98-518: The Mysuru peta is an opulent formal turban, originally worn by the Kings of Mysore . It consists of a long strip of cloth such as silk or cotton, that is wound around the head. It may be decorated with a border of gold or silver lace and with ornamental metal pendants. Since India became independent in 1947, the traditional Mysuru peta has become a symbol of the region's cultural heritage, worn for formal occasions and awarded to distinguished people as
196-493: A Mysuru peta for the convocation ceremony, rather than the mortarboard inherited from India's colonial past. Ruling families Ruling titles Capitals Overlords Prime ministers Alliance Famous leaders Arts and culture during Mysore Kingdom Government Famous events and moments Mysore Brand Mysore Kingdom landmarks Mysore era firms and organisations Kingdom of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore
294-516: A British force) on 27 August, in which the British won another success, and by the rout of the Mysore troops at Sholinghur a month later. Hyder Ali died on 7 December 1782, even as fighting continued with the British. He was succeeded by his son Tipu Sultan who continued hostilities against the British by recapturing Baidanur and Mangalore. By 1783 neither the British nor Mysore were able to obtain
392-479: A boy of eleven, ascended the throne in 1895. His mother Maharani Kemparajammanniyavaru ruled as regent until Krishnaraja took over the reins on 8 February 1902. Under his rule, with Sir M. Visvesvayara as his Dewan, the Maharaja set about transforming Mysore into a progressive and modern state, particularly in industry, education, agriculture and art. Such were the strides that Mysore made that Mahatma Gandhi called
490-506: A chemical substitute for saltpetre (potassium nitrate) affected the Uppar community, the traditional makers of saltpetre for use in gunpowder. The import of kerosene affected the Ganiga community which supplied oils. Foreign enamel and crockery industries affected the native pottery business, and mill-made blankets replaced the country-made blankets called kambli . This economic fallout led to
588-510: A clear overall victory. The French withdrew their support of Mysore following the peace settlement in Europe . Undaunted, Tipu, popularly known as the "Tiger of Mysore", continued the war against the British but lost some regions in modern coastal Karnataka to them. The Maratha–Mysore War occurred between 1785 and 1787 and consisted of a series of conflicts between the Sultanate of Mysore and
686-522: A match for the traditional handweaving industry, especially in spinning and weaving. The economic revolution in England and the tariff policies of the British also caused massive de-industrialization in other sectors throughout British India and Mysore. For example, the gunny bag weaving business had been a monopoly of the Goniga people, which they lost when the British began ruling the area. The import of
784-525: A more flexible caste hierarchy, the middle class contained a heterogeneous mix of people from different castes. The early kings of the Wodeyar dynasty worshipped the Hindu god Shiva. The later kings, starting from the 17th century, took to Vaishnavism , the worship of the Hindu god Vishnu. According to musicologist Meera Rajaram Pranesh, King Raja Wodeyar I was a devotee of the god Vishnu, King Dodda Devaraja
882-647: A red silk belt and pouch across his body and head. He had lost his turban and there were no weapons of defence about him. All members of the British-led forces who took part in the siege were awarded a medal by the Governor-General of India. Two cannon captured by the British during the battle are displayed at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst , now standing in front of the officers' mess. Tipu's Tiger , an automaton now in
980-442: A result of which the peasants were compelled to pay more by way of land tax. The king is said to have taken a personal interest in the regular collection of revenues the treasury burgeoned to 90,000,000 Pagoda (a unit of currency) – earning him the epithet "Nine crore Narayana" ( Navakoti Narayana ). In 1700, he sent an embassy to Aurangazeb 's court bestowed upon him the title Jug Deo Raja and awarded permission to sit on
1078-560: A series of encounters around Seringapatam (the anglicised version of Srirangapatnam ) in the months of April and May 1799, between the combined forces of the British East India Company and their allies, numbering over 50,000 soldiers in all, and the soldiers of the Kingdom of Mysore , ruled by Tipu Sultan , numbering up to 30,000. The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War came to an end with the defeat and death of Tipu Sultan in
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#17327766513191176-453: A sign of honour, often with a shawl. Wadiyar dynasty rulers wore richly jewelled turbans of silk and gold-threaded lace ( jari) to match colourful royal dress. Kings wore the traditional Mysuru peta during meetings of the royal court ( Durbar ), for public events such as during the Dassara religious festival and at parades for visiting dignitaries. The Mysuru peta was also worn by
1274-412: A well-developed state. In 1876–77, however, towards the end of the period of direct British rule, Mysore was struck by a devastating famine with estimated mortality figures ranging between 700,000 and 1,100,000, or nearly a fifth of the population. Shortly thereafter, Maharaja Chamaraja X , educated in the British system, took over the rule of Mysore in 1881, following the success of a lobby set up by
