Tulu Nadu, or Tulunad, is a region and a proposed state on the southwestern coast of India. The region is predominantly inhabited by the Tulu people, also known as Tuluva, who speak Tulu, a Dravidian language. The former district encompassed the territories of the contemporary Dakshina Kannada (Kudla) and Udupi (Odipu) of Karnataka State, and Kasaragod district (Kasrod) of Kerala state. These areas collectively form the cultural region of the Tuluver.
Historically, Tulu Nadu lies between the Gangavalli River (Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka) and Chandragiri/Payaswini River (Kasaragod district of Kerala). Despite its distinct cultural identity, the region is not recognized as an official administrative entity.
Kudla (Mangaluru) is the largest city in Tulu Nadu, the third-largest city by area, and the fifth-largest by population in Karnataka. Udupi (Odipu) and Kasarogod (Kasrod) are two other major cities in this region, both located on the Kerala-Karnataka border.
The term "Tulunadu" appears as "Tuḷu Nāṭṭu" in Akananuru, a classical Tamil poetic work that is part of the "Eight Anthologies" (Ettuthokai) — a collection of Sangam literature composed over 2000 years ago.
Etymology
According to Keralolpathi, the name Tuluva comes from the name of one of the Cheraman Perumal kings of Kerala, who located their residence in the northern portion of their dominions just before its separation from Kerala, and was called Tulubhan Perumal. According to the 17th-century Malayalam work Keralolpathi, the lands of Kerala and Tulu Nadu were recovered from the Arabian Sea by the ax-wielding warrior sage Lord Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu (hence, Kerala is also called Parasurama Kshetram, 'The Land of Parasurama'). Parasurama threw his ax across the sea, and the water receded as far as it reached. According to legend, this new area of land extended from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. The land which rose from sea was filled with salt and unsuitable for habitation; so Parashurama invoked the Snake King Nagaraja Vasuki, who spat holy poison known as Halahala and converted the soil into fertile lush green land. Out of respect, Vasuki and all snakes were appointed as protectors and guardians of the land. P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar theorised that Cheran Senguttuvan may have been inspired by the Parashurama legend, which was brought by early Aryan settlers.
History
thumb|Extent of the [[Alupa kingdom|left]]thumb|A regional map of Tulu Nadu in [[Karnataka. Tulu Nadu also includes Kasaragod district of Kerala state.|left]]
Ancient period
According to the works of Sangam literature (300 BCE – 300 CE), Tulu Nadu was one of the 12 socio-geographical regions included in the ancient Tamilakam. Tulu Nadu likely formed part of ancient Kerala (Chera dynasty), where the western coastal dialect of Middle Tamil was spoken. It must have separated from Tamilakam sometime between 300 CE and 500 CE, when the Kadambas invaded the northern portions of Chera kingdom. Historically, Tulu Nadu included the two separate lands of Haiva and Tuluva. The longest-ruling and oldest known native dynasty of Tulu Nadu was that of the Alupas ( 5th – 14th century CE).
During the rule of Vijayanagara, Tulu Nadu was administered in two parts – Mangaluru Rajya and Barkuru Rajya. Tulu Nadu was governed by the native feudatories of the Vijayanagara Empire until the 18th century. These feudatories gained power towards the end of the Alupa period. An Old Malayalam inscription (Ramanthali inscriptions), dated to 1075, mentioning king Kunda Alupa, the ruler of Alupa dynasty of Mangalore, can be found at Ezhimala (the former headquarters of Mushika dynasty), near Payyanur, in Kerala State.
Notable among them were the Chowtas of Ullal and Moodabidri (), Ajilas of Venur (c. 1418–1800 CE), the Savanta or Samantha Rajas of Mulki (c. 1411–1700 CE), the Bhairahawa Ideas of Karkala (c. 1240–1650 CE), the Tolaharas of Suralu (c. 1139–1800 CE), the Bangas of Bangadi (c.1410–1800 CE), the Rajas of Kumbla (c. 12th century – 1800 CE), and the Rajas of Vitla (c. 1436–1800 CE).
The region became extremely prosperous during the Vijayanagara period, with Barkur and Mangalore gaining importance. After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Keladi Nayakas of Ikkeri controlled much of Tulu Nadu. Over the following centuries, more ethnic groups migrated to the area. Konkanis from Goa arrived by sea, as Mangaluru was a major port that served not only the Portuguese but also the Arabs for maritime trades. Jains were already a prominent group and even today are uniquely preserved in Tulu Nadu. Though small in number, the Jains left behind indelible reminders of their glory with temples (bastis), (mandirs) in (Moodabidri) and monolithic statues of the Jain god Bahubali in Karkala, Venoor and Dharmasthala. In the 16th century, there was a large influx of Catholics to Tulu Nadu from Goa.
Under Portuguese rule, the region was called the Misao do Sul (Mission of the South). In the mid- to late-18th century, it was conquered by Hyder Ali, the de facto ruler of Mysore. After the British defeated Haidar's successor Tipu Sultan in 1799, the region was attached to the Madras Presidency before being reverted to the state of Mysore after independence. Mangalore played a prominent role in Tipu's battles with the British. The British gained full control by 1801 (Mysore has since been renamed Karnataka). The British ruled the region with Madras (now Chennai) as its headquarters. Under the British, the region was organized into the districts of North Canara and South Canara respectively.]]
When the states were reorganized on a linguistic basis in 1956, Tulu Nadu (South Canara), which was earlier a part of Madras Presidency, and North Canara, which was a part of Bombay Presidency, became part of the newly formed Mysore state, which was later renamed as Karnataka. Kasaragod became part of the newly formed state of Kerala. The Tuluvas began demanding official language status for Tulu and a separate state named Tulu Nadu for themselves. Organizations like the Tulu Rajya Horata Samiti have taken up the cause of the Tuluvas, and meetings and demonstrations were held at towns like Mangalore and Udupi to voice their demand.
Demographics
left|thumbnail|[[South Canara in 1909]]