శ్రీరంగపట్టణం, [[విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్యం|విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్య]] కాలంనుండి పుణ్యక్షేత్రంగా, సాంస్కృతిక కేంద్రంగా విరాజిల్లుచున్నది. అంతేగాక [[మైసూరు రాజ్యము|మైసూరు రాజ్యపు]] రాజధానిగాను విరాజిల్లినది. రంగరాయను ఓడించి [[వడయార్ రాజు]] [[1614]] లో శ్రీరంగపట్టణాన్ని వశబర్చుకున్నాడు.<ref> విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్యంపై దండెత్తిన వడయార్ రాజుకు విజయనగర సామ్రాజ్య ఆరాధ్య దేవతయైన [[అలిమేలమ్మ]] శపించిందనీ, దాని కారణాన వడయార్ రాజుకు సంతానం కలుగలేదని ఓ కథనం ఉన్నది.
Srirangapattana has since time immemorial been an urban center and place of pilgrimage. During the [[Vijayanagar empire]], it became the seat of a major viceroyalty, from where several nearby vassal states of the empire, such as [[Kingdom of Mysore|Mysore]] and [[Talakad]], were overseen. When, perceiving the decline of the Vijayanagar empire, the rulers of Mysore ventured to assert independence, Srirangapattana was their first target. [[Raja Wodeyar]] vanquished Rangaraya <ref>The fall of Srirangapattana to the [[Wodeyar]] dynasty in [[1614]] is much celebrated in local ballad and legend, one of which concerns a curse put upon the Wodeyars by Alamelamma, the lamenting wife of the defeated Vijayanagar viceroy. In fulfillment of that curse, no ruling [[Maharaja]] of Mysore has ever had children; the succession has inevitably devolved upon brothers, nephews or adopted heirs, or on children born to the Maharaja before his accession, but never has a child been born to a ruling Maharaja.</ref>, the then viceroy of Srirangapattana, in [[1610]] and celebrated the ''Navaratri'' festival in the town that year. It came to be accepted in time that two things demonstrated control and signified sovereignty over the Kingdom of Mysore by any claimant to the throne:
#Successful holding of the 10-day-long ''[[Navaratri]]'' festival, dedicated to [[Durga]], patron goddess of [[Mysore]];
#Control of the fort of Srirangapattana, the fortification nearest to the capital city of [[Mysore]].
Srirangapattana remained part of the Kingdom of Mysore from 1610 to after India's independence in 1947; as the fortress closest to the capital city of [[Mysore]], it was the last bastion and defence of the kingdom in case of invasion.
