Mūlki, India

History

Present-day Karnad was historically a riverside settlement. Accounts by foreign travellers indicate that, in 1623 AD, Karnad functioned as a trading centre on the banks of the river. According to the Italian travellers Barbosa (1516 AD) and Della Valle (1623 AD), the area corresponding to present-day Mulki was inundated during that period. Over time, changes in the course of the river led to the emergence of land on which Mulki later developed.

The Savant dynasty, which ruled the region from the 14th to the 18th century, initially established its capital at Elingje. The capital was later shifted successively to Seemanthoor and then to Padupanambur, where the royal family continues to reside. The book Mulkiya Savantaru, written by folk scholar Muddu Moodubelle, documents the history of Mulki and the Savant rulers.

Historically, the region was known as Volalanke (also spelled Olalanke), a name believed to refer to its geographical character as an "island within a river," as it was once surrounded by the Shambhavi River. Subsequent shifts in the river's course connected the area to the mainland. In the 16th century, the saint and poet Kanakadasa is believed to have visited the town and renamed it Mulki. The name is variously thought to be derived either from the Kannada word moolike (meaning "herb"), reflecting the area's vegetation, or from the Urdu word mulk (meaning "land").

From the History section of Mulki, India on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.