1372-399: Is credited with founding state trading depots in various locations of his kingdom. In addition, he founded depots in foreign locations such as Karachi , Jeddah and Muscat , where Mysore products were sold. During Tipu's rule French technology was used for the first time in carpentry and smithing , Chinese technology was used for sugar production, and technology from Bengal helped improve
1470-575: Is now southern Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu , becoming a formidable power in the Deccan . During a brief Muslim rule from 1761 to 1799, the kingdom became a sultanate under Hyder Ali and Tipu , often referring to it as Sultanat-e-Khudadad ( transl. God gifted empire ). During this time, it came into conflict with the Maratha Confederacy , the Nizam of Hyderabad ,
1568-495: Is said to have married Chikkadevarasi, the local princess and assumed the feudal title "Wodeyar" ( Kannada : ಒಡೆಯರ್ , romanized: Oḍeyar , lit. 'lord'), which the ensuing dynasty retained. The first unambiguous mention of the Wodeyar family is in 16th century Kannada literature from the reign of the Vijayanagara king Achyuta Deva Raya (1529–1542); the earliest available inscription, issued by
1666-891: The Amir of Afghanistan, the Ottoman Empire and Arabia. However, these attempts to involve the French soon became known to the British, who were at the time fighting the French in Egypt and were backed by the Marathas and the Nizam. In 1799, Tipu died defending Srirangapatna in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War , heralding the end of the Kingdom's independence. Modern Indian historians consider Tipu Sultan an inveterate enemy of
1764-511: The Cornwallis land reforms came into effect. Reade, Munro, Graham and Thackeray were some administrators who improved the economic conditions of the masses. However, the homespun textile industry suffered while most of India was under British rule, except the producers of the finest cloth and the coarse cloth which was popular with the rural masses. This was due to the manufacturing mills of Manchester , Liverpool and Scotland being more than
1862-701: The Garrison Cemetery, Seringapatam . Wilkie Collins 's novel The Moonstone begins with the looting of the jewels removed from Seringapatam in 1799 from Tipu's treasury. The siege was also depicted in H.M Milner's play ""Tippo Saib, Or The Storming of Seringatam" in 1823 at the Royal Colburg Theatre on the South Bank, London. The siege and Tipu's death also received considerable attention in France, as Tipu had been viewed as an ally of
1960-838: The Kingdom of Travancore , and the British , culminating in four Anglo-Mysore Wars . Mysore's success in the First Anglo-Mysore war and a stalemate in the Second were followed by defeats in the Third and the Fourth . Following Tipu's death in the Fourth War during the Siege of Seringapatam , large parts of his kingdom were annexed by the British, which signalled the end of a period of Tipu over South India. Power returned absolutely to
2058-670: The Kolar Gold Fields began, the Shivanasamudra hydroelectric project was initiated in 1899 (the first such major attempt in India) and electricity and drinking water (the latter through pipes) was supplied to Bangalore. Seshadri Iyer was followed by P. N. Krishnamurti , who created The Secretariat Manual to maintain records and the Co-operative Department in 1905, V. P. Madhava Rao who focussed on
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#17327766513192156-547: The Nayaka chiefs of Ikkeri and the kings ( Rajas ) of Kodagu (modern Coorg); who between them controlled the Kanara coast (coastal areas of modern Karnataka) and the intervening hill region respectively. The conflict brought mixed results with Mysore annexing Periyapatna but suffering a reversal at Palupare. Nevertheless, from around 1704, when the kingdom passed on to the "Mute king" ( Mukarasu ) Kanthirava Narasaraja II ,
2254-540: The Third Anglo-Mysore War and the consequent loss of half his kingdom, but he still probably had up to 30,000 soldiers. The British forces consisted of the following: The Indian (sepoy) forces consisted of the following: Seringapatam was besieged by the British forces on 5 April 1799. The River Cauvery , which flowed around the city of Seringapatam, was at its lowest level of the year and could be forded by infantry – if an assault commenced before
2352-625: The Victoria & Albert Museum , was captured at Seringapatam. Much of the site of the battle is still intact including the ramparts, the Water Gate where the Tipu Sultan 's body was found, the area where the British prisoners were held, and the site of the destroyed palace. Around 80 men of the Swiss ‘ de Meuron Regiment ’, who fell during the siege, and their family members are buried in
2450-666: The chiefs of Madurai . The invasion of the Keladi Nayakas of Malnad was also dealt with successfully. This period was followed by one of the complex geo-political changes when in the 1670s, the Marathas and the Mughals pressed into the Deccan. Chikka Devaraja (r. 1672–1704), the most notable of Mysore's early kings, who ruled during much of this period, managed to not only survive the exigencies but further expand territory. He achieved this by forging strategic alliances with
