Pakistan is a paradigm example of a failed state that has undergone an extremely dangerous form of radical Islamisation.
Karnataka
Karnataka, called as Karunadu (elevated land) in ancient times. The earliest
find of the stone age period in India was a hand axe at Lingasugur in Raichur
district. The plateau of Karnataka is said to have been associated to the
happenings in the Epic Ramayana. It witnessed a horde of historical activities
since the ancient prehistoric civilization. Legends associate it to the Kingdom
of the grandfathers of Bhagirath and to the Lord Shiva. The Ashoka's rock edicts
found in the state indicate that major parts of Northern Karnataka were under
the Mauryas. Chandragupta Maurya, the great Indian emperor abdicated the throne
and embraced Jainism at Shravanabelagola. Adding new dimensions to the cultural
and spiritual ethos of the land, many great dynasties left their imprint upon
the aesthetic development of Karnataka's art forms. Prominent among them were
the Chalukyas, the Hoysalas and the mighty Vijayanagara Empire. The Chalukyan's
built some of the very early Hindu temples in India. Aihole turned up as an
experimental base for the dynamic creations of architects. The Hoysala's who
ruled from the 11th to the 13th century chiseled their way into the pages of
glory by building more than 150 temples, each one is a master piece in its own
way. The amazing dexterity and fluidity of expressions at Somnathpur, Halebid
and Belur open themselves to the wide eyed wonder in one's eyes. Vijayanagara,
the greatest of all medieval Hindu empires and one of the greatest the world
over, fostered the development of intellectual pursuits and fine arts. "The eye
of the pupil has never seen a place like it and the ear of intelligence has
never been informed that there existed anything to equal it in the world" is
what Abdur Razaaq the Persian ambassador had to say about Krishnadevaraya's
time.
The Vijayanagara empire with its capital at Hampi fell a victim to the marauding
army of the Deccan Sultan in 1565 A.D. As a consequence of this, Bijapur became
the most important city of the region. This city is a land of monuments and
perhaps no other city except Delhi has as many monuments as Bijapur. The Bahmani
Shahis and the Adilshahis of Bijapur have played a notable part in the history
of Karnataka by their contribution to the field of art and architecture and also
by their propagation of Islam in the state.
Hyder Ali and his valiant son Tipu Sultan are notable figures in the history of
the land. They expanded the Mysore kingdom on an unprecedented scale and by
their resistance against the British, became personages of world fame. Tipu
Sultan "Tiger of Karnataka" was killed in 1799 A.D., and the Mysore throne was
handed over to the Wodeyar's. The whole of Karnataka came under the control of
the British in the beginning of the 19th century. The new state was named as new
Mysore and the Maharaja of Mysore was appointed Governor by Independent India.
This unified state was renamed as Karnataka on November 1, 1973.
