Belgaum city map of 1894

I have just found a Belgaum city map of 1894 from the Bombay Gazetteer.

The image was in a pdf file & of low resolution and is not very clear.

Thanks, Mr.Vilas Patil has made the present version on the image much viewable a Belgaumite, now working in Pune.

Belgaum in 1894 and now has changed. I request all the readers to send in their comments as to what changes they have found in that map and the current Belgaum.
See large size image here

Belgaum district since 1836: Did you Know This

Gen.Munro attacked Belgaum and took it from the Peshwas on 20-03-1818 & after 22 days of resistance, the Belgaum fort fell on 12-04-1818.
Belgaum was included in the Dharwad collectorate but a separate Belgaum collectorate was made in 1836. Ravenscroft took charge on May 3 as the new collector of Belgaum. In 1838, Belgaum was later made as a District head quarter.

Source: The Karnataka State Gazetteer
Contributed by MAHANTESH VAKKUND, Bangalore

Shahpur was a commercial center in 1550

The Adilshai of Bijapur ruled over Belgaum and one Sher Khan added Shahpur to Belgaum, which was originally called Shahpet in 1550. It grew to be a commercial center then.

Source: The Karnataka State Gazetteer
Contributed by MAHANTESH VAKKUND, Bangalore

Puranic Associations of Belgaum

Many places in the Belgaum district have been associated with mythological traditions. There are as many 5 Ramteerths namely 1)in the Parasgad Fort 2)at Mullur in Ramdurg 3)Near Kanbargi 4) Ramteertha in Athani & 5) in Halashi in Khanapur Taluk which are described as visited by Rama who installed Ramlinags at these places. Ramdurg fort is the place ascribed to the place where Shabri had met Rama.Sogal is the place where Sugolmuni performed penance.The Yellama Gudda is called the site where Jamadgani had lived and the dramatic evenrts of his son Prashurama beheading his mother Renuka at his fathers bidding having taken place.Jamboti is associated with Jambavati, lord Krishna's consort & Jambvant's daughter.

Source: The Karnataka State Gazetteer
Contributed by MAHANTESH VAKKUND, Bangalore

Belgaum Pune railway line

There was a severe famine in 1876-78 and this was responsible for laying of the Railway line connecting Belgaum with Pune.

The highway connecting Belgaum with Satara was constructed a bit a later during the same period.

Source: The Karnataka State Gazetteer
Contributed by MAHANTESH VAKKUND, Bangalore

Sardars High School first English school in Belgaum district

Did You Know this? Tilak -Swaraj is my Birth Right and I will have it

Did You Know this?

"Swaraj is my Birth Right and I will have it"

These inspiring words were said by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Everybody knows about it.

However, Did you know that those inspiring words were said in a meeting in Belgaum?

As part of the Home Rule movement started in 1916, Tilak confined his activity to Central and western India while Mrs.Anie Besant operated freely all over the country.

Different names of Belgaum

Source: http://kamalbasti.blogspot.com/
Mr Chipre is doing a great job for the reasearch.

No doubt India has different names, which we use them even today. India, Bharat and Hindustan all are the same. Similarly, Belgaum went through different name changes ever since the Ratta Dynasty started ruling this place.
Below are the names it achieved in the past history.
Jirnasitapura - Old Belgaum and Shahpur, the then Sapur were together called Jirnasitapura in the 7th Century. [ Refrence Pg 138 of The Indian Antiquary ]
Vamsapura, it got this name when Queen Gunavati got a offspring from King Kuntamaraya. [ Refrence - Pg 140 of The Indian Antiquary ]
Venugrama or Velugrama or Ikshugrama was the name in 805 AD [ Refrence - Pg 862 of Karnataka State Gazetteer]
Venugram in 1199AD [ Refrence - Pg 862 of Karnataka State Gazetteer]
Azamnagar [ According to Mr. Strokes (Belgaum, 45), after the fall of bijapur, the fort of Belgaum remained for several years in possession of Aurangzeb's second son Azam and from him was called Azamnagar. This seems doubtful.
According to Orme (Historical Fragments, 286-287) Belgaum was called Azamnagar under the Bijapur Kings. Refrence - Pg 547 Bombay of Gazzattee]Mustafabad [ In memory of one of its Commandants or Killedars, who thoroughly repaired and strengthened the ramparts of the Belgaum Fort. Refrence - Pg 548 of Bombay Gazetteer ]Belagugrama to Belugav to Belgavi [ Refrence - Pg 500 of Bombay Gazetteer ]
Belgaum - in 16 or 17th Century when the British East India Company were unable to pronounce the word Belgavi, they changes the name as per their accent and called it as Belgaum.
Till date, this is what we know today but not to worry as the JD(S) and BJP led coalition Govt forwarded a list of District Names of the Karnataka State to get changed and sent it to the Central Congress Govt in 2006 on the eve of 50th Year of Independence of Karnataka State. So belgaum is expecetd to get back its name from Belgaum to Belgavi.
Belgavi expected to get its name soon in near future.