2548-547: The history of Karnataka for his fighting skills and administrative acumen. The rise of Hyder came at a time of important political developments in the sub-continent. While the European powers were busy transforming themselves from trading companies to political powers, the Nizam as the Subahdar of the Mughals pursued his ambitions in the Deccan, and the Marathas, following their defeat at Panipat , sought safe havens in
2646-466: The sericulture industry. State factories were established in Kanakapura and Taramandelpeth for producing cannons and gunpowder respectively. The state held the monopoly in the production of essentials such as sugar, salt, iron, pepper, cardamom, betel nut, tobacco and sandalwood , as well as the extraction of incense oil from sandalwood and the mining of silver, gold and precious stones. Sandalwood
2744-566: The 16th birthday of the boy king. The years that followed witnessed cordial relations between Mysore and the British until things began to sour in the 1820s. Even though the Governor of Madras , Thomas Munro , determined after a personal investigation in 1825 that there was no substance to the allegations of financial impropriety made by A. H. Cole , the incumbent Resident of Mysore, the Nagar revolt (a civil insurrection) which broke out towards
2842-464: The Bijapur armies under Ranadullah Khan were effectively repelled in their 1638 siege of Srirangapatna. Expansionist ambitions then turned southward into Tamil country where Narasaraja Wodeyar acquired Satyamangalam (in modern northern Erode district) while his successor Dodda Devaraja Wodeyar expanded further to capture western Tamil regions of Erode and Dharmapuri , after successfully repulsing
2940-521: The British officers went to look for the body of Tipu Sultan . He was identified as the fat officer who had fired hunting weapons at the attackers, and his body was found in a choked tunnel-like passage near the Water Gate. Benjamin Sydenham described the body as: wounded a little above the right ear, and the ball lodged in the left cheek, he had also three wounds in the body, he was in stature about 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) and not very fair, he
3038-551: The British suffered in India until Chillianwala , and Arcot, until the arrival of Sir Eyre Coote, when the fortunes of the British began to change. On 1 June 1781 Coote struck the first heavy blow against Hyder Ali in the decisive Battle of Porto Novo . The battle was won by Coote against odds of five to one and is regarded as one of the greatest feats of the British in India. It was followed up by another hard-fought battle at Pollilur (the scene of an earlier triumph of Hyder Ali over
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3136-399: The British troops was Major General David Baird , an implacable enemy of Tipu Sultan: twenty years earlier, he had been held captive for 44 months. The storming troops, including men of the 73rd and 74th regiments , clambered up the breach and fought their way along the ramparts. On the night of 3 May some officers crossed over to the glacis, examined the breach and the manner of attacking
3234-489: The British, an able administrator and an innovator. Following Tipu's fall, a part of the kingdom of Mysore was annexed and divided between the Madras Presidency and the Nizam . The remaining territory was transformed into a Princely State; the five-year-old scion of the Wodeyar family, Krishnaraja III , was installed on the throne with Purnaiah continuing as Dewan , who had earlier served under Tipu, handling
3332-533: The Crown rule in 1947, the Kingdom of Mysore was ceded to the Union of India . Upon accession, it became Mysore State , later uniting with other Kannada speaking regions to form the present-day Karnataka state. Soon after Independence, Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar was made Rajapramukh until 1956, when he became the first governor of the enlarged state. Even as a princely state, Mysore came to be counted among
3430-564: The English against his ruler. The Governor-General of India, Richard Wellesley , planned the opening of a breach in the walls of Seringapatam. The location of the breach, as noted by Beatson, the author of an account of the Fourth Mysore War, was 'in the west curtain, a little to the right of the flank of the north-west bastion. This being the old rampart appeared weaker than the new.' The Mysorean defence succeeded in preventing
3528-563: The French and the Sultan of Turkey failed to bring direct military aid. Tipu's successful attacks in 1790 on the Kingdom of Travancore , a later British ally, ended in defeat for him, and it resulted in greater hostilities with the British which culminated in the Third Anglo-Mysore War . In the beginning, the British made gains, taking the Coimbatore district , but Tipu's counterattack reversed many of these gains. By 1792, with aid from
3626-694: The King's senior officials, such as the Prime Minister ( dewan ). Men attending the King's court were expected to wear the Mysuru peta with a long black coat and white trousers. Mysuru peta turbans are worn as formal attire for events such as weddings, religious gatherings and award ceremonies, particularly in Mysuru and Kodagu . Students and faculty of universities in Karnataka are encouraged to wear
