Built by Holkar queen Rani Ahilyabai, the name Indore was originally derived from the 18th Century Indreshwar temple. It is located between the Khan and Saraswati rivers at the edge of Madhya Pradesh in the Malwa region.

Indore City was originally founded in 1715 as a major commerce center. It was situated on one of India’s oldest pilgrimage routes. The Maratha guerrilla warriors, who were fighting with the Mughal Empire also passed through what would become Indore City. They set up camps and required supplies, which made it a valuable place to begin a trading post. From 1733 – 1818 the Holkar dynasty ruled over this center. You can still see the remains of their palace today, which is situated in the main square of the city. In 1811 the capital was moved from Maheshwar to Indore After the British overthrew the Holkar dynasty in the battle of Battle of Mahidpur, and the treaty of Mandsaur was signed, the city became the capital of the Indore princely state, which was owned by the British East India Company.

Indore was an important part of the First Indian War of Independence of 1857, or the Sepoy Mutiny, where thirty-nine English subjects living in the city were killed, forcing Colonel Henry Durand to flee the city until peace was restored.

In 1947, after India’s independence, a group of princely states merged to become the Indian state of Madhya Bharat and Indore became the summer capital. Finally, in 1956, Madhya Bharat was merged with Madhya Pradesh and Bhopal became the capital city. However, Indore City is still the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh.