Situated on the banks of Narmada River in Malva region of Madhya Pradesh, the city of Indore does not have a long history. Rao Nandal Chaudhary is considered to be the founder of the city. Chaudhary is the name given to the family in Mughal time. The family has special right during the Mughal Empire. Rao Nandal was once given warm welcome in the Court of Mughal Empire when he visited the Delhi. He was also gifted with two gold studded swords. Rao Nandal also had a good relation with the Raja Sawai Jaisingh of Jaipur. In 1713 the Mughal gave charge to Nizam for controlling the Deccan Plateau which led the revival of struggle between Maratha and Mughal. It also soured the relation between Rao Nandal and Mughal.

 Rao Nandal who has a force of about 2000 soldiers found the place near Indreshwara temple to be safe and he started bringing his people there. He built the fort of Sri Sansthan Baba Ravala to protect the people from the harassment of the Mughal. The city was first named as the Indrapur after the name of Indreshwara temple. It later on came to be known as Indore.

 In 1733 Bajirao Peshava took the region under his control and appointed Malhar Rao Holkar as the Subhedar of the region and thus it marked beginning the reign of Holkars. Thus Indore and the region known as Malva came under the rule of Holkar dynasty under the Maratha Empire. Then it was rule by the successor of Holkar dynasty Ahilyabai Holkar from 1767 to 1795. She ruled the region from a palace-fort of Maheshwar. She was defeated by the British in third Anglo-Maratha war and thereafter the region came under the control of British. British continued to rule the city of Indore till Agu-1947 when India got the freedom from the British rule. After the independence of India Indore and other princely states became the parts of Madhya Bharat state. In 1956 the Madhya Bharat was included in the state of Madhya Pradesh.