3724-498: The Maharaja a "saintly king" ( Rajarishi ). Paul Brunton , the British philosopher and orientalist, John Gunther , the American author, and British statesman Lord Samuel praised the ruler's efforts. Much of the pioneering work in educational infrastructure that took place during this period would serve Karnataka invaluably in the coming decades. The Maharaja was an accomplished musician, and like his predecessors, avidly patronised
3822-487: The Maratha Empire. Following Tipu Sultan's victory against the Marathas at the siege of Bahadur Benda , a peace agreement was signed between the two kingdoms with mutual gains and losses. Similarly, the treaty of Mangalore was signed in 1784 bringing hostilities with the British to a temporary and uneasy halt and restoring the others' lands to the status quo ante bellum . The treaty is an important document in
3920-717: The Marathas and the Mughals . The kingdom soon grew to include Salem and Bangalore to the east, Hassan to the west, Chikkamagaluru and Tumkur to the north and the rest of Coimbatore to the south. Despite this expansion, the kingdom, which now accounted for a fair share of land in the southern Indian heartland, extending from the Western Ghats to the western boundaries of the Coromandel plain, remained landlocked without direct coastal access. Chikka Devaraja's attempts to remedy this brought Mysore into conflict with
4018-477: The Marathas at bay. He was followed by Chamaraja Wodeyar VII during whose reign power fell into the hands of prime minister ( Dalwai or Dalavoy ) Nanjarajiah (or Nanjaraja) and chief minister ( Sarvadhikari ) Devarajiah (or Devaraja), the influential brothers from Kalale town near Nanjangud who would rule for the next three decades with the Wodeyars relegated to being the titular heads. The latter part of
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4116-584: The Marathas who attacked from the north-west and the Nizam who moved in from the north-east, the British under Lord Cornwallis successfully besieged Srirangapatna , resulting in Tipu's defeat and the Treaty of Srirangapatna . Half of Mysore was distributed among the allies, and two of his sons were held to ransom. A humiliated but indomitable Tipu went about rebuilding his economic and military power. He attempted to covertly win over support from Revolutionary France ,
4214-471: The Marathas. Haider Ali 's army advanced towards the Marathas and fought them at the Battle of Saunshi and came out victorious during the same year. By 1779, Hyder Ali had captured parts of modern Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the south, extending the Kingdom's area to about 80,000 mi (205,000 km ). In 1780, he befriended the French and made peace with the Marathas and the Nizam. However, Hyder Ali
4312-513: The Mughals may have considered Mysore an ally, a situation brought about by Mughal–Maratha competition for supremacy in southern India. By the 1720s, with the Mughal empire in decline, further complications arose with the Mughal residents at both Arcot and Sira claiming tribute. The years that followed saw Krishnaraja Wodeyar I tread cautiously on the matter while keeping the Kodagu chiefs and
4410-622: The Mysore kings, who made munificent endowments to the Jain monastic order at the town of Shravanabelagola . Records indicate that some Wodeyar kings not only presided over the Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony, an important Jain religious event at Shravanabelagola, but also personally offered prayers ( puja ) during the years 1659, 1677, 1800, 1825, 1910, 1925, 1940, and 1953. Siege of Seringapatam (1799) British victory The siege of Seringapatam (5 April – 4 May 1799)
4508-573: The Mysore palace and contemporary literary sources in Kannada, Persian and other languages. According to traditional accounts, the kingdom originated as a small state based in the modern city of Mysore and was founded by two brothers, Yaduraya (also known as Vijaya) and Krishnaraya. Their origins are mired in legend and are still a matter of debate; while some historians posit a northern origin at Dwarka , others locate it in Karnataka. Yaduraya
4606-526: The Wadiyars when Krishnaraja Wodeyar III became king. In 1831, the British took direct control of the kingdom and a commission administered it until 1881. Through an instrument of rendition, power was once again transferred to the Wadiyars in 1881, when Chamaraja Wadiyar X was made king. In 1913, in lieu of the instrument, a proper subsidiary alliance was struck with the kingdom during Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV . Upon India's independence from
4704-487: The Wodeyar dynasty that was in favour of rendition . Accordingly, a resident British officer was appointed at the Mysore court and a Dewan to handle the Maharaja's administration. From then onwards, until Indian independence in 1947, Mysore remained a Princely State within the British Indian Empire , with the Wodeyars continuing their rule. After the demise of Maharaja Chamaraja X, Krishnaraja IV , still
4802-471: The Wodeyars themselves, dates to the rule of the petty chief Timmaraja II in 1551. The kings who followed ruled as vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire until the decline of the latter in 1565. By this time, the kingdom had expanded to thirty-three villages protected by a force of 300 soldiers. King Timmaraja II conquered some surrounding chiefdoms, and King Bola Chamaraja IV ( lit , "Bald"),
