South Canara District facts for kids
The South Canara District was a region in British India, part of the Madras Presidency. Today, this area includes parts of Karnataka, like Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, and also the Kasaragod District in Kerala. People in this district spoke many languages, such as Tulu, Malayalam, Kannada, Konkani, and Beary.
A Look Back at History
South Canara became part of the British East India Company after a big battle. This happened in 1799, when a ruler named Tipu Sultan was defeated in the Fourth Mysore War. At first, South Canara was joined with North Kanara to form one large district called Kanara. This larger district was part of the Madras Presidency.
How South Canara Was Formed
In 1859, the Kanara district was divided into two separate parts: North Kanara and South Canara. North Kanara became part of another British region called the Bombay Presidency. South Canara stayed with the Madras Presidency. The city of Mangalore was chosen as the main administrative center for South Canara. The district was quite large, covering about 4,021 square miles (10,414 square kilometers).
People of South Canara
In 1901, the South Canara district had a total population of 1,134,713 people. Most of the people, about 81 percent, were Hindus. About 11 percent were Muslims, and 7 percent were Christians. The district was quite populated, with about 282 people living in every square mile (109 people per square kilometer) in 1901.
