Belgaum was founded in late 12th century AD by the
Ratta dynasty, who shifted from nearby
Saundatti. A Ratta official named Bichiraja built
Kamal Basadi, a Jain temple, dedicated to
Neminatha in 1204, which came to be called Kamalabasti. Pillars found inside Belgaum fort have
Kannada inscriptions in Nagari scripts, one from 1199 by Ratta King Kartaveerya IV. The city's original name was Venugram, a Sanskrit word which means "village of bamboo". Alternatively, it is referred to as Venugram in early Indian texts, which means "city of bamboo". Belgaum became a part of the
Yadava dynasty kingdom (
Seuna) in early 13th century. An inscription from 1261 of King Krishna belonging to the Yadava dynasty attests to this. The region was invaded by
Khalji dynasty of
Delhi Sultanate in 14th century. Shortly thereafter, the
Vijayanagara Empire was founded, and Belgaum came under the rule of Vijayanagara. In 1474, the
Bahmani Sultanate conquered Belgaum with an army led by
Mahmud Gawan. at the Belgaum Congress 1924 The Belgaum fort was strengthened by the Adil Shah dynasty Sultans and they built the Safa Mosque. A Persian inscription states that the mosque was built by
Asad Khan, a Bijapur commander. In 1518, the Bahamani sultanate splintered into five small states and Belgaum became part of the
Bijapur Sultanate. The Adilshahis extended their control to the port of Goa, but retreated after the arrival and wars with the Portuguese. In 1686, the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb overthrew the Bijapur sultanate and Belgaum passed nominally to the Mughals, who called it "Azamnagar". In 2006, the
Government of Karnataka announced that Belgaum would be made the state's second capital, and that the city would be a permanent venue for the annual 15-day winter session of the state legislature. == City names ==