220.237.14.111 at 06:17, 21 March 2022

2022-03-21T06:17:39Z

New page

{{Short description|Breed of cattle}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}
[[File:AmritMahal.jpg|thumb|A pair of Amrit Mahal bullocks]]
{{Contains special characters|Indic}}

The '''Amrit Mahal''' ([[Kannada]]:'''ಅಮೃತ ಮಹಲ್''') is a breed of cattle that originated from the erstwhile state of [[Mysore]] in [[Karnataka]], [[India]]. They originated from the [[Hallikar]] and closely related breeds, ''Hagalavadi'' and ''Chithradurg''. Originally developed for use in war for transporting equipage,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.havemilk.com/article.asp?id=1483 |title=Cattle Throughout History |publisher=Dairy Farmers of Washington |date= |accessdate=2009-12-11}}</ref> the [[Cattle|bullocks]] are notable for their great endurance and speed. Their head is elongated with a ridge in the middle and a bulging forehead. The cows in contrast are poor milk-yielders and hence, are classified to be a draught breed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/amritmahal/index.htm |title=Breeds of Livestock - Amrit Mahal Cattle |publisher=Ansi.okstate.edu |accessdate=2009-12-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605031440/http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/amritmahal/index.htm |archivedate=2010-06-05 }}</ref>

The Amrit Mahal is one of the two breeds, along with [[Hallikar]], which have received the royal patronage and care from the erstwhile [[Vijayanagara Kingdom]], [[Hyder Ali|sultans]] and [[Kingdom of Mysore|princely state of Mysore]] through conservation and development.<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Royalty-to-history-End-of-road-for-Amrit-Mahal/articleshow/18963440.cms Royalty to history: End of road for Amrit Mahal? - The Times of India]</ref>

Amrit Mahal was originally bred by the [[Vokkaliga#Hallikkar_Vokkaliga|Hallikar]] community traditionally known for cattle rearing and animal husbandry.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rao|first=C. Hayavadana|date=1927|title=Mysore Gazetteer|volume=1|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.275385/page/n271/mode/2up?q=Vokkaligas|location=Bangalore |publisher=Government Press|page=246|isbn=}}:”Hallikara Vokkaligas.—This is a section that is mainly engaged in the rearing of cattle. The breed of that name is the best in the far-famed Amrut Mahal Cattle.”</ref> During [[Chikka Devaraja|Chikka Devaraja Wadiyar]]'s reign a department was created within his administration known as "''Benne chavadi''" literally "butter department" which maintained cows and bulls, branded (with his initial ದೇ /Dē/) and maintained for supplying butter and milk to the royal household. This was taken over by [[Hyder Ali]] and he renamed the administrative unit as "Amrit Mahal". The British took an interest in these cattle when Hyder Ali used them to move guns 100 miles in two days to Chelambram during the [[Battle of Porto Novo]] and when [[Tipu Sultan]] used them to march across south India in a month. They were then adopted for use in the army by the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]]. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan, the British allowed them to be maintained by the Maharaja of Mysore but in thirteen years they were found to have regressed. In 1813, the pasture lands known as ''kaval'' or ''Kaaval'' ([[Kannada]]:''ಕಾವಲ್'') and the cattle were placed under a Captain Harvey of the Madras Commissariat for management of the breed. In 1842, a report stated that the English Army was served efficiently by 230 Mysore bullocks in Afghanistan. In 1860, [[Sir Charles Trevelyan, 1st Baronet|Charles Trevelyan]] closed down this unit as being uneconomical but it was re-established in 1867 with the assistance of the Mysore Maharaja and by 1870 about 4000 cows and 100 bulls were under government care. The charge moved back to the Maharaja of Mysore in 1883.<ref>{{cite book|title=Note on the Cattle of Mysore|author1=Ksristnasamiengar, A.|author2=Pease, H.T.|publisher=Government of India|year=1912|place=Calcutta |url=https://archive.org/details/MysoreCattle|pages=[https://archive.org/details/MysoreCattle/page/n33 30]-38}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/pli.kerala.rare.5345|title=A manual of Indian cattle and sheep|author=Shortt, John|publisher=Higginbotham and Co.|year=1889|place=Madras|pages=[https://archive.org/details/pli.kerala.rare.5345/page/n15 9]-16}}</ref>

The ''kaval''s were classified for use in wet, dry and cold weather. The cows would not come into season in the wet [[Malenadu|malnad]] regions but had to be taken into the dry plains where they bred. Beginning in the 20th century, the kavals were increasingly diverted for other uses.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://environicsindia.in/index.php/en/14-blog/565-panel-to-study-shrinking-amrit-mahal-kaval-lands | title=Panel to study shrinking Amrit Mahal kaval lands | accessdate=13 May 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518113604/http://environicsindia.in/index.php/en/14-blog/565-panel-to-study-shrinking-amrit-mahal-kaval-lands | archive-date=18 May 2015 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/onethird-of-amrit-mahal-kaval-is-forest-land-moef/article5310028.ece | title=One-third of Amrit Mahal Kaval is forest land: MoEF | work=The Hindu | accessdate=13 May 2015}}</ref>

<gallery mode=packed>
File:Amruthamahal 02.JPG|Amrit Mahal cow
File:Amruthamahal 01.JPG|Amrit Mahal Bull
File:Commissariat farm Hunsur 1889.jpg|The Amrit Mahal farm in Hunsur c. 1889
File:Hunsur_Map.png|Map of the Hunsur commissariat farm
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[List of breeds of cattle]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Cattle breeds of India}}

[[Category:Cattle breeds originating in India]]
[[Category:Economy of Karnataka]]
[[Category:Cattle breeds]]

Amrit Mahal - Revision history

220.237.14.111 at 06:17, 21 March 2022