Madakari
Nayaka-IV succeeded one after him and there is nothing
to mention of their rule.
During
the reign of Madakari Nayaka, the city of Chitradurga was beseiged by the
troops of Hyder Ali. A chance sighting of a woman entering the Chitradurga
fort through a crack hole in the rocks led to a clever plan by Hyder Ali
to send his soldiers through the crack hole. The defence guard on
duty of the port near that crack hole had just gone home as usual asking
his wife to guard till he is back from his lunch. The wife of that
guard, Obavva while in her temporary
seat, noticed the soldiers emerging out of this crack, Obavva was not perturbed.
As she was carrying with her, the Onake (a wooden long club meant for pounding
paddy grains) she killed and quietly moved the dead, so that hundreds of
them entered and fell, without raising any suspicion. The guard, Obavva's
husband, upon his return from his lunch was shocked to see Obavva standing
with a blood stained Onake and hundreds of dead bodies of the enemy fleet
around her. Though her sincere brave attempt saved the fort this time,
Madakari could not resist the attack of 1799 by Hyder Ali. The fort of
Chitradurga was lost for Hyder Ali once for all.
COINAGE
The
Nayakas coinage does not have anything special to mention as they are mere
copies of KrishnaDevaraya's pagodas. It could be due to lack of either
empowerment to strike their own coinage or the demand for the popular Krishna
Devaraya Pagodas. The obverse of the gold pagodas carried the same
"seated Balakrishna with butter in his right hand", but enlarged to fit
in the broader flan. The very appearance of it makes to think most
of the numismatists as it is "Durgi". It could also be due
to the fact that the breasts are shown much bigger than the stomach and
also they were known as Durgi Pagodas
(Durgi is probably due to the name [Chitra]Durga
).. The reverse carried the legend "Sri Pratapa Krishna Raya".
Both one pagoda and half pagoda were issued by them. But the fanams
bear the deformed Hoysala Shardula symbol on the obverse, but the reverse
carried pellets, line and the legend Pra in three lines respectively.
The copper coinage either was not much or unattaributable.
