JYSORE. 93 centuries, though latterly they became feudatories of the Chalukvas. The Kongus or Gangas, who were contemporary with the Kadambas, governed the southern part of llysore with Coimbatore. Their capital was at first at Kárur in the latter District, and afterwards at Talkad on the Káveri, where their dynasty was subverted by the Cholas in the 9th century. The numerous inscriptions of this family indicate that the earlier sovereigns professed the Jain faith, which, about the 2nd century A.D., was relinquished for Brahmanism. Another ancient race was that of the Pallavas, who held a portion of the eastern side of Vysore, but were overcome by the Chalukyas in the 7th century, though they maintained a strong rivalry till the ioth. The latter powerful dynasty came from the north of India in the 4th century, and conquered an extensive territory, part of which they retained till the close of the 12th century, when the Ballála chiefs overthrew them and annexed what remained of their dominions. The Cholas do not appear to have ruled in Mysore for more than a century and a half. Another line of kings, the Kalachurias, was equally short-lived. The Hoysala Ballála kings, who professed the Jain faith, were an enterprising and warlike race. They brought under their doninion all the western, central, and southern parts of the State as now existing, besides portions of Coimbatore, Salem, and Dharwar. They ruled till 1310, at Dwárásamudra (or Druírkutati Patan), now Halebid; but in that year, Málik Káfur, the general of the Emperor Alá-ud-din of Delhi, took the Ballála king prisoner and sacked the town. Sixteen years later Dwárásamudra was entirely destroyed by another force, sent by Muhammad Tughlak (cf. Briggs' Ferishta, vol. i. pp. 373-413). Several temples still remain, both of the earlier Jain period and of the later kings, who reverted to Bráhmanism. Among these last, the Hoysaleswara Temple ranks as one of the architectural wonders of India. After the subversion of the Hoysala Ballála dynasty, a new and powerful Hindu sovereignty arose at Vijayanagar on the Tungabhadra. This city was founded in 1336 by Hakka and Bukka, said to have been two high officials of the court of Warangal. Hakka took the title of Harihara, and gave to his dynasty the name of Narsinha, between whom and the Musalman kings of the Báhmani line there was continuous rivalry, leading to frequent wars, which continued even after the dismemberment of the Bahmani kingdom. In 1565, four out of the five Musalmán kings of the Deccan united against Ráma Raja, the sovereign of Vijayanagar, who was defeated and slain in the famous battle of Tálikot (1565); and his descendants, after maintaining their authority for some time at Penukonda and Chandragiri farther south, became extinct as a ruling house. During the feeble rule of the last Narsinlia princes at Penukonda, the petty local chiefs, generally