4900-555: The battle. When the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War broke out, the British assembled two large columns under General George Harris . The first consisted of over 26,000 British East India Company troops, 4,000 of whom were European while the rest were local Indian sepoys . The second column was supplied by the Nizam of Hyderabad , and consisted of ten battalions and over 16,000 cavalry. Together, the allied force numbered over 50,000 soldiers. Tipu's forces had been depleted by
4998-546: The battles of Chengham and Tiruvannamalai . The British ignored his overtures for peace until Hyder Ali had strategically moved his armies to within five miles of Madras (modern Chennai ) and was able to successfully sue for peace . Three wars were fought from 1764 and 1772 between the Maratha armies of Peshwa Madhavrao I against Hyder, in which Hyder was severely defeated and had to pay 36 lacs of tribute as war expenses along with an annual tribute of 14 lacs every year to
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#17327766513195096-474: The capital and divided the princely state into four divisions, each under a British superintendent. The state was further divided into 120 taluks with 85 taluk courts, with all lower level administration in the Kannada language . The office of the commissioner had eight departments; revenue, post, police, cavalry, public works, medical, animal husbandry, judiciary and education. The judiciary was hierarchical with
5194-453: The case with all Wodeyar rulers. The rise of the modern-day Mysore city as a centre of south Indian culture has been traced from the period of their sovereignty. Raja Wodeyar I initiated the celebration of the Dasara festival in Mysore, a proud tradition of the erstwhile Vijayanagara royal family. Jainism , though in decline during the late medieval period, also enjoyed the patronage of
5292-506: The charge. The columns quickly formed, were ordered to fix bayonets, and began to move forward. As the hour approached, Mir Sadiq withdrew the troops stationed at the breach under the pretext of distributing their pay. There was no one to protest against such a measure. Sayyid Abdul Ghaffar, who was very loyal to the Sultan, was killed by a cannon ball. Immediately after the Sayyid was killed,
5390-406: The commissioners' court at the apex, followed by the Huzur Adalat , four superintending courts and eight Sadar Munsiff courts at the lowest level. Lewin Bowring became the chief commissioner in 1862 and held the position until 1870. During his tenure, the property "Registration Act", the " Indian Penal Code " and " Code of Criminal Procedure " came into effect and the judiciary was separated from
5488-415: The conservation of forests and T. Ananda Rao , who finalised the Kannambadi Dam project. Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya , popularly known as the "Maker of Modern Mysore", holds a key place in the history of Karnataka. An engineer by education, he became the Dewan in 1909. Under his tenure, membership of the Mysore Legislative Assembly was increased from 18 to 24, and it was given the power to discuss
5586-423: The defences around the breach, then wheel right and left to take over the fortifications. A third reserve column, commanded by Arthur Wellesley , would deploy as required to provide support where needed. At 11:00 a.m., on 4 May 1799, the British troops were briefed and whiskey and a biscuit issued to the European soldiers, before the signal to attack was given. The forlorn-hopes, numbering seventy-six men, led
5684-439: The development of the fine arts. He was followed by his nephew Jayachamarajendra whose rule continued for some years after he signed the instrument of accession and Mysore joined the Indian Union on 9 August 1947. Jayachamarajendra continued to rule as Rajapramukh of Mysore until 1956 when as a result of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 , his position was converted into Governor of Mysore State . From 1963 until 1966, he
5782-482: The end of the decade changed things considerably. In 1831, close on the heels of the insurrection and citing mal-administration, the British took direct control of the princely state, placing it under a commission rule . For the next fifty years, Mysore passed under the rule of successive British Commissioners; Sir Mark Cubbon , renowned for his statesmanship, served from 1834 until 1861 and put into place an efficient and successful administrative system which left Mysore
5880-455: The establishment of a battery on the north side of the River Cauvery on 22 April 1799. However, by 1 May, working at night, the British had completed their southern batteries and brought them up to the wall. At sunrise on 2 May, the batteries of the 2nd Nizam of Hyderabad succeeded in opening a practical breach in the outer wall. In addition, the mines that were laid under the breach were hit by artillery and blew up prematurely. The leader of
5978-413: The establishment of the Mysore state railway department and numerous industries in Mysore. In 1955, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna , India's highest civilian honour. Sir Mirza Ismail took office as Dewan in 1926 and built on the foundation laid by his predecessor. Amongst his contributions were the expansion of the Bhadravathi Iron Works, the founding of a cement and paper factory in Bhadravathi and
