Maharaja of Mysore

The Maharaja of Mysore was the king and principal ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore between the late 14th century to 1947, and briefly of the princely state of Mysore in the Dominion of India between August 1947 and January 1950.

In the late 14th century CE, the Vijayanagara Empire appointed local chieftains called poleygars. Yaduraya Wodeyar, a Vijayanagara chieftain, took control in the Mysore region, and adopted the title raja (king) in 1399 CE. Chamaraja Wodeyar III (1513–1553 CE) built a small fort and a settlement named Mahisuranagara (buffalo town) near the Kaveri River, around which the state of Mysore developed later. After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, Timmaraja Wodeyar II declared independence and assumed the title of Maharaja (great king) of Mysore.

The kingdom expanded significantly during the reigns of Kanthirava Narasaraja I (1638–1659 CE) and Dodda Kempadevaraja (1659–1673 CE). The kingdom became weak in the 18th century CE, and during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, Hyder Ali gained power as dalvoy (commander-in-chief) in 1761, thus reducing the maharaja to a nominal ruler. Hyder Ali’s son Tipu ruled Mysore as the sultan from 1782 to 1799 until his defeat in the Anglo-Mysore wars.

In 1799, the British Empire took control of Mysore and restored it to the Wadiyar dynasty, and Krishnaraja Wadiyar III became the maharaja. The British ruled Mysore directly through the Mysore Commission from 1831 to 1881. The power was restored to the Wadiyars in 1881, when Chamarajendra Wadiyar X was crowned as the king. Several administrative reforms, industries, education and infrastructure projects were implemented during the reign of Chamarajendra X and his successor Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar ascended to the throne in 1940, and was the last recognised maharaja, as India achieved independence in 1947. He remained a nominal ruler until India became a republic in 1950, and the honorary title of maharaja was abolished in 1971.