Bangalore history goes back many centuries and its name ‘Bengaluru’ first appeared on a milestone in the Mauryan Empire in the 9 th century A.D. So though the tale of Bengaluru being named by an emperor after the meal of boiled beans (Benda Kalluru) is dated in 1120, the existence of the city is known before then as it was taken over by the Chola Empire in 1015.
Bangalore History - Overview
The city as it exists today was built by Kempe Gowda in 1537 and was further expanded by his sons and grandsons. It first came into the ken of the Marathas and was captured by Shivaji’s father and gifted to Adil Shah in 1638. The great Maratha emperor Shivaji married a girl from Bangalore in 1640.
The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb captured Bangalore in 1687 and sold it to the Wodeyars in 1690 for a paltry sum of money. The Wodeyars are even today considered as rulers in that area though they have shifted their palaces to Mysore which is about a 120 km from Bangalore. Hyder Ali then came into the possession of the city, receiving it as a gift from the Wodeyars in 1759. Hyder Ali built the Lal Bagh gardens which even now are a famous tourist spot for its vast gardens in the heart of the city. His son Tipu Sultan lost the city to the British in 1791, but was given back the city. After his death a few years later, the city was returned to the Wodeyars whose dynasty exists even now, though they have lost all the powers of rulers after the Indian Government abolished all princes and rulers.
Development of Bangalore as a City
Bangalore developed as a city under the British and their colonial rule and was administered by them after taking over from the Wodeyars in 1830. An army cantonment was built in Bangalore in 1809 and is seen even today with the Southern Command of the Indian Army having its headquarters there.
Bangalore saw its first railway engines in 1859 and also saw the development of Cubbon Park. This park is even today a world famous horticultural showpiece and like Lal Bagh is within the city, vastly adding to its beauty. Other modern developments like the motor car, the telephone and electricity also made its way into Bangalore with the first airline flying into Bangalore in 1940.
The IT revolution has established its self in Bangalore and it is considered the ‘Silicon Valley’ of India. Today many countries of the world outsource their IT work to Bangalore based companies. Other modern industries and research institutes also are part of Bangalore as are also a number of prestigious educational institutes.
Bangalore has officially changed its name to Bengaluru, though it may take some time before the new name establishes it’s self as firmly as the older one.
Contributors
January 29, 2010 change by schitti