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#17327766513196076-428: The executive branch of the administration. The state was divided into eight districts – Bangalore, Chitraldroog , Hassan , Kadur , Kolar , Mysore , Shimoga , and Tumkur . After the rendition, C. V. Rungacharlu was made the Dewan. Under him, the first Representative Assembly of British India, with 144 members, was formed in 1881. He was followed by K. Seshadri Iyer in 1883 during whose tenure gold mining at
6174-405: The first ruler of any political significance among them, withheld tribute to the nominal Vijayanagara monarch Aravidu Ramaraya . After the death of Aravidu Ramaraya, the Wodeyars began to assert themselves further and King Raja Wodeyar I wrested control of Srirangapatna from the Vijayanagara governor ( Mahamandaleshvara ) Aravidu Tirumalla – a development which elicited, if only ex post facto ,
6272-475: The formation of community-based social welfare organisations to help those within the community to cope better with their new economic situation, including youth hostels for students seeking education and shelter. However, the British economic policies created a class structure consisting of a newly established middle class comprising various blue and white-collared occupational groups, including agents, brokers, lawyers, teachers, civil servants and physicians. Due to
6370-409: The fort (Lushington, Life of Harris , p. 325). It was probably on this occasion that it was arranged between the English officers and Mir Sadiq that the assault should take place at midday( p. 313). The assault was to begin at 1:00 p.m. to coincide with the hottest part of the day when the defenders would be taking refreshment. Led by two forlorn hopes , two columns would advance upon
6468-418: The hands of Hyder Ali and his son Tipu. By 1761, Maratha power had diminished and by 1763, Hyder Ali had captured the Keladi kingdom, defeated the rulers of Bilgi , Bednur and Gutti , invaded the Malabar Coast in the south and conquered the Zamorin 's capital Calicut with ease in 1766 and extended the Mysore kingdom up to Dharwad and Bellary in the north. Mysore was now a major political power in
6566-405: The history of India because it was the last occasion when an Indian power dictated terms to the British, who were made to play the role of humble supplicants for peace. A start of fresh hostilities between the British and French in Europe would have been sufficient reason for Tipu to abrogate his treaty and further his ambition of striking at the British. His attempts to lure the Nizam, the Marathas,
6664-418: The inside of the walls until they met on the far side of the city. The column that rounded the northwest corner of the outer wall was immediately involved in a serious fight with a group of Mysorean warriors under a fat officer, which defended every traverse. The officer was observed to be discharging hunting weapons loaded and passed to him by servants. After the fall of the city, in the gathering dusk, some of
6762-488: The ivory throne. Following this, he founded the district offices ( Attara Kacheri ), the central secretariat comprising eighteen departments, and his administration was modelled on Mughal lines. During Hyder Ali 's rule, the kingdom was divided into five provinces ( Asofis ) of unequal size, comprising 171 taluks ( Paraganas ) in total. When Tipu Sultan became the de facto ruler, the kingdom, which encompassed 160,000 km (61,776 sq mi) (62,000 mi ),
6860-497: The kingdom had established itself in the area was the issuing of gold coins ( Kanthirayi phanam ) resembling those of the erstwhile Vijayanagara Empire during Narasaraja Wodeyar's rule. The rule of Chikka Devaraja saw several reforms effected. Internal administration was remodelled to suit the kingdom's growing needs and became more efficient. A postal system came into being. Far-reaching financial reforms were also introduced. Several petty taxes were imposed in place of direct taxes, as
6958-437: The launch of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited . A man with a penchant for gardens, he founded the Brindavan Gardens (Krishnaraja Sagar) and built the Kaveri River high-level canal to irrigate 120,000 acres (490 km ) in modern Mandya district. In 1939 Mandya District was carved out of Mysore District, bringing the number of districts in the state to nine. The vast majority of the people lived in villages and agriculture
7056-619: The lesser known allies were the Portuguese in Goa and Damaon . Tipu Sultan , the ruler after the death of his father , was killed in the action. The British restored the Wodeyar dynasty back to power after the victory through a treaty of subsidiary alliance and Krishnaraja Wodeyar III was crowned the King of Mysore. However, they retained indirect control ( British paramountcy ) of the kingdom's external affairs . The battle consisted of
7154-517: The monsoon. When letters were exchanged with Tipu , it seemed that he was playing for time. He requested two persons to be sent to him for discussions and also stated that he was preoccupied with hunting expeditions. Tipu Sultan's Chief Minister, Mir Sadiq , is alleged to have been bought over by the British. The British had sought the assistance of Mir Sadiq who, like Purnaiya and Qamar-ud-din Khan, had been for sometime past carrying on correspondence with
