Paleyagars

Paleyagar families-During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Vijayanagara kings had bestowed on the vassal chiefs, bearing various titles, sundry tracts in their kingdom. Such of these estate-holders or Paleyagars as were in the northern part of the kingdom were controlled directly from the capital, while those in the south were placed under a viceroy whose- seat of government was at Srirangapattana. After the fall of the empire, some of these chiefs became independent, though many of them continued to pay allegiance to the representatives of the State at Penugonda. But after the fall of the fourth dynasty of Vijayanagara, most of these broke off and declared their independence.

Inscriptions belonging to a number of such Paleyagar families have been found in various parts of the district. More important of these families are those of Chitradurga, Harati, Hatti, Mattinadu, Rayadurga, Beluru and Sante-Bennuru. Of these, the last three had their headquarters outside this district. Their history need not, therefore, be traced in detail here. Suffice it to say that a few inscriptions belonging to the Rayadurga family have been found in the northern part of the district and a few belong­ing to the other two families, in the western and southern parts. An account of the remaining four families, which properly belong to this district, is given in the following paragraphs.

Courtesy : Gazetteer of India, Chitradurga District, 1967.