124-778: Pethapur State was a small princely state belonging to the Mahi Kantha Agency of the Bombay Presidency during the era of the British Raj . It was centered on Pethapur village, in present-day Gandhinagar district of Gujarat State , a place renowned for block-making. The 13th century, King Pethasinh of Pethapur ruled over Shertha town. After the death of parmar Pethasinh, the Gujarat Sultanate of Patan used this land as battle ground. Sultan Ahmed Shah decided to move his capital from Patan to
248-516: 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
372-479: 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
496-506: 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
620-522: A chief can neither attack his neighbour nor fall out with a foreign nation, it follows that he needs no military establishment which is not required either for police purposes or personal display, or for cooperation with the Imperial Government. The treaty made with Gwalior in 1844, and the instrument of transfer given to Mysore in 1881, alike base the restriction of the forces of the State upon
744-510: 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
868-518: A few particular titles, such as Sardar , Mankari , Deshmukh , Sar Desai, Istamuradar, Saranjamdar , Raja Inamdar, etc. The most prestigious Hindu rulers usually had the prefix "maha-" ("great", compare for example " grand duke ") in their titles, as in Maharaja, Maharana, Maharao , etc. This was used in many princely states including Mewar , Travancore and Cochin . The state of Travancore also had queens regent styled Maharani , applied only to
992-730: 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 , the Kingdom of Travancore , and the British , culminating in four Anglo-Mysore Wars . Mysore's success in
1116-671: A level of Maharaja was used. There were also compound titles, such as (Maha)rajadhiraj, Raj-i-rajgan, often relics from an elaborate system of hierarchical titles under the Mughal emperors . For example, the addition of the adjective Bahadur (from Persian, literally meaning "brave") raised the status of the titleholder one level. Furthermore, most dynasties used a variety of additional titles such as Varma in South India. This should not be confused with various titles and suffixes not specific to princes but used by entire (sub)castes. This
1240-522: 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
1364-525: 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
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#17327758134301488-544: A new city, and built Ahmedabad . In 1960, Bombay state was split in two different states, Gujarat and Maharashtra . Ahmedabad became capital of Gujarat, and a new capital city was to be built on land which was once part of Pethapur state. The state was ruled by the Vaghela dynasty of Rajputs . Rawal Virajmal, son of Rao Kiratsinghji of Idar State , was succeeded on 12 April 1882 by his son Rawal Dipsinhji Sheosinhji, born in 1863. On 1 February 1940 Pethapur State became
1612-448: A population of over 16 million, while Jammu and Kashmir had a population of slightly over 4 million. At the other end of the scale, the non-salute principality of Lawa covered an area of 49 km (19 sq mi), with a population of just below 3,000. Some two hundred of the lesser states even had an area of less than 25 km (10 sq mi). The princely states at the time of Indian independence were mostly formed after
1736-480: A result of their states' contributions to the war effort. It was also not unusual for members of princely houses to be appointed to various colonial offices, often far from their native state, or to enter the diplomatic corps. The gun salute system was used to set unambiguously the precedence of the major rulers in the area in which the British East India Company was active, or generally of
1860-442: 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
1984-501: A rule the majority of gun-salute princes had at least nine, with numbers below that usually the prerogative of Arab Sheikhs of the Aden protectorate , also under British protection. There were many so-called non-salute states of lower prestige. Since the total of salute states was 117 and there were more than 500 princely states, most rulers were not entitled to any gun salute. Not all of these were minor rulers – Surguja State , for example,
2108-578: A ruler to appoint his own heir. The doctrine of lapse was pursued most vigorously by the Governor-General Sir James Ramsay , 10th Earl (later 1st Marquess) of Dalhousie . Dalhousie annexed seven states, including Awadh (Oudh), whose Nawabs he had accused of misrule, and the Maratha states of Nagpur , Jhansi , Satara , Sambalpur , and Thanjavur . Resentment over the annexation of these states turned to indignation when
2232-530: A semi-promotion. The states of all these rulers (about 120) were known as salute states . After Indian Independence , the Maharana of Udaipur displaced the Nizam of Hyderabad as the most senior prince in India, because Hyderabad State had not acceded to the new Dominion of India , and the style Highness was extended to all rulers entitled to 9-gun salutes. When the princely states had been integrated into
2356-412: 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
2480-525: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state ) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule , subject to a subsidiary alliance and the suzerainty or paramountcy of the British crown . In 1920, Congress (party) under