Othere places name changes that were also related to Belgaum were :-
Yalur [ Refrence Book A Legend of Old Belgaum, May 1875 Pg - 139.]
Yellur as we know it today.
Sapur in 11th Century [ Refrence Pg 138 of The Indian Antiquary ]
Chapour in 1680 by the East India Company
Shahpur as we know it today.
Hrasvagiri in 11th Century [ Refrence Pg 138 of The Indian Antiquary ]Anagola [ Refrence Pg 138 of The Indian Antiquary ]
Angol as we know it today.
Kondanur in 11th Century.
Konnur as we know it today

Unknown facts about Belgaum History

This Story is taken from the http://kamalbasti.blogspot.com/
I would ask each of you to visit the blog. The contents on the said are enormous and the amount of effort put in by Bramhanand Chipre to make that blog is commendable.
How many of you knew this I Dont Know, for sure I did not know a thing about this.
From the Blog:

People don't know there is an Original Story behind Old Belgaum. But this story below will clarify your doubts.
How Belgaum was formed? Why the Jaina temples in Belgaum Fort were built?
Who built the Belgaum Fort? Etc . . . .

It is hard to believe, but the truth was written long back with evidences by a British writer GILMOUR M’CORKELL in his book THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.

He clearly tells that there were 108 Jain Temples in the premises of the present Belgaum Fort, which were demolished and overthrew by the then Musalman kings and ultimately with the same stone and pillars the Belgaum Fort as built. He also clearly mentions in the Book: Old Belgaum is said to have been found by a Jaina King

but the earliest notice that we have of it is to be found in the Gulhalli inscription 1150 AD."[ Reference Book A Legend of Old Belgaum, May 1875 Pg - 139 ].

A LEGEND OF OLD BELGAUMBy: GILMOUR M’CORKELL, Bo. C. S.

The Legend
There was a poet by name Sarasijabhavanandana, belonging to the ancient Jaina cast, and an inhabitant of Belgaum. He has composed in Old Kanarese language a short history of kings. Having, by means of rhetorical and an ornate Sanskrit expressions, applied such epithets as ripen as if they were plentiful given in the Karnataka Country, he has complied an account of Belgaum. In it we obtain full information of those kings who formerly were, their names, their good qualities, their castes, and the virtuous deeds that they preformed. And memorials of the acts which were done by those same kings are to be met with, even in the present day, in Belgaum, and are as written below :-

Sapur and Belgaum were formerly collectively called Jirnasitapura, and there lived there governor of the city of Samantapattana, whose name was Kuntamaraya, a Jaina by caste, very religious and compassionate. So the people had great joy and happiness. One day (it happened that) one hundred and eight Jaina sages, -- who had come from the South Country into the forest of Anagola, of which the name was formerly Hrasvagiri -- remained there all night, because their rules did not permit them to advance a single footstep during the darkness. When this news reached Kuntamaraya, the King, with the expressed assent of his wife Gunavati, went out to the sages and, having preformed respectful obeisance, besought them as follows :- “

Oh mighty saints, take pity upon me and bestow your favour upon me, so that my region may become famous.” But, as their custom was never to say anything at night, they held no converse with the king. Accordingly the king returned home in great despondency, (and, as he was going) sparks of fire fell from the torches, and the dry forest was set on fire, and all those sages were burnt to ashes.On the following day, in the early morning the king again went into the forest and saw all those Jaina sages had been consumed. When they saw this, both husband and wife were much terrified and began to consider. Accordingly there and then, he proposed a plan to Gunavati, where by these Jaina sages might attain the state of final emancipation, -- as follows: - “Let us bring stones and build 108 temples, and, when we have performed worship to them, I shall accomplish the propagation of offspring.” When he has so said, they returned home, and, and in accordance with the above plan, he caused to build 108 Jaina temples at that very place where are even at the present day some Jaina Temples in the Fort of Belgaum. After he had initiated into the mysteries of the Jaina faith and had reigned for some time, Gunavati at length became pregnant. And now, although he had been very anxious that his wife should have children, his dread of not having any offspring vanished. On this account he gave to Belgaum the name of Vamsapura. Now the word in Marathi for Vamsa is Bel. In this manner we arrive at the name Belgaum.

Afterwards they lived in Old Belgaum, Santa the son of Kuntam the king of Savantavadi, famous, deeply learned in the mysterious of the Jaina religion, thoroughly skilled in the worship of the gods of forefather, very brave, and lauded by prince who are born in the races of the Sun and Moon, a supporter of the rules of the faith of the Kshatriyas, a protector of Jaina sages, very skilful in bestowing on the temples of Jinendra that wealth which consists in courtesans, &c. He had fourteen wives. The chief of there wives, by name Padmavati, was very famous. She had a son by Santa named Anantavirya. One day, attended by his retinue of maid-servants, &c. he (Santa) went to the river Sundarsana near Yalur for the purpose of playing in the water, and in the lake of Nagasarovara he met his death by a thunderbolt. Then three ministers of state came from Savantavadi and crowned Anantavirya King. He also reigned according to the customs of his fathers. One day, many sages, along whom Sudarsana was the chief, arrived. When he has made respectful obeisance to them, Anantavirya inquired concerning his ancestors, and those sages recounted from their Puranas the above story in which has been related to fate of King Santa. Afterwards there was a king of his race and lineage by name Mallikarjuna. During his reign a famous Musalman by name Asta Khan (Asad Khan) came from Bengal, and, Asta Khan acquired the kingdom of treachery, he deposed him (Mallikarjuna), overthrew those one hundred and eight Jaina temples, and built a fort. Even at the present time we find stones (belonging to those in the fort).