Freedom Fighters of Karnataka
First Online: Golden Jubilee of Karnataka State
Page Last Updated: August 20, 2024
Introduction
This is a list of prominent leaders from Karnataka who assumed leadership roles during India's epic freedom struggle against the British. When available, the names have been hyper-linked to the portraits or biographies on Kamat's Potpourri website.
It is important to remember that at the time of India's freedom (in 1947) there was no Karnataka as we know today. Instead, it was scattered in twenty different administrative blocks, kingdoms and administrations. Many historians have felt that in fighting for India, the people of Karnataka were fighting for Karnataka itself.
This is a long list, and an incomplete one at that (please suggest
additions to 
). But I felt compelled to start this list to remember
the people who sacrificed their careers, savings, and family lives to build the
nation of India and unite Karnataka as a state. It includes lawyers, teachers,
social workers, and many journalists and writers who took to activism to spread
the gospel of freedom in rural Karnataka.
-Vikas Kamat
Not listed in any particular order.
- Karnad Sadashiva Rao of Mangalore
- N.S. Hardikar
- V.N. O'key
- K.G. Gokhale
- R.S. Hukkerikar
- Sugandhi Murigappa Siddappa
- T. Subramanyam
- S. Nijalingappa
- Nittur Srinivasa Rao
- Narayan S. Rajpurohit
- G.R. Pandeshwar
- Alur Venkata Rao
- Galaganath
- Shantakavi
- Subodha Ramarao
- Gangadhar Rao Deshpande of Belgaum
- Govindrao Yalagi
- Annacharya Hosakeri
- Srinivasrao Kaujalagi of Vijapur
- Hanumanth Rao Deshpande
- Dattopant Majali of Belgaum
- Krishnarao Karaguppi
- Narayanarao Joshi
- Hanumanthrao Kaujalagi
- Ramakrishna Karanth of Mangalore
- Rangarao Tilgul
- Vasudev Rao Kollali of Sirsi
- Jayarao Naragund of Bagalkot
- Ananth Rao Jalihal of Gadag
- Madhwarao Kabbur of Dharwad
- D.K. Bharadwaj
- Hiriydka Ramarao Mallya
- Hanumanth Rao Mohare
- Chouda Nayak of Uttara Kannada
- Timmappa Nayak of Uttara Kannada
- Ranganath Diwakar
- K. Vasudevacharya
- B. Venkatacharya
- M.P. Nadkarni
- Da.Pa. Karamkar
- Ramarao Hukkerikar
- Srinivas Mallya
- Swami Ramanand Teerth, who also served as the President of Hyderabad State Congress
- Veerana Gowda Patil
- Tippayya Master
- Betageri Krishnasharma
- S.N. Holla
- D.R. Bendre
- Shivaram Karanth
- Balachandra Ghanekar -- founder of Samaj Pustakalaya, Dharward
- Tirumale Rajamma
- Shridhar Kanolakar
- Dinakar Desai
- Goruru Ramaswamy Iyengar
- Hardekar Manjappa
- Burli Bindumadhav
- M. Venkatakrishnaiah
- Muduvidu Krishnarao
- H.K. Veerannagowda
- B.N. Gupta of "Prajamata" weekly
- Agaram Rangayya
- P.R. Ramayya
- L.S. Patil
- Srinivasrao Mangalavede
- Ramaraya Mallya who ran the "Satyagrahi" periodical
- Narasimha Shanbhag of "Kanada Vritta"
- T.B. Keshavrao
- P. Belliyappa
- Ganesh Yaji
- Gopal Deshpande
- Ti.Ta. Sharma
- V.B. Puranik
- A.B. Shetty
- Siddavanahalli Krishnasharma
- Sali Ramachandraraya
- Bhimrao Balaji Potdar of Belgaum
- Tippanna Shastri Kalli
- S.V. Krishnamurthy Rao
- K. Chengalaraya Reddy
- Vaman Srinivas Kudva
- M.N. Jois of Mysore
- Tagaduru Ramachandra Rao
- A.N. Suryanarayana Rao of Mysore
- S.K. Kareem Khan
- H.S. Doreswamy
- H. Narasimaih
- Ramachandra Mukund Prabhu (a.k.a. Dayanand Prabhu) of Shiroor, Ankola
- S.R. Haldipur of Karwar
- Arvindrao Kulkarni of Satti, in Belgaum
- Alur Rangaramaiah of Mysore
- V.B. Naik of Dharwad who also edited Samyukta Karnataka
- M. Ramamurthy(1918-1967)
- B.Puttaswami (b. 1897)
- Manjayya Sheregar of Mangaluru
- A.N. Krishna Rao
- Anandannnappa Jnanappa Doddamati of Dharwad
- V.R. Huilgol
- V.V. Patil
- Timmappa Rudrappa Nesvi
- BheemRaom Chitgopker of Bhalki, Bidar District
- Sripadrao Karagurdi of Dharwad
- P.C. Jakati
- Mahadev Mailar of Haveri
- Narayanrao (Mirji) Sharma of Hubli
- C.M. Poonacha of Coorg
- Brothers Dewansaheb Janvekar and Khalilullah Janvekar of Vijapur
- Kudpi Vasudeva Shenoy of Mangalore (1907-1977)
- Raghupati P. Shenvi of Karwar who participated in the Salt Satyagraha in Ankola and Karwar
- Kadubettu Srinivas Pai who built a "Khadi Bhandar" in Mangalore in 1934.
Women Freedom Fighters of Karnataka
- Umabai Kundapur
- Krishnabai Panjekar
- Kamaladevi Chattopadhaya
- Yashodhara Dasappa
- Tayamma Veerannagowda
- Mahadevitayi Dodmane
- Bellary Siddamma
- Gowramma Venkataramayya
- Bommakka of Kanagil village near Ankola who protested against the Goveror or Mumbai at Karwar.
- Nagamma Patil
- Vishalakshamma
- Mahadavi Tayi Hegde of Siddapur participated in freedom ovements of 1930. Later she founded "Vishwaneedam" Trust. (Her cousin Ramakrishna Hegde was a leader of post-independent Karnataka , and served as its Chief-minister)
References
- Kamath Suryanath U., "Karnatakada Sanksipta Itihasa", Bapco Publications, Bangalore, 1973
- Kamat Research Database -- Online Encyclopedia of India
