Bangalore City History, India

Bengaluru (the new official name for Bangalore) is the capital of Karnataka (which happens to be a state in South India). History of Bangalore dates back to 900 C.E. (Common Era). Bangalore has seen it all from the initial human settlements to the British rule.

Cholas captured Bangalore in 1024. Before Cholas, it was the Western Ganga Dynasty which used to rule Bangalore. Later on, from Cholas Bangalore it went in the hands of Chalukya Cholas by the year 1170. At one time in 1116 the Empire of Hoysala has overthrown the Cholas and took over the rule of Bangalore. Rulers of Vijayanagara Empire are said to be the ones who laid the foundation of modern Bangalore. Kempe Gowda I, the ruler of Vijayanagara Empire, created a Nandi Temple and a mud fort near modern Bangalore in the year of 1537. They called this new settlement the Land of Heroes (which was called   gandu bhűmi in their local language).

This town laid by Vijayanagara Empire was divided into various divisions which were called patas. Gandu bhűmi had two major streets namely Doddapata Street (which was directed from South to North) and Chikkapata Street (which was directed from West to East). The point where these two streets met was called as Doddapata Square or the heart of gandu bhűmi. Also during the rule of Vijayanagara, Bangalore was called as Kalyānapura and Devarāyanagara (both of which mean awesome city).

After the rule of Vijayanagara many different dynasties took over Bangalore one by one. Bijapur army (under the leadership of Ranadulla Khan) took over Bangalore from Kempe Gowda III. He gifted Bangalore to Shahji Bhonsle after he took control of the city in 1638. Later, in 1687 Mughal took over Bangalore by defeating the son of Shahji Bhonsle. He then sold Bangalore to the Mysore Dynasty for 300,000 Indian Rupees. In 1759, Hyder Ali, the leader of Mysore Army became the ruler of Bangalore. Tipu Sultan got the reign of Bangalore after his father passed away, but he lost control of Bangalore to the British Empire. Tipu died in a war against the British.

Residency became part of Bangalore in 1804. Although it was diluted by the British Government, in the year 1881 it was again re-established in Bangalore, but later finally ended when India gained freedom in the year 1947