The Ikkeri kingdom at its zenith comprised an area corresponding to the entire coast of Karnataka from Goa in the north to erstwhile Cannamore in the south as also part of Shimoga district of Mysore. From its nebular beginnings in AD 1500 to its end in AD 1763, no less than 18 kings and queens called Nayakas, ruled from the Ikkeri throne. Its political history comprise the wars they waged with the rulers of Mysore, the Maratha rajas and the ruling houses of Malabar, besides clashes with trading companies, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the English.

More attractive than the political record are the social, economic, religious, literary and artistic activities of these rulers. The Malnad style of architecture is the distinct contribution of the Ikkeri Nayakas to the history of south Indian architecture. The Nayakas during the latter part of the Vijayanagara empire helped to stabilize it with the help of their effective aid. This book discusses the above in a very interesting and absorbing manner.