Following his debut novel, Ramjee Chandran brings the city’s sweeping history to the front and asks a simple question: why is Bengaluru here at all?
New Delhi, 12th October 2026: Penguin India announces the acquisition of Bengaluru by Ramjee Chandran, reputed journalist and author. The book tells the story of how the city came to exist in a place that, at first, seemed to have little reason for one. It will be published under Viking, Penguin India’s imprint, and will be released in November 2026.
From prehistoric settlements and ancient trade routes to the great kingdoms of South India, the book follows the forces that slowly drew people, commerce and power to this spot. The Western Gangas, Cholas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagara rulers shaped the region, Kempe Gowda turned it into a great market town, and the contests between Marathas, Mughals, Wadiyars, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan made it a prize worth fighting for. The arrival of the British then created another city beside the first, setting Bengaluru on the road to its modern identity.
But this is not only a story of rulers and battles. Chandran traces the roads and trade routes, forts and markets, tanks and temples, and the merchants, soldiers, farmers and migrants who made a city possible. It is the story of the generations who made, lost, rebuilt and reinvented Bengaluru, a city that had already lived several lives by Independence.
Speaking on the book, author Ramjee Chandran said, ‘I began this book with a simple question: why is Bengaluru here at all? The answer took me through thousands of years of people, trade, ambition, conflict and chance. But somewhere along the way, the excavation turned inward. Writing the history of Bengaluru became an archaeological dig into myself, uncovering layers of memory, belonging, and identity that I had scarcely known were there.’
Karthik Venkatesh, Executive Editor, Penguin Random House India, said, ‘There are city histories and then there are histories of a city giving full historical context by viewing the city as part of the greater whole. Bengaluru by Ramjee Chandran falls in the latter category. Deeply researched, this is a book like no other. We are confident that this book will have a lasting impact on the city history genre itself.’
Milee Ashwarya, Publisher & Group SVP, Adult Publishing Group, Penguin Random House India, said, ‘A fascinating portrait of a city that has continually reinvented itself, Bengaluru by Ramjee Chandran brings alive the history, character and spirit of a city that has become synonymous with the aspirations of modern India.’
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