7252-439: The more developed and urbanised regions of South Asia. The period since the penultimate restoration (1799–1947) also saw Mysore emerge as one of the important centres of art and culture in India. The maharajas of Mysore were not only accomplished exponents of the fine arts and men of letters, they were enthusiastic patrons as well. Their legacies continue to influence music and the arts even today, as well as rocket science with
7350-421: The need arose. It was due to the availability of these landless labourers that kings and landlords were able to execute major projects such as palaces, temples, mosques, anicuts (dams) and tanks. Because land was abundant and the population relatively sparse, no rent was charged on land ownership. Instead, landowners paid tax for cultivation, which amounted to up to one-half of all harvested produce. Tipu Sultan
7448-596: The nominal overlordship of the Aravidu dynasty , tributes and transfers of revenue to Chandragiri stopped. This was in marked contrast to other major chiefs, the Nayaks of Tamil country who continued to pay off Chandragiri emperors well into the 1630s. Chamaraja VI and Kanthirava Narasaraja I attempted to expand further northward but were thwarted by the Bijapur Sultanate and its Maratha subordinates, though
7546-548: The peshwa. In these wars Hyder had expected British support as per the 1769 treaty but the British betrayed him by staying out of the conflict. The British betrayal and Hyder's subsequent defeat reinforced Hyder's deep distrust of the British—a sentiment that would be shared by his son and one that would inform Anglo-Mysore rivalries of the next three decades. In 1777, Haider Ali recovered the previously lost territories of Coorg and parts of what would later become Malabar District from
7644-411: The process but clarifies that Veerashaiva literature itself is silent about the issue. Historian Suryanath Kamath claims King Chikka Devaraja was a Srivaishnava (follower of Sri Vaishnavism , a sect of Vaishnavism) but was not anti-Veerashaiva. Historian Aiyangar concurs that some of the kings including the celebrated Narasaraja I and Chikka Devaraja were Vaishnavas, but suggests this may not have been
7742-482: The reins as regent and Barry Close was appointed the British Resident for Msyore. The British then took control of Mysore's foreign policy and also exacted an annual tribute and a subsidy for maintaining a standing British army at Mysore. As dewan, Purnaiah distinguished himself with his progressive and innovative administration until he retired from service in 1811 (and died shortly thereafter) following
7840-514: The rule of Krishnaraja II saw the Deccan Sultanates being eclipsed by the Mughals and in the confusion that ensued, Hyder Ali , a captain in the army, rose to prominence. His victory against the Marathas at Bangalore in 1758, resulting in the annexation of their territory, made him an iconic figure. In honour of his achievements, the king gave him the title "Nawab Haider Ali Khan Bahadur". Hyder Ali has earned an important place in
7938-728: The south. The period also saw the French vie with the British for control of the Carnatic —a contest in which the British would eventually prevail as British commander Sir Eyre Coote decisively defeated the French under the Comte de Lally at the Battle of Wandiwash in 1760, a watershed in Indian history as it cemented British supremacy in South Asia. Though the Wodeyars remained the nominal heads of Mysore during this period, real power lay in
8036-786: The state budget. The Mysore Economic Conference was expanded into three committees; industry and commerce, education, and agriculture, with publications in English and Kannada. Important projects commissioned during his time included the construction of the Kannambadi Dam, the founding of the Mysore Iron Works at Bhadravathi , founding of the Mysore University in 1916, the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering in Bangalore,
8134-545: The subcontinent and Haider's meteoric rise from relative obscurity and his defiance formed one of the last remaining challenges to complete British hegemony over the Indian subcontinent—a challenge which would take them more than three decades to overcome. In a bid to stem Hyder's rise, the British allied with the Marathas and the Nizam of Golconda , culminating in the First Anglo-Mysore War in 1767. Despite numerical superiority, Hyder Ali suffered defeats at
8232-405: The subsidiary alliance with the British, when tax payments were made in cash and were used for the maintenance of the army, police and other civil and public establishments. A portion of the tax was transferred to England as the "Indian tribute". Unhappy with the loss of their traditional revenue system and the problems they faced, peasants rose in rebellion in many parts of south India. After 1800,
8330-492: The survival and expansion of the kingdom was achieved by playing a delicate game of alliance, negotiation, subordination on occasion, and annexation of territory in all directions. According to historians Sanjay Subrahmanyam and Sethu Madhava Rao , Mysore was now formally a tributary of the Mughal Empire. Mughul records claim a regular tribute ( peshkash ) was paid by Mysore. However, historian Suryanath U. Kamath feels
8428-443: The tacit approval of Venkatapati Raya , the incumbent king of the diminished Vijayanagar Empire ruling from Chandragiri . Raja Wodeyar I's reign also saw territorial expansion with the annexation of Channapatna to the north from Jaggadeva Raya – a development which made Mysore a regional political factor to reckon with. Consequently, by 1612–13, the Wodeyars exercised a great deal of autonomy and even though they acknowledged
