Mysore and Coorg from the Inscriptions c14.8

c14.8

The Śaiva reformer Śankarāchārya opposed the Jains and revived Śiva worship in the eighth century, when also he founded the Śringēri maṭha in the Kadūr District (Sg 11). But in the middle of the twelfth century took place the Vīra Śaiva revival, a revolt against Brāhmanism, promoted by Basava, the minister of the Kalachurya king Bijjala, which resulted in the establishment of the Jangama, Śivāchāra, or Lingāyit faith, the popular religion to this day of the Kannaḍa-speaking peoples. Into this great numbers of Jains were merged, while Jain images and temples were converted to Linga use. Ck 21 mentions the Shōdaśar or Sixteen, a special class of Lingavantas. The Keladi kings, the Changālvas, the Bhairarasu-Woḍeyars, the Coorg Rājas, and other smaller states, professed the Lingāyit creed, which was also adopted by the Mysore Rājas in conjunction with the Vaishnava faith of their origin.