2604-640: Is almost analogous to Singh title in North India. The actual importance of a princely state could not be read from the title of its ruler, which was usually granted (or at least recognized) as a favor, often in recognition for loyalty and services rendered to the British Raj . Although some titles were raised once or even repeatedly, there was no automatic updating when a state gained or lost real power. In fact, princely titles were even awarded to holders of domains (mainly jagirs ) and even taluqdars and zamindars , which were not states at all. Most of
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#17327758134302728-399: 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
2852-483: Is organised for the defence not merely of British India , but of all the possessions under the suzerainty of the King-Emperor. In addition, other restrictions were imposed: The treaties with most of the larger States are clear on this point. Posts in the interior must not be fortified, factories for the production of guns and ammunition must not be constructed, nor may the subject of other States be enlisted in
2976-495: 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
3100-891: 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
3224-511: 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
3348-685: The Eastern States Agency , Punjab States Agency , Baluchistan Agency , Deccan States Agency , Madras States Agency and the Northwest Frontier States Agency . The Baroda Residency was combined with the princely states of northern Bombay Presidency into the Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency . Gwalior was separated from the Central India Agency and given its own Resident, and
3472-799: 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 the Wadiyars when Krishnaraja Wodeyar III became king. In 1831,
3596-544: The King-Emperor to provide a forum in which the rulers could voice their needs and aspirations to the government. It survived until the end of the British Raj in 1947. By the early 1930s, most of the princely states whose agencies were under the authority of India's provinces were organised into new Agencies, answerable directly to the governor-general, on the model of the Central India and Rajputana agencies:
3720-670: 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
3844-464: The Maharaja of Patiala and the Maharaja of Travancore – were entitled to 19-gun salutes. The most senior princely ruler was the Nizam of Hyderabad , who was entitled to the unique style Exalted Highness and 21-gun salute . Other princely rulers entitled to salutes of 11 guns (soon 9 guns too) or more were entitled to the style Highness . No special style was used by rulers entitled to lesser gun salutes. As paramount ruler , and successor to
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3968-900: The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India and the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire . Women could be appointed as "Knights" (instead of Dames) of these orders. Rulers entitled to 21-gun and 19-gun salutes were normally appointed to the highest rank, Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India. Many Indian princes served in the British Army , the Indian Army , or in local guard or police forces, often rising to high ranks; some even served while on
4092-547: 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 ,
4216-666: 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
4340-547: 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
4464-466: 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
4588-483: The zamindars who held princely titles were in fact erstwhile princely and royal states reduced to becoming zamindars by the British East India Company. Various sources give significantly different numbers of states and domains of the various types. Even in general, the definition of titles and domains are clearly not well-established. In addition to their titles, all princely rulers were eligible to be appointed to certain British orders of chivalry associated with India,
4712-566: 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
4836-464: 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
4960-514: The British and Indian Armed Forces. Those ranks were conferred based on several factors, including their heritage, lineage, gun-salute (or lack of one) as well as personal character or martial traditions. After the First and Second World Wars, the princely rulers of several of the major states, including Gwalior , Patiala , Nabha , Faridkort , Bikaner , Jaipur , Jodhpur , Jammu and Kashmir and Hyderabad, were given honorary general officer ranks as
5084-499: 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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5208-402: 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
5332-489: 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
5456-533: 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
5580-637: 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
5704-484: The Governor-General of India or through any governor or other officer subordinate to the Governor-General of India. (5.) The expression "India" shall mean British India together with any territories of any native prince or chief under the suzerainty of Her Majesty exercised through the Governor-General of India, or through any governor or other officer subordinate to the Governor-General of India. In general
