The Gatti Mudalis were in charge of the most dangerously exposed province of the Nayak Kingdom with Kaveripuram on the right bank of the Cauvery as their strategic capital commencing one of the principal passes to the Mysore Plateau. The centre of their power seems, however, to have been Taramangalam where they have built a grant edifice of a temple. It is said their domination extended as far as Thalaivasal to the east, Dharapuram in Erode district in the west and Karur district in the south. The forts of greatest strategic importance held by the Gatti Mudalis were Omalur and Attur. By about 1635, the Muslim Sultans of Bijapur and Golkonda made in roads into the south when the power of Tirumalai Nayak had wanted palacode area came under Bijapur. Meanwhile Kantirava narasa Raja of Serangapatnam took several places in Coimbatore from Gatti Mudalis in 1641.
Genealogy of Gatti Mudaliars
A renowned dynasty of local rulers of Taramangalam. The title, gatti meant solidity and firmness and mudhali meant primary. They were known for their firmness in word, veracity, and reliability. Their insignia - a combination containing representations of green mat, unwitting garland of flowers and tiger - is seen in all of the temples built and renovated by them. Some authorities believe that the descendants of Gatti Mudalis are the Kongu Vellalars Class of Athiyar, Kanavalar, Marhavar, Narmudiyar, Vadakaraiyar. In fact various Kongu Vellala chieftains of the Kongu Nadu were honourly bestowed with the Chola dynasty titles like Thevar, Mudali, Araiyar, Udaiyar. The Karur Thevar and Gatti Mudalis of Tamil Nadu are basically Kongu Vellalar chieftains who ruled part of ancient Kongunadu
The earliest mention of Gatti is found in the Sangam Literature of Agananooru (1st century AD) in a list of tribes, Konganar, Kalingar, Karunadar, gangar and Gattiyar.
A nadukal of the 7th century mentions Kunra Gatti. A stone inscription of 1289 by a Madhurai King, Sadaiyavarman Sundhara Pandiyan, mentions nine Gatti Mudhali's of Tharamangalam.
According to a manuscript in the Mackenzie collection, the founder of the then Gatti dynasty was a valet in the service of Thirumalai Nayakan, the ruler of Madhurai Kingdom. Having committed some indiscretion, he left royal service, came to Amarakundhi where he was trained as a barber-medicine man. When he cured the carbuncle on the back of the local vettuva Chief, Kunni Vettuvan, he was rewarded with a palayam. The Mackenzie manuscript mentions thirteen Gatti Mudhali's but lists only the following six in order of succession. Siyazhi, Ragunatha, Immudi, Punkkan, Vanangamudi and Kumara. Francis Buchaman also mentions, 'Guttimodalies'. Their rule extended east-west from Thalaivaasal to Dharapuram and north-south from Omalur to Karur.
Their chief capital was Tarmangalam while Amarakundhi served as a second capital. The town of Kaveripuram was another centre of strategic importance of the Border of Mysore.
After the fall of the Vijayanagar empire, the Gatti became the Palayakarar of Omalur are under Thriumalai Nayakan of Madhurai in 1623.