Claim: Bangalore was controlled by a Maharaja.

Bangalore -LSB- bæŋɡəˈlɔːr -RSB- , officially known as Bengaluru -LRB- -LSB- ˈbeŋɡəɭuːɾu -RSB- -RRB- , is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka . It has a population of about and a metropolitan population of about , making it the third most populous city and fifth most populous urban agglomeration in India . It is located in southern India on the Deccan Plateau . Its elevation is over 3000 ft above sea level , the highest of India 's major cities .   A succession of South Indian dynasties , the Western Gangas , the Cholas and the Hoysalas , ruled the present region of Bangalore until in 1537 CE , Kempé Gowdā -- a feudal ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire -- established a mud fort considered to be the foundation of modern Bangalore . In 1638 , the Marāthās conquered and ruled Bangalore for almost 50 years , after which the Mughals captured and sold the city to the Mysore Kingdom of the Wadiyar dynasty . It was captured by the British after victory in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War -LRB- 1799 -RRB- , who returned administrative control of the city to the Maharaja of Mysore . The old city developed in the dominions of the Maharaja of Mysore and was made capital of the Princely State of Mysore , which existed as a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj . In 1809 , the British shifted their cantonment to Bangalore , outside the old city , and a town grew up around it , which was governed as part of British India . Following India 's independence in 1947 , Bangalore became the capital of Mysore State , and remained capital when the new Indian state of Karnataka was formed in 1956 . The two urban settlements of Bangalore -- city and cantonment -- which had developed as independent entities merged into a single urban centre in 1949 . The existing Kannada name , Bengalūru , was declared the official name of the city in 2006 .   Bangalore is sometimes referred to as the `` Silicon Valley of India '' -LRB- or `` IT capital of India '' -RRB- because of its role as the nation 's leading information technology -LRB- IT -RRB- exporter . Indian technological organisations ISRO , Infosys , Wipro and HAL are headquartered in the city . A demographically diverse city , Bangalore is the second fastest-growing major metropolis in India . It is home to many educational and research institutions in India , such as Indian Institute of Science -LRB- IISc -RRB- , Indian Institute of Management -LRB- Bangalore -RRB- -LRB- IIMB -RRB- , National Institute of Fashion Technology , Bangalore , National Institute of Design , Bangalore -LRB- NID R&D Campus -RRB- , National Law School of India University -LRB- NLSIU -RRB- and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences -LRB- NIMHANS -RRB- . Numerous state-owned aerospace and defence organisations , such as Bharat Electronics , Hindustan Aeronautics and National Aerospace Laboratories are located in the city . The city also houses the Kannada film industry .