History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c74.s1: § 1. The Eastern Karnatak and its divisions.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c74.s1
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§ 1. The Eastern Karnatak and its divisions.
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The Eastern or Madras Karnatak, which we must distinguish from the Western Karnatak or the Kanarese-speaking division of the Bombay Presidency, extends from near the 15th degree of north latitude to the Kaveri river in the south. In the late 17th century it was divided into two halves by the Palar river, or an imaginary line in the southern part of the North Arcot district, slanting from Vellore to Sadras. These two parts were called Haidarabadi Karnatak and Bijapuri Karnatak respectively, and each of them was further sub-divided into uplands (*balaghat*, in Persian) and plains (*payinghat*). The upland of Haidarabadi Karnatak began south of Nandiyal (a frontier fort of Bijapur territory) and included Sidhout, Gandikota, Guti, Garamkonda and Kadapa,—the last-mentioned town being its seat of government. Bijapuri Balaghat lay west of Haidarabadi Karnatak and included the Sera and Bangalore districts of Mysore and their dependent zamindaris, Sera being the governor's head-quarters.
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Coming down to the lowlands, Haidarabadi Karnatak embraced the sea-coast from Gantur to Sadras.* Bijapuri Payinghat cannot be precisely demarcated, as it was in a disturbed state in 1689. It extended south and west of the Palar river, from Sadras (12·30 degree of north latitude) to Tanjore. The whole of this tract belonged to Bijapur in theory, having been conquered by Adil Shahi forces in the middle of the 17th century. But the conquests had not been consolidated, the authority of the central Government was feebly exerted in this most distant frontier province, much of the country was still in the hands of unsubdued poligars or petty local chieftains, and Adil Shah only held certain forts and their environs; but even in these his authority was exercised by his nobles, who were independent in all but the name. This situation was further complicated by Shivaji's invasion and conquest of the country (1677-78).† But even as the result of that conquest, the entire region did not pass into Maratha possession. Muslim and Hindu servants of the defeated Government maintained themselves here and there, though with diminished territory, and diversified the political geography of what was once Bijapuri Karnatak Payinghat. The new Maratha Government of the South Arcot district (capital, Jinji) wisely ensured a portion of its territorial acquisitions by a sort of armed truce with the Maharajah of Tanjore and the local poligars.
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∗ Wilkes, i. 134—136 (Madras reprint.) Kaep. 101. Manucci (Storia, iii. 242) says that the two Karnataks were separated by the Marakkanam river,—the Bijapuri extending to Porto Novo and the Haidarabadi to Sadras. As for Telingana (or the Gingerlee Country, as it is called in the Madras Factory Records), it stretched along the coast from the Krishna northwards to the frontier of Orissa and included Masulipatam (the capital), Vizagapatam, and Chicacole. It formed a separate province, under its own viceroy.
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† Described in my Shivaji, ch. 10.