Hande Hanumappa Nayaka

Hanumappa Nayaka was vassal king of Ballari and Anantapur under Vijayanagara empire he founded the city of New Ballari and established Hande dynasty, he was born to Laxmigouda and Devakki in a Nadgouda(Village chief) family of the Veerashaiva Hande clan(Handevazir) in present day Bijapur. initially, he served as a chieftain in the court of Ibrahim Adil Shah I of Bijapur, where he gained the title of Badshahi Vazir, and was rewarded with ownership of 11 parganas(1 Paragana equals 48 Villages) Thus, to this day, a branch of his descendants calls themselves Hande Vazir/Handevazir. According to the Ballari and Kurugodu Kaifiyat, it is believed that once Hande Hanumappa Nayaka was summoned to the court of Bijapur. He arrived there with his five sons. The Badshah, upon seeing his sons, asked him to hand over one of them so that he could be converted to Islam. Hande Hanumappa Nayaka, was deeply enraged by this demand and boldly retorted, "Hand over one of your wives to me, and I shall give you sons like mine." Offended by his defiance, the Badshah ordered the captivity of Hanumappa and his five sons. However, Hande Hanumappa Nayaka managed to evade capture by the Sultan’s forces, successfully crossing the Krishna River to escape. Later he became a prominent commander in the Vijayanagar Empire played a crucial role in consolidating the power of Rama Raya during the Vijayanagara Civil War against the Salakamraju Tirumala brothers. His military expertise and leadership were instrumental in securing Rama Raya's victory, solidifying his dominance in the empire. Hanumappa Nayaka's greatest achievement came in 1543 during the Battle of Kalyani, where he led the Vijayanagar forces to a victory against the combined armies of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, and Golconda. Impressed by the victory Rama Raya bestowed upon him the lands in the eastern country Nandyala, Bukkarayasamudram, Anantapur, Dharmavaram, Kanekal and in the west, Ballari and Kurgodu