Kittur

On the outskirts of the town lie the ruins of the palace within a fort. The palace was the residence of the Rani Chennamma.

In the 18th century, Kittur was ruled by the Marathas, until the Third Anglo-Maratha War, when it came under British suzerainty.[1]

Kittur was ruled by Mallasaraja in the early 19th century. His only son predeceased him, and subsequently, he was succeeded by his wife, Queen Chennamma.

In connection with a disputed succession to this chiefship in 1824, St John Thackeray, Commissioner of Dharwad, was killed in a battle when approaching the Kittur fort. Later another unit stormed Kittur and captured Queen Chennamma, who was imprisoned in Bailhongal Jail where she died. Rani Chennamma became a legend.

Her death was followed by subsequent revolts by her general Rayanna, who was also considered a hero, destroying many British officers and records. He was later hanged in 1831.

The town lends its name to the fictitious coastal town (Belgaum District has no coast, which rules out the real Kittur being the setting) 2008 novel Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga

• Rani Chennamma
• St John Thackeray attack on Kittur
• Belgaum
• Bailhongal

• Kittur Fort on Google Maps

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Kittur". Encyclopædia Britannica. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 841.