The city of Bangalore, which is also known by its official name, Bengaluru, is the capital and biggest metropolis of the state of Karnataka in India. It is the largest city in South India, the third most populous city in India, the fifth most populous urban agglomeration in India, and the 27th largest city in the world. Its metropolitan population is approximately 11 million people, making it the third most populous city in India and the fifth most populous urban agglomeration in India. As a result of its location on the Deccan Plateau, which is more than 900 metres (3,000 feet) above sea level, Bangalore has a climate that is comfortable throughout the whole year. The elevation of this city is the highest of all of India's main metropolitan areas. Because it is the biggest information technology (IT) exporter in the country, Bangalore is sometimes referred to as the "Silicon Valley of India." This moniker came about as a result of Bangalore's prominence.
According to an inscription carved into stone that was discovered in the Nageshwara Temple in Begur, Bangalore, the history of the city goes back to approximately 890 CE. Kempé Gowd, a feudal king under the Vijayanagara Empire, erected a mud fort in 1537 CE. This fort is regarded as the basis of contemporary Bangalore and its oldest districts, known as petes, which still remain. Kempe Gowda III was beaten by a huge Adil Shahi Bijapur army in 1638, and the city of Bangalore was ceded to the Adil Shahi Bijapur as a jagir when the Vijayanagar kingdom collapsed and Kempe Gowda proclaimed independence (feudal estate). Later on, the Mughals were successful in capturing Bangalore, and they eventually surrendered it to Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar (1673–1704), who was the king of the Kingdom of Mysore at the time. The government of Bangalore was given to Haider Ali when he successfully took control of the Kingdom of Mysore.
After achieving victory in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799), the British East India Company seized the city. Following their triumph, the British East India Company handed over administrative authority of the city to the Maharaja of Mysore. The ancient city was established during the rule of the Maharaja of Mysore and later became the capital of the Princely State of Mysore. The Princely State of Mysore was a state that existed during the time of the British Raj and was considered to be a sovereign entity. The British relocated their cantonment to Bangalore in 1809, which is located outside of the ancient city. As a result, a town sprang up around it and was controlled as a part of British India. Until India gained its independence in 1947, Bangalore was chosen to serve as the capital of the newly created state of Mysore State. Bangalore continued to serve in this capacity when the new Indian state of Karnataka was established in 1956. In 1949, the two urban settlements of Bangalore, known respectively as the city and the cantonment, which had previously existed as separate entities joined together to form an unified urban centre. In 2006, the existing Kannada name for the city, Bengaluru, was approved to be used as the city's official name.
The city of Bangalore is the largest metropolis in India that is expanding at the second-fastest rate. According to the most recent estimations of the metropolitan economy of its urban area, Bangalore has been placed either fourth or fifth among the most productive metro areas in India. It is the location of a great deal of educational and scientific establishments. The city is home to a significant number of aerospace and defence organisations that are owned and operated by the state. In addition to that, it is the centre of the Kannada film industry and a major centre for athletic events.