Nellore

Nellore

Nellore (Telugu: నెల్లూరు,Urdu: نیلور‎) is a city and municipal corporation in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The administrative headquarters of Sri Potti Sri Ramulu Nellore district (formerly Nellore district), Nellore is the 6th most populous city in Andhra Pradesh and the 89th most populous city in India. The ancient name of Nellore was "Vikrama Simhapuri".

Recently the villages of near Nellore city over 15 panchayats is merged into Nellore municipal corporation on issuing state government GOMs number145 released on march 26,2013. These panchayats population nearly 1.2 lakhs is now under ruling by corporation of Nellore.Now the city population reached up to 6.7 lakhs.

Nellore is situated about 453 kilometres (281 mi) south east of Hyderabad, the state capital, and about 173 kilometres (107 mi) north ofChennai on the Chennai-Kolkata national highway. It is located on the banks of the Penneru river. Nellore is well known for its production ofmica, handmade gold jewellery, lemon, aquaculture and agricultural products such as rice. It is also famous for its temples like Sri Erukalala Parameswari Devi Temple, Ranganathaswamy Temple, Narasimha Swamy Konda, Jonnavada Kamakshi Ammavari Temple, Golagamudi Venkaya Swami Temple, Rajarajeswari temple and Penchala Kona among others. It is one of the fastest developing cities in Andhra Pradesh.

The word Nellore is combination of two Tamil words Nel+oor(நெல் + ஊர் = நெல்லூர்) which means Paddy Town in Tamil language.(Gazetteer of the Nellore District)

History 

Tamil inscriptions indicate that it formed part of cholas kingdom till their decline in the thirteenth century A.D (Gazetteer of South India).Nellore was known by the name of Vikrama Simhapuri till the 13th century. The city had an important role in the emergence of the Telugu language and the formation of the state of Andhra Pradesh. It had been under the rule of Maurya Dynasty,Kharavela of Chedi dynasty, Satavahanas, Kakatiyas, Pallavas, Cholas, Eastern Gangas of Kalinga Empire, Telugu Cholas, Pandyas, Vijayanagara Empire, Arcot Nawabs and other dynasties.

Mauryan and Pallava Empires 

Nellore first came under Mauryan influence and was part of the Ashokan Empire in the 3rd century B.C.. It was next included in the Pallava Empire between the fourth and sixth century A.D..

Nellore Chodas (Telugu Chodas of Nellore)

There was a branch of the Telugu Chodas which ruled from Nellore and were the chieftains of the Kakatiyas. The Telugu poet, Tikkana, in the introduction of his Nirvachanottara Ramayanamu, gave an account of the history and antecedents of this family. These Chodas also claimed descent from the famous Karikala Chola. They ruled over their kingdom consisting of the Nellore,Cuddapah, Chittoor and Chengalput districts with Vikrama Simhapuri (modern Nellore) as their capital. Chola Bijjana was the first important chief in the Nellore Choda clan. As a feudatory of theWestern Chalukya Someswara I (1042–1068) of Kalyani, he took part in the wars of the Chalukyas and Cholas. In recognition of the loyalty and services of his descendants to the Chalukyas of Kalyani, Vikramadiya II (1076–1126) appointed them as rulers of Pakanadu.

Later Tikka (1223–1248), father of the famous king Manumasiddhi II, extended the sway of the Nellore Telugu Chola family as far south as the Kaveri river. He owed nominal allegiance to the already crippled Chalukya-Chola emperors of the south, but was practically an independent ruler. Along with the Hoysala king Vira Narasimha, he helped the Chalukya-Chola ruler Rajaraja Chola III in restoring him back to his throne by repulsing the attacks of Aniyanka Bhima, Kopperunchinga II and the Pandyas. Subsequently, when the Vira Narasimha's successor Vira Someshwara, desirous of making the Chalukya-Chola ruler a puppet in his hands, joined hands with the Pandyas and attacked Rajendra III, Choda Tikka came to the rescue of the Chola emperor. He defeated both the Hoyasala and the Pandyan forces and got thereby the Tondaimandalam region for himself. He even assumed the title Cholasthapanacharya. During the reign of Tikka's son and successor Manumasiddhi II (1248–1263), the power of the Nellore Cholas was at its lowest ebb.

In the year 1260, a dangerous feud broke out between Manumasiddhi and Katamaraju, the chief of Erragaddapadu in Kanigiri region. The feud was on the issue of the rights of the two princes to use certain wide meadows as grazing grounds for their flocks of cattle. It led to the fierce engagement of the two sides and the bloody battle was fought at Panchalingala on the Paleru river. Manumasiddhi's forces led by Khadga Tikkana, the cousin of poet Tikkana won the battle, but the leader perished. This feud and the consequent battle formed the theme of the popular ballad entitled Katamaraju Katha. Shortly after this disastrous battle, Manumasiddhi II died. With the death of Manumasiddhi II, the Nellore kingdom lost its individuality, became a battle ground between the Kakatiyas and the Pandyas and changed hands frequently. In the reign of the Kakatiya ruler Prataparudra II, the Nellore region became part and parcel of the Kakatiya empire and lost its political significance.

British Raj and post-independence

Centuries later, Nellore district was taken over by the British from the Arcot Nawabs and was part of the Madras Presidency of British India. During the British rule, the district was at peace and did not undergo any major political changes, though many people from the district took part in the Indian Independence Movement.

The period after Indian independence brought about major political changes in the district. Until 1 November 1953, the district was part of the Madras state (present-day Tamil Nadu), but on 1 November 1953 when the states were reorganised on the basis of linguistic differences, the state of Andhra Pradesh came into existence, of which the Telugu-majority Nellore became a part. During that time, Nellore played an important role in the formation of the state. Potti Sriramulu, a freedom fighter, Gandhian and Telugu activist, who fasted until death for the formation of Andhra Pradesh, hailed from Nellore.