5828-705: The Indian Union their rulers were promised continued privileges and an income (known as the Privy Purse ) for their upkeep. Subsequently, when the Indian government abolished the Privy Purse in 1971, the whole princely order ceased to be recognised under Indian law, although many families continue to retain their social prestige informally; some descendants of the rulers are still prominent in regional or national politics, diplomacy, business and high society. At
5952-498: 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
6076-487: 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
6200-717: 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
6324-477: 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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#17327758134306448-584: 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 ,
6572-419: 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
6696-407: 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
6820-463: The Mughals, the British King-Emperor of India, for whom the style of Majesty was reserved, was entitled to an 'imperial' 101-gun salute—in the European tradition also the number of guns fired to announce the birth of an heir (male) to the throne. There was no strict correlation between the levels of the titles and the classes of gun salutes, the real measure of precedence, but merely a growing percentage of higher titles in classes with more guns. As
6944-461: 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
7068-406: The Nawab of Oudh . There were also certain estates of British India which were rendered as political saranjams , having equal princely status. Though none of these princes were awarded gun salutes, princely titles in this category were recognised as a form of vassals of salute states, and were not even in direct relation with the paramount power. A controversial aspect of East India Company rule
7192-475: The South, Jammu and Kashmir , and Indore in Central India. The most prominent among those – roughly a quarter of the total – had the status of a salute state , one whose ruler was entitled to a set number of gun salutes on ceremonial occasions. The princely states varied greatly in status, size, and wealth; the premier 21-gun salute states of Hyderabad and Jammu and Kashmir were each over 200,000 km (77,000 sq mi) in size. In 1941, Hyderabad had
7316-415: 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
7440-400: 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"),
7564-414: The administrators of India's provinces. The agents of five princely states were then under the authority of Madras , 354 under Bombay , 26 of Bengal , two under Assam , 34 under Punjab , fifteen under the Central Provinces and Berar and two under the United Provinces . The Chamber of Princes ( Narender Mandal or Narendra Mandal ) was an institution established in 1920 by a royal proclamation of
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#17327758134307688-492: 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
7812-461: The beginning of the 20th century, relations between the British and the four largest states – Hyderabad , Mysore , Jammu and Kashmir, and Baroda – were directly under the control of the governor-general of India , in the person of a British resident . Two agencies, for Rajputana and Central India , oversaw twenty and 148 princely states respectively. The remaining princely states had their own British political officers, or Agents, who answered to
7936-404: The broad ground of protection. The former explained in detail that unnecessary armies were embarrassing to the State itself and the cause of disquietude to others: a few months later a striking proof of this was afforded by the army of the Sikh kingdom of Lahore. The British Government has undertaken to protect the dominions of the Native princes from invasion and even from rebellion within: its army
8060-420: 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
8184-401: 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
8308-406: 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
8432-435: The complete list of princely states in 1947, see lists of princely states of India . Central India Agency , Gwalior Residency , Baluchistan Agency , Rajputana Agency , Eastern States Agency Gwalior Residency (two states) Other states under provincial governments Madras (5 states) Bombay (354 states) Central Provinces (15 states) Punjab (45 states) Assam (26 states) The armies of
8556-415: 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
8680-450: The courts of the princely states existed under the authority of the respective rulers of those states. The Indian rulers bore various titles including Maharaja or Raja ("king"), Sultan , Nawab , Emir , Raje , Nizam , Wadiyar (used only by the Maharajas of Mysore , meaning "lord"), Agniraj Maharaj for the rulers of Bhaddaiyan Raj, Chogyal , Nawab ("governor"), Nayak , Wāli , Inamdar , Saranjamdar and many others. Whatever
8804-439: 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
8928-510: The disintegration of the Mughal empire. Many Princely states had a foreign origin due to the long period of external migration to India. Some of these were the rulers of Hyderabad ( Turks ), Bhopal ( Afghans ) and Janjira ( Abyssinian ). Among the Hindu kingdoms, most of the rulers were Kshatriya . Only the Rajput states and a scattering of South Indian kingdoms could trace their lineage to