8526-513: The traitors made a signal from the fort holding out a white handkerchief to the English troops who were assembled in the trenches, waiting for such a signal p. 313-314). The storming party dashed across the River Cauvery in water four feet deep, with covering fire from British batteries, and within 16 minutes had scaled the ramparts and swept aside the defenders quickly. The British follow-up columns turned right and left, sweeping along
8624-477: The use of Mysorean rockets . Ruling families Ruling titles Capitals Overlords Prime ministers Alliance Famous leaders Arts and culture during Mysore Kingdom Government Famous events and moments Mysore Brand Mysore Kingdom landmarks Mysore era firms and organisations Sources for the history of the kingdom include numerous extant lithic and copper plate inscriptions , records from
8722-591: Was a geopolitical realm in southern India founded in around 1399 in the vicinity of the modern-day city of Mysore and prevailed until 1950. The territorial boundaries and the form of government transmuted substantially throughout the kingdom's lifetime. While originally a feudal vassal under the Vijayanagara Empire , it became a princely state in British India from 1799 to 1947, marked in-between by major political changes. The kingdom, which
8820-538: Was betrayed by the Marathas and the Nizam, who made treaties with the British as well. In July 1779, Hyder Ali headed an army of 80,000, mostly cavalry, descending through the passes of the Ghats amid burning villages, before laying siege to British forts in northern Arcot starting the Second Anglo-Mysore War . Hyder Ali had some initial successes against the British notably at Pollilur , the worst defeat
8918-558: Was divided into 37 provinces and a total of 124 taluks ( Amil ). Each province had a governor ( Asof ), and one deputy governor. Each taluk had a headman called Amildar and a group of villages were in charge of a Patel . The central administration comprised six departments headed by ministers, each aided by an advisory council of up to four members. When the princely state came under direct British rule in 1831, early commissioners Lushington , Briggs and Morrison were followed by Mark Cubbon, who took charge in 1834. He made Bangalore
9016-586: Was exported to China and the Persian Gulf countries and sericulture was developed in twenty-one centres within the kingdom. The Mysore silk industry was initiated during the rule of Tipu Sultan. Later the industry was hit by a global depression and competition from imported silk and rayon . In the second half of the 20th century, it however revived and the Mysore State became the top multivoltine silk producer in India. This system changed under
9114-522: Was founded and ruled for the most part by the Wadiyars , initially served as a feudal vassal under the Vijayanagara Empire . With the gradual decline of the Empire, the 16th-century Timmaraja Wodeyar II declared independence from it. The 17th century saw a steady expansion of its territory and, during the rules of Narasaraja Wodeyar I and Devaraja Wodeyar II , the kingdom annexed large expanses of what
9212-484: Was honoured with the title "Protector of Brahmins" ( Deva Brahmana Paripalaka ) for his support to Brahmins , and Maharaja Krishnaraja III was devoted to the goddess Chamundeshwari (a form of Hindu goddess Durga ). Wilks ("History of Mysore", 1800) wrote about a Jangama ( Veerashaiva saint-devotee of Shiva) uprising, related to excessive taxation, which was put down firmly by Chikka Devaraja. Historian D.R. Nagaraj claims that four hundred Jangamas were murdered in
9310-474: Was rather corpulent, had a short neck and high shoulders, but his wrists and ankles were small and delicate. He had large full eyes, with small arched eyebrows and very small whiskers. His appearance denoted him to be above the Common Stamp. And his countenance expressed a mixture of haughtiness and resolution. He was dressed in a fine white linen jacket, chintz drawers, a crimson cloth round his waist with
9408-402: Was the final confrontation of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore . The British, with the allied Nizam Ali Khan, 2nd Nizam of Hyderabad and Marathas , achieved a decisive victory after breaching the walls of the fortress at Seringapatam and storming the citadel. The leader of the British troops was Major General David Baird , among
9506-429: Was the first Governor of Madras State . There are no records relating to the administration of the Mysore territory during the Vijayanagara Empire 's reign (1399–1565). Signs of a well-organised and independent administration appear from the time of Raja Wodeyar I who is believed to have been sympathetic towards peasants ( raiyats ) who were exempted from any increases in taxation during his time. The first sign that
9604-440: Was their main occupation. The economy of the kingdom was based on agriculture. Grains, pulses, vegetables and flowers were cultivated. Commercial crops included sugarcane and cotton. The agrarian population consisted of landlords ( vokkaliga , zamindar , heggadde ) who tilled the land by employing several landless labourers, usually paying them in grain. Minor cultivators were also willing to hire themselves out as labourers if
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