Since the district of Namakkal forms a part of the Salem District, the historical background of Salem and Namakkal are same. After the struggle between the Cholas, Cheras and Pandiyas, the Hoysalas rose to power and had control over this district till the fourteenth Century followed by the kings of the Vijayanagar Empire till A.D. 1565. Then the Madurai Nayakas came to power in A.D. 1623. Two of the Polygons of Thirumalai Nayak called Ramachandra Nayaka and Gatti Mudaliars, ruled the Salem area. It is reported that the Namakkal Fort was constructed by Ramachandra Nayakas. After about A.D.1625, the area came successively under the rule of Muslim Sultans of Bijapur and Golconda Mysore kings and then the Marathas, when about the year A.D. 1750, Hyder Ali came to power. This period records the power struggle between Hyder Ali and later Tipu Sultan, with the British. Namakkal remained under the Atikula King called Gunasila. Later the taluk was over run by the Cholas in the Kongu Mangalam which was over run by the Cholas in the 9th Century and passed on to Vijayanagar under the Viuroyultry of Madra. Namakkal was held by Killdhar (Caption) on Hyder Ali until it went into the hands of the British in the year 1768.

Tourism in the district of Namakkal is filled with some of the best natural beauties including hills, water falls, boat house, botanical garden, beautiful cottages, temples, etc. The Kolli Hills is one of the most prominent mountain ranges and is an outliner of the Eastern Ghats. It is eighteen miles or twenty eight kilometers long (from north to south), twelve miles or nineteen kilometers wide (from east to west) and the Koll block is spread over an area of 441.4 square kilometers. When viewed from the plains of the Namakkal district, the mountain looks like a flat-topped mass. The mountain has been inhabited from pre-historic times. It is much celebrated in the Tamil Literature of the Sangam Age and at least eleven poets describe about it in their poems. The famous Shiva Temple known as the Arappalleeswarar Temple dating back to twelfth century is located at Periakoviloor near the famous water falls called Akasa Gangai. An ancient and powerful deity called Kolli Paavai of Ettukkai Amman is also at the Kolli Hills. It attracts large pilgrims and it is originally a Jain retreat.