Abbakka, the queen of Tulu Nadu (Karnataka), fought the Portuguese in the latter half of the 16th century. She belonged to the Chowta dynasty, the Digambar Jain dynasty, who had migrated from Gujarat probably in the 12th century. Their main centre was Moodibidri, known as Jain Dakshin Kashi, as it was a cultural centre with beautiful Jain temples and centres of Jain scholarship. Descendants of Chowta kings still live in the Chowta Palace with its beautiful carvings in Moodibidri. Though Abbakka was a Jain, her administration comprised of Hindus and Muslims. While Rani of Jhansi has become a symbol of courage, Abbakka, nearly 300 years her predecessor, has been largely forgotten by history.