Genelology of the Sonde Family

The earliest known ancestor is Nagappa with his wife Lakshmi, though it is difficult to confirm whether these are their real names. In any case, Nagappa, as the father figure represents the serpent who presides over the agricultural lands, suggesting the family’s interest in agriculture and land holdings. Lakshmi, of course, suggest the wealth and prosperity of the family. It is possible that with Sadashiva Raya Nayak (1674 - 1697), decided to call himself as ‘Raya’ after the designation of King Ramadevaraya of Vijaynagar, many leading courtiers and Sarasvats also seem to have followed the same practice. After they settled in Sirsi, they not only gave the designation of Raya to themselves but also to the road referred as Rayer Petha opposite their first residence in Sirsi. 

Nagappa and Lakshmi lived during the closing period when Sonde Rulers were first defeated by Haidar Ali and later tormented by Tippoo Sultan, before he too was vanquished  by the English army in 1799.  Sonde family made frequent visits to Sirsi for trading in rice, betel nut, cardamom and pepper for negotiating with Portuguese and English merchants.

 The genealogical table can at best be commenced from Nagapaa, who was in Sonda carrying on his trading activities and possibly money lending as concurrent diversion, giving him  influential position in political and social circles.  Normally the number of years assigned to a generation is twenty years. Therefore, taking into consideration 1900 as the year of birth of Dattatreya Sonde, one can work back the period when Nagappa lived in Sonda.

1990 -  Dattatreya Sonde was born.
1860 -  Pprobable date of birth of Venkatarao Sonde.
1830 – Probable date of birth of Vasudeo Sonde
1800 – Probable date of birth of Ramachandra Sonde
1770 – Probable date of birth of Nagappa , the Mula Purusha

This means that Nagappa was residing in Sonda when Tippu Sultana defeated Sonda rulers with other two elder sons – BHIM (I) (c.1796) and  KRISHNA (II) (c.1798).

 By 1800, the occupation of Kanaras came under the East India Company. The trade relations with Portuguese were affected. Sonde family was well established in Sonda as Sarasvat traders who had descended in Kanaras from Goa with sufficient wealth and finances at their disposal. They were not agriculturists, trade was their primary vocation, money lending being natural diversion.
During those days much of landed properties were with Haviks perhaps of Naga descent who were primarily agriculturists depending on their own labour and uncertain monsoons. What ever lands the Sonde family owned was due to royal patronage or due to mortgaged lands reverting to them when loans remained unpaid.

Under Sonda rulers,  Sirsi  was a small outpost under the Sonda rulers acquired commercial status. Though the trade relations with Portuguese were affected, their relations with the traders in Sirsi was well established.  With the English occupation, peace and order came to be restored in Kanaras. The earlier trade relations with the traders in Sirsi were further strengthened with Ramachandra, the youngest son venturing to travels to and from Sirsi for trade, till he decided to established permanent settlement in Sirsi in 1830 or so, only after British occupation took completed by 1820. Among the next generations, it was Srinivas, Bhim’s grandson, who followed his grand-uncle to Sirsi and established another residence along with his two brothers Vaikuntha and Pandappa followed thereafter.