9052-475: The doctrine, it was discontinued with the end of Company rule and the British Parliament 's assumption of direct power over India. By treaty, the British controlled the external affairs of the princely states absolutely. As the states were not British possessions, they retained control over their own internal affairs, subject to a degree of British influence which in many states was substantial. By
9176-482: 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
9300-607: 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
9424-480: 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
9548-646: The first petty princely state to be subject to the Attachment Scheme , being integrated with Baroda State . The last ruler was Fateh Singh, born 3 October 1895 who nominally ruled till Indian independence while the process for joining India was active. Finally Baroda State acceded to the Indian Union on 1 May 1949. The rulers of Pethapur State bore the title Bapu, Thakor . 23°13′N 72°33′E / 23.217°N 72.550°E / 23.217; 72.550 This Indian location article
9672-405: 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 ,
9796-475: 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
9920-587: 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
10044-570: The heirlooms of the Maharajas of Nagpur were auctioned off in Calcutta. Dalhousie's actions contributed to the rising discontent amongst the upper castes which played a large part in the outbreak of the Indian mutiny of 1857 . The last Mughal badshah (emperor), whom many of the mutineers saw as a figurehead to rally around, was deposed following its suppression. In response to the unpopularity of
10168-405: 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,
10292-488: 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 ),
10416-497: 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
10540-564: 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
10664-567: The leadership of Mahatma Gandhi declared swaraj (self-rule) for Indians as its goal and asked the princes of India to establish responsible government. Jawaharlal Nehru played a major role in pushing Congress to confront the princely states and declared in 1929 that "only people who have the right to determine the future of the States must be the people of these States". In 1937, the Congress won in most parts of British India (not including
10788-588: The literal meaning and traditional prestige of the ruler's actual title, the British government translated them all as "prince", to avoid the implication that the native rulers could be "kings" with status equal to that of the British monarch. More prestigious Hindu rulers (mostly existing before the Mughal Empire, or having split from such old states) often used the title " Raja ", or a variant such as Raje, Rai , Rana , Babu , Rao , Rawat, or Rawal . Also in this 'class' were several Thakurs or Thai ores and
10912-498: The local forces. ... They must allow the forces that defend them to obtain local supplies, to occupy cantonments or positions, and to arrest deserters; and in addition to these services they must recognise the Imperial control of the railways, telegraphs, and postal communications as essential not only to the common welfare but to the common defence. The Imperial Service Troops were routinely inspected by British army officers and had
11036-439: 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
11160-628: 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 is now southern Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu , becoming
11284-421: 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
11408-596: 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
11532-548: 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
11656-560: The pre-Mughal period. India under the British Raj (the "Indian Empire") consisted of two types of territory: British India and the native states or princely states . In its Interpretation Act 1889 , the British Parliament adopted the following definitions: (4.) The expression "British India" shall mean all territories and places within Her Majesty's dominions which are for the time being governed by Her Majesty through
11780-478: The princely states were bound by many restrictions that were imposed by subsidiary alliances . They existed mainly for ceremonial use and for internal policing, although certain units designated as Imperial Service Troops, were available for service alongside the regular Indian Army upon request by the British government. According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907 , p. 85, Since
11904-408: The princely states) in the provincial elections , and started to intervene in the affairs of the states. In the same year, Gandhi played a major role in proposing a federation involving a union between British India and the princely states, with an Indian central government. In 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru observed that no princely state could prevail militarily against the army of independent India. At
12028-411: 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
12152-501: The provincial governments of British India under a governor, lieutenant-governor, or chief commissioner. A clear distinction between "dominion" and "suzerainty" was supplied by the jurisdiction of the courts of law: the law of British India rested upon the legislation enacted by the British Parliament, and the legislative powers those laws vested in the various governments of British India, both central and local; in contrast,
12276-482: 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
12400-514: 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
