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Keladi Chennamma
Keladi Chennamma (died 1696) was queen regnant of the Keladi Nayaka Kingdom also called 'Ikkeri Nayakas' in Karnataka between 1672 and 1697.
Chennamma was born in the household of a man called Siddappa Shetty, who was a native merchant in the region of Kundapur, Karnataka. She married King Somashekara Nayaka in 1667 CE.
After Somashekhara Nayaka's death in 1672, Chennamma efficiently handled the administration of the Keladi Nayaka dynasty. During her reign of 25 years, she repelled the advance of the Mughal Army led by Aurangzeb from her military base in the kingdom of Keladi located in Sagara, Karnataka, India. She adopted Basavappa Nayaka, one of her close relatives who succeeded as Hiriya Basappa Nayaka. Channagiri is named after her.
The reign of Rani Chennamma is regarded as a period of significant administrative consolidation and economic stability for the Keladi Nayaka kingdom. She continued the Shist land revenue system established by Shivappa Nayaka, but introduced "tax holidays" for farmers clearing new forest lands in the Malnad region to expand the agrarian base.
Chennamma maintained a state-controlled monopoly on the black pepper trade, which was the kingdom's primary export. She also rendered a trade agreement with the Portuguese involving commodities like pepper and rice. She skillfully balanced relations with European powers, signing the Treaty of Barkur in 1678 with the Portuguese, which ensured that the Keladi state retained sovereignty over coastal ports while collecting fixed customs duties (Sulkas).
Despite being a devout Veerashaiva, her administration practiced religious pluralism. In 1691, she issued a series of copper-plate grants to the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, granting the village of Kuduvalli as Sarvamanya (tax-free) land.
She also permitted the Portuguese to establish churches at Mirjan, Honnavara, Chandavara and Kalyanpura.
In anticipation of Mughal incursions, Chennamma overhauled the kingdom's defensive infrastructure. She moved the primary treasury and administrative records to the mountain fortress of Bidanur (Nagara). The fort was upgraded with a three-tier defense system, including stone-lined water channels and a network of granaries (Kothis) to withstand long sieges.
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Keladi Chennamma
Keladi Chennamma (died 1696) was queen regnant of the Keladi Nayaka Kingdom also called 'Ikkeri Nayakas' in Karnataka between 1672 and 1697.
Chennamma was born in the household of a man called Siddappa Shetty, who was a native merchant in the region of Kundapur, Karnataka. She married King Somashekara Nayaka in 1667 CE.
After Somashekhara Nayaka's death in 1672, Chennamma efficiently handled the administration of the Keladi Nayaka dynasty. During her reign of 25 years, she repelled the advance of the Mughal Army led by Aurangzeb from her military base in the kingdom of Keladi located in Sagara, Karnataka, India. She adopted Basavappa Nayaka, one of her close relatives who succeeded as Hiriya Basappa Nayaka. Channagiri is named after her.
The reign of Rani Chennamma is regarded as a period of significant administrative consolidation and economic stability for the Keladi Nayaka kingdom. She continued the Shist land revenue system established by Shivappa Nayaka, but introduced "tax holidays" for farmers clearing new forest lands in the Malnad region to expand the agrarian base.
Chennamma maintained a state-controlled monopoly on the black pepper trade, which was the kingdom's primary export. She also rendered a trade agreement with the Portuguese involving commodities like pepper and rice. She skillfully balanced relations with European powers, signing the Treaty of Barkur in 1678 with the Portuguese, which ensured that the Keladi state retained sovereignty over coastal ports while collecting fixed customs duties (Sulkas).
Despite being a devout Veerashaiva, her administration practiced religious pluralism. In 1691, she issued a series of copper-plate grants to the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, granting the village of Kuduvalli as Sarvamanya (tax-free) land.
She also permitted the Portuguese to establish churches at Mirjan, Honnavara, Chandavara and Kalyanpura.
In anticipation of Mughal incursions, Chennamma overhauled the kingdom's defensive infrastructure. She moved the primary treasury and administrative records to the mountain fortress of Bidanur (Nagara). The fort was upgraded with a three-tier defense system, including stone-lined water channels and a network of granaries (Kothis) to withstand long sieges.