Brief History of Mudgal:

Mudgal fort has already been mentioned but Mudgal is also famous in history as the home of parthal, the Helen of the Deccan, for whom the mighty kingdoms went to war – the Bahamani and the Vijayanagar Kingdoms. The Cambridge History of India gives the events as below:

In 1408 Harihara II died, and was succeeded by his son Bukka II and in the same year occurred the romantic episode of the Goldsmith’s daughter of Mudgal, a strange occurance, but reasonably well attested.

“A poor goldsmith and his wife living near Mudgal are said to have had a daughter named Parthal, of such surpassing beauty and brilliant accomplishments that her fame spread far and wide, and was carried by a Brahmin who had been her instructor to the court of Bukka, who sent Messenger to demand her of her parents. They regarding the proposel as an honour, were disposed to comply, but the girl declined it. Bukka crossed the Tungabhadra with 500 horses and sent a party to Mudgal to abduct the girl, but the news of the raid hab preceded it, and by the time that party reached Mudgal, Parthal and her parents had fled. Meanwhile Feroz, the Bahmani King, learnt of Bukka’s raid, promptly went to war and defeated the invaders.”

“After his return to Ferozabad the King sent to Mudgal for the beautiful Parthal and her parents. The girl was given in marriage to Hassan Khan, his son, and the parents received gifts in money and grant of their native village. It was probably on this occasion that the goldsmiths of the Deccan permitted once more to follow their ancestral calling as bankers and money changers, from which they had been debarred by the edict of Muhammad I”

HISTORY OF ROMAN CHATHOLIC CHURCH

The church at Mudgal stands on the foundation of one which was built by Jesuits before 1450 in the reign of Ibrahim Adil Shah who granted inam lands for its support. The original church was pulled down and re-built in 1971 when Rev. Father Gerald D’Souza was the parish priest of the Mudgal Church. The inscription on the grave of the Priest J. Paradisi (buried inside the church) is reproduced below:

J. Pardisi

Hic Jacet Jonnes paradise qui vixit ad 88 An…………. Missione hane rexit 41 An.

Multas ad fidem charisti converlit et re vestutibus requiscit in Domimo January A.D. 1793.

Transilation:

Here lines John Paradisi who lived for 88 years and rules this mission for 41 years, converting many to the faith of Christ and clothed in goodness was gathered to the Lord on the 13th January A.D. 1793.

Father Paradisi was an Italian Jesuit who came to Mudgal from Madura Mission.

Raichur History | Hutti Gold Mines | Lingasugur History | Maliabad and Mudgal Fort