12524-683: The same equipment as soldiers in the British Indian Army . Although their numbers were relatively small, the Imperial Service Troops were employed in China and British Somaliland in the first decade of the 20th century, and later saw action in the First World War and Second World War . Kingdom of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore was a geopolitical realm in southern India founded in around 1399 in
12648-753: The sister of the ruler in Kerala . Muslim rulers almost all used the title " Nawab " (the Arabic honorific of naib , "deputy") originally used by Mughal governors, who became de facto autonomous with the decline of the Mughal Empire, with the prominent exceptions of the Nizam of Hyderabad & Berar , the Wali / Khan of Kalat and the Wali of Swat . Other less usual titles included Darbar Sahib , Dewan , Jam , Mehtar (unique to Chitral ) and Mir (from Emir ). The Sikh princes concentrated at Punjab usually adopted titles when attaining princely rank. A title at
12772-727: 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
12896-841: 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,
13020-518: The states and their dynasties. As heads of a state, certain princely rulers were entitled to be saluted by the firing of an odd number of guns between three and 21, with a greater number of guns indicating greater prestige. Generally, the number of guns remained the same for all successive rulers of a particular state, but individual princes were sometimes granted additional guns on a personal basis. Furthermore, rulers were sometimes granted additional gun salutes within their own territories only, constituting
13144-746: The states of Rampur and Benares , formerly with Agents under the authority of the United Provinces, were placed under the Gwalior Residency in 1936. The princely states of Sandur and Banganapalle in Mysore Presidency were transferred to the agency of the Mysore Resident in 1939. The native states in 1947 included five large states that were in "direct political relations" with the Government of India. For
13268-545: 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
13392-405: 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,
13516-429: 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
13640-443: 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
13764-640: The term " British India " had been used (and is still used) also to refer to the regions under the rule of the East India Company in India from 1774 to 1858. The British Crown 's suzerainty over 175 princely states, generally the largest and most important, was exercised in the name of the British Crown by the central government of British India under the Viceroy; the remaining approximately 400 states were influenced by Agents answerable to
13888-449: The throne. Many of these were appointed as an aide-de-camp , either to the ruling prince of their own house (in the case of relatives of such rulers) or to British monarchs. Many saw active service , both on the subcontinent and on other fronts, during both World Wars. Apart from those members of the princely houses who entered military service and who distinguished themselves, a good number of princes received honorary ranks as officers in
14012-664: The time of Indian independence, only five rulers – the Nizam of Hyderabad , the Maharaja of Mysore , the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir state , the Maharaja Gaekwad of Baroda and the Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior – were entitled to a 21-gun salute. Six more – the Nawab of Bhopal , the Maharaja Holkar of Indore , the Maharaja of Bharatpur , the Maharana of Udaipur , the Maharaja of Kolhapur ,
14136-480: The time of the British withdrawal, 565 princely states were officially recognized in the Indian subcontinent, apart from thousands of zamindari estates and jagirs . In 1947, princely states covered 40% of the area of pre-independence India and constituted 23% of its population. The most important states had their own British political residencies: Hyderabad of the Nizams , Mysore , Pudukkottai and Travancore in
14260-477: 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
14384-475: 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 was founded and ruled for
14508-538: 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
14632-439: Was both larger and more populous than Karauli State , but the Maharaja of Karauli was entitled to a 17-gun salute and the Maharaja of Surguja was not entitled to any gun salute at all. A number of princes, in the broadest sense of the term, were not even acknowledged as such. On the other hand, the dynasties of certain defunct states were allowed to keep their princely status – they were known as political pensioners , such as
14756-558: 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
14880-586: 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
15004-484: 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
15128-399: Was the doctrine of lapse , a policy under which lands whose feudal ruler died (or otherwise became unfit to rule) without a male biological heir (as opposed to an adopted son) would become directly controlled by the company and an adopted son would not become the ruler of the princely state. This policy went counter to Indian tradition where, unlike Europe, it was far more the accepted norm for
15252-429: 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
15376-440: 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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