Bengaluru

Bengaluru (), formerly called Bangalore, is the capital and largest city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. As per the 2011 census, the city had a population of more than 8.4 million, making it the third most populous city in India and the most populous in South India. The Bengaluru metropolitan area had a population of around 10.5 million, making it the fourth most populous urban agglomeration in the country. It is located near the center of the Deccan Plateau, at a height of over 900 m (3,000 ft) above sea level. The city is known as India's "Garden City", due to its parks and greenery. Archaeological artifacts indicate that the human settlement in the region happened as early as 4000 BCE. The first mention of the name "Bengalooru" is from an old Kannada stone inscription from 890 CE found at the Nageshwara Temple. After having been ruled by the Western Ganga dynasty, from the beginning of the Common Era, the city became part of the Chola empire in the early eleventh century CE. The region was part of the Hoysala, and Vijayanagara Empire in the Late Middle Ages. In 1537 CE, Kempe Gowda I, a feudal ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire, established a mud fort, considered the foundation of the modern city of Bengaluru and its oldest areas, or petes, which still exist. After the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, Kempe Gowda declared independence, and the city was expanded by his successors. In 1638 CE, a Adil Shahi army defeated Kempe Gowda III, and the city became a jagir (feudal estate) of Shahaji Bhonsle.