Belgaum, city in southwestern India, in Karnataka State, capital of Belgaum District. The chief industries are cotton, rice, and oilseed milling; tanning; and the manufacture of chemicals, textiles, cameras, truck bodies, and furniture. The district produces rice, timber, ghee (a semifluid clarified butter), and jaggery (brown sugar made from palm sap). The city has colleges of arts and law. The records of the city date from the 6th century. Built on the site of ancient Venugrama, Belgaum was capital of the Ratta dynasty from 1210 to 1250. A fortress here dates from 1519. Population (1991) 326,399.
