n.
formerly Mysore
State (pop., 2001 prelim.: 52,733,958), southwestern India.
Lying on the Arabian Sea , it is bordered by the states of Goa , Maharashtra , Andhra Pradesh , Tamil Nadu , and Kerala . It has an area of 74,051 sq mi (191,791 sq km); its capital is Bangalore . It occupies the plateau region of the southern Deccan and the hill region of the Western Ghats . The area was ruled by a series of Hindu dynasties before coming under British control in 1831. Mysore returned to native rule in 1881 as a princely state. Its name was changed to Karnataka ("lofty land") in 1973. About 80% of the population is engaged in agriculture. Rice and sugarcane are cultivated on the coastal plain, and coffee and tea are grown in the hill region. The population is largely Dravidian, and the Kannada language is widely spoken.