Bengaluru (Kannada : Beṅgaḷūru), 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 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 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. From 350 CE, it was ruled by the Western Ganga dynasty, and in the early eleventh century, the city became part of the Chola empire. In the late Middle Ages, the region was part of the Hoysala Kingdom and then the Vijayanagara Empire. In 1537 CE, Kempe Gowda I, a feudal ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire, established a mud fort which is 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. The Mughals later captured Bengaluru and sold it to Maharaja Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar of the Kingdom of Mysore. After the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II in 1759 CE, Hyder Ali seized control of the kingdom, and the administration passed subsequently to his son Tipu Sultan.

The city was captured by the British East India Company during the Anglo-Mysore Wars, and became part of the Princely State of Mysore. The administrative control of the city was returned to Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, then Maharaja of Mysore, and the old city developed under the dominions of the Mysore kingdom. In 1809 CE, the British shifted their military garrison to the city and established the cantonment, outside the old city. In the late 19th century CE, the city was essentially composed of two distinct urban settlements, the old pete and the new cantonment. Following India’s independence in 1947, Bengaluru became the capital of Mysore State, and remained the capital when the state was enlarged and unified in 1956 and subsequently renamed to Karnataka in 1973. The two urban settlements which had developed as independent entities, merged under a single urban administration in 1949. The city was officially known as Bangalore in English till 2006, when the official name was changed to its Kannada name, “Bengaluru”.

Bengaluru is one of the fastest-growing metropolises in India. As of 2023, the metropolitan area had an estimated GDP of $359.9 billion, and is one of the most productive metro areas of India. The city is a major center for information technology (IT), and is consistently ranked amongst the world’s fastest growing technology hubs. It is widely regarded as the “Silicon Valley of India”, as the largest hub and exporter of IT services in the country. Manufacturing is a major contributor to the economy and the city is also home to several state-owned manufacturing companies. Bengaluru also hosts several institutes of national importance in higher education.