Kempegowda I

Kempe Gowda I
Chieftain of Yalahanka Nadu (a principality under Vijayanagara Empire)
Born	Hiriya Kempe Gowda 1510 AD Magadi
Died	1569 AD
Resting place	Kempapura, Magadi 13°00′53″N 77°04′53″E / 13.0146°N 77.08149°E / 13.0146; 77.08149
Other names	Bengaluru Kempe Gowda, Kempe Gowda
Known for	Founder of Bengaluru
Predecessor	Kempananje Gowda
Successor	Gidde Gowda
Children	Immadi Kempegowda
Parent(s)	Kempananje Gowda

Hiriya Kempe Gowda, well known as Kempe Gowda I, was a feudatory ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire. The city of Bengaluru itself was established by Kempe Gowda in 1537, as the capital of his erstwhile kingdom. He is considered to be the founder of Bengaluru, currently the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka.

Kempe Gowda was one of the well educated and successful rulers of his time. Being a successor of Kempananje Gowda, descendants of Gowda lineage started as Yelahankanadu Prabhus (ruler of Yelhankanadu). The Yelahankanadu Prabhus were Gowdas or tillers of the land. Fourth in succession from Rana Bhairave Gowda, founder of the dynasty of Avati Nadu Prabhus and great grandson of Jaya Gowda, who established separate dynasty, is the famous Yelahanka Nadu Prabhus, Kempe Gowda I who ruled for 46 years commencing his reign from 1513. Jaya Gowda accepted the sovereignty of the Vijayanagar emperor. He later left Yelankanadu and was successful in planning and building Bengaluru Fort and Bengaluru Pete, the origins of the current city of Bengaluru. He is also noted for his societal reforms and contribution to building temples and water reservoirs in Bengaluru.

Hiriya Kempe Gowda was born in Yelahanka and was the son of Kempananje Gowda, who had ruled Yelhankanadu for more than 70 years. Kempe Gowda, who is reputed to have shown leadership skills during his childhood, was educated at Gurukula in Aivarukandapura (Aigondapura), a village near Hesaraghatta, for nine years.

It is said that Kempe Gowda got the vision of building a big futuristic city during a hunting expedition when he went towards Shivanasamudra (near Hesaraghatta) from Yelahanka with his Minister Veeranna and Advisor Gidde Gowda. He envisioned the city to have a fort, a cantonment, tanks (water reservoirs), temples and people of all trades and professions to live in it. He conquered Sivaganga principality, 48 kilometres (30 mi) from Bangalore on Bangalore-Pune highway. Next he annexed Domlur, which is on the road from Bangalore to the old Bangalore airport. Within this vast forest area, with the necessary Imperial permission of the Vijayanagar Emperor, Achyutharaya (Dasarahalli record dated 1532) he built Bangalore Fort and the town in 1537 A D., and moved his capital from Yelahanka to the new Bengaluru Pete.