The name Bangalore stems from Bengaluru, in a reference to it in a Ganga inscription, circa890AD, found near the Begur temple, Begur. Kempegowda, a fuedatory of the Vijayanagar empire, built and fortified the city in 1537AD, and gave it its name, The city was leased to the mysore king chikadevaraya by the Mughals, in 1689AD. He expanded the existing fort to the south and build the Sri Venkataraman temple within its boundaries.
Hyder Ali secured Bengaluru as jagir in 1758, further expanded, and strengthened it by 1761AD.
Lord Cornwallis captured the fortified city in 1791AD., but handed it back to Tipu Sultan a year later as per the Srirangapattana Treaty.
The original fort was a oval in plan, with round bastions and huge gateways at importnant places. Delhi bagilu and yelahanka bagilu in the North, Ulsur bagilu in the East, Kanakanahalli Bagilu and Mysore Bagilu n te south and kengeri Bagilu in the West. Remnants of these are still in existence. It was surrounded by a dry moat.
Only one part of thefort now remains intact, consisting of a dungeon and a small ganesha temple. The three successive gateways, linked the Royal enclosure to the civilian arean. The granite walls are sloping with beautifuk stucoo carvings. A tablet embedded on the wall indicates that this was where Lord Cornwallis breached the fort, when he took posession of it.
The dungeon bears witness to the confinement of Sir David Braid and other Englishmen, prior to 1785AD, on a tablet placed there.
Information source: ASI text at the location
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