Sri Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Government of Andhra Pradesh
Sri Dr. Seediri Appalaraju
Animal Husbandry Dept. Minister
Sri Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy
District Incahrge Minister
District Sheep Breeders CooperativeThe History of Anantapur
THE HISTORY OF ANANTAPUR
Anantapur offers some vivid glimpses of the prehistoric past. It is generally held that the place got its name from \\\'Anaatasagaram\\\' , a big tank, which means "Endless Ocean". The villages of Anaantasagaram and Bukkarayasamudram were constructed by Chilkkavodeya, the minister of Bukka-I, a Vijayanagar ruler. Some authorities assert that Anaantasagaram was named after Bukka\\\'s queen, while some contend that it must have been known after AnantarasaChikkavodeya himself, as Bukka had no queen by that name.
Anantapur is familiarly known as "HandeAnantapuram" .\\\' Hande \\\' means chief of the Vijayanagar period. Anantapur and a few other places were gifted by the Vijayanagar rulers to Hanumappa Naidu of the Hande family.
The place subsequently came under the QutubShahis, Mughals, and the Nawabs of Cuddapah, although the Hande chiefs continued to rule as their subordinates. It was occupied by the Palergar of Bellary during the time of Ramappa but was eventually won back by his son, Siddappa. MorariRaoGhorpade attacked Anantapur in 1757. Though the army resisted for some time, Siddappa ultimately bought off the enemy for Rs.50,000.
It then came into the possession of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Tipu hanged all the male members of the Siddappa family except Siddappa who escaped from his confinement at Srirangapatnam. After Tipu\\\'s death, it was once again taken back by Siddappa. Siddappa submitted himself to Nizam because of the treaty of 1799, who took the total control of the area. He was later pensioned off when British occupied the territory.