History of Mangalore

Mangalore is a prominent port city of the state of Karnataka, India. It is located between the Arabian Sea and Western Ghat. Mangalore gets its ancient references in several Hindu scriptures. According to the epic of Mahabharata the region was under the rule of Sahadeva, the youngest of Pandvas. During 3rd century BC the region was a part of Maurya dynasty under the Buddhist emperor, Ashoka. Then the region witnessed the rule of Kadamba dynasty from 2nd to 4th century CE. Thereafter the region came under the control of native Alupa rulers who ruled it from 567 CE to 1325 CE as feudatories of several dynasties like Rashtrakuta, Chalukyas of Badami, Chalukyas of Kalyani, Hoysalas, etc. Mangalore was the capital place of Alupa rulers and it was then known as Mangalapur. 

By the year the 1345 Vijayanagara dynasty had brought Mangalore and surrounding region under its control. Bangara kings ruled the region as the feudatories of Vijayanagara dynasty. After the arrival of Europeans the port city of Mangalore became an important trading center. Portuguese who came there first defeated Bangara kings and took the control of Mangalore. But they could not hold the region for long and had to lose it to Mysore kingdom under Hyder Ali. Later it was captured by the British East India Company only to lose it back to Tipu Sultan of Mysore. After the death of Tipu Sultan, Mangalore again came under the control of British rule.  Under the British rule Mangalore experienced stability and peace. Mangalore witnessed many development works during the rule of British. After the independence of India in 1947 Mangalore continued to be a part of Madras presidency until 1956 when State Reorganization Act incorporated the city into newly created state of Mysore which was renamed as Karnataka in 1973.