History Of Mysore

Most of us are aware of the beautiful culture and traditions of the Wodeyar family, but few of us know of its valiant past. The history of Mysore goes back to the year 1399 when the province was a part of the famous Vijayanagara Empire. During the Vijayanagara rule, the district was little known and thus there is not much information available on Mysore's history. It was only when the region became independent did the it win the attention of several other rulers. Kanthirava Narasaraja I and Chikka Devaraja of the Wodeyar family were rulers who are admired for their valor and intelligences. Underh the mighty rule of Haider Ali, Mysore earned the reputation of being an insurmountable military power along with the combined forces of the French. It was during this time, the British army was forced to succumb to Nawab's military forces. The Fourth Anglo-Mysore war that took place in 1798 to 1799 demolished the Indian royal rule in the region and established firm British governance until Indian Independence. Read the article given below to know more on Mysore's history.

Mysore History

Early History
The early history of Mysore remains mysterious to many of us, as there are several standpoints forwarded on the origin of Mysore. According to the historians, the city was a part of the Vijayanagara kingdom and was ruled by a minor chieftain known as Timmaraja II. As per mentioned in the writings of the 16th century Kannada literature, the place was established by two brothers, whose source remains dubious till date. It was said that the brothers came to Mysore during the rule of King Chamaraja, who was the ruler of the place. Due to his unexpected demise, he left behind no heir to the throne and the two brothers Yaduraya and Krishnaraya seized that opportunity to establish their dominance over the land. Soon Yaduraya married Chamaraja's daughter, princess Chikkadevarasi, and established the Wodeyar dynasty in the region. Although many have accepted a part of this hypothesis, historians believe that the two brothers were descendents of the Hoysala Kingdom or the Yadavas dynasty who ruled under the Vijayanagara Empire.

Autonomous Rule
With the decline of the Vijayanagara dynasty, the city became independent and later came under the dominance of the Wodeyar Empire. It was under the leadership of King Raja Wodeyar I that the territories of the kingdom began to expand. Parts of Srirangapatna and Channapatna ceded to the royal Wodeyar family. Towards 1612, the Mysore kingdom was a complete autonomous governing body, while Narasaraja Wodeyar and his heir Dodda Devaraja Wodeyar expanded the boundaries. Erode, Dharmapuri, Madurai, and parts of Coimbatore were included by them. The role played by Chikka Devaraja is said to be the most imperative in Mysore history. Chikka Devaraja is admired for his intelligent strategic coalitions with the Marathas and the Mughals that not only helped him survive the ongoing attacks from the both the empires but also managed to extended his borders. From 1672 to 1704, the Wodeyar family became the proud landowners of Salem, Bangalore, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Tumkur, Coimbatore and parts of Western Ghats and the Coromandel Plain.

Intervention Of Muslim &Mughal Rule
After 1704, the incumbent Kanthirava Narasaraja II had no choice but to walk a tight rope, playing the balancing act of alliance, negotiation, subordination, and annexation of the province from all directions. By 1720, when the Mughal rule collapsed, the district witnessed further impediments from the local tribe and the Maratha rulers. Krishnaraja Wodeyar I tried his best to save the kingdom. The second half of Krishnaraja II rule saw the dominance of the new army chief of the Delhi Sultan, who rose to power by overthrowing the Maratha rule. The new army commander was none other than Haider Ali, who went on to rule the city of Mysore.

Rule Of Haider Ali
The rise of Haider Ali came at an important point of time. It was in this period when the British were seen transforming themselves from a trading company to a powerful political entity. Until 1779, the state of Mysore remained in a state of utter perplexity and anarchy with the invasion of the British, Maratha and the Nawabs, who all engaged in a combat to emerge supreme in the continent. With the English wanting to put an end to the rising power of Mysore, the Nawab gave rise to the Anglo-Mysore wars. Haider Ali was successful during the first few combats, but it was under the guidance of lieutenant of Sir Eyre Coote that the British army gave a damaging blow to the Muslim Nawab. In 1782, when Haider Ali died in battle, he was succeeded by his son Tipu Sultan. In the coming year, the French withdrew their support from the Anglo-Mysore wars. Tipu, on the other hand, did his best to combine the forces of the Maratha, French and the King of Turkey, but failed in his efforts. In 1799, Tipu died in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore war, which gave rise to the new British governance in India.

British India
After the death of Tipu Sultan, Mysore became a part of the Madras Presidency while the Wodeyar kings were placed as the administrators under the rule of the colonial officials until Indian Independence. The following kings who succeeded the throne of Mysore focused on modernizing the state by encouraging English education, new methods of agriculture and introduction of modern art. In the present years, Mysore has become the pioneer in the field of educational infrastructure. On 9 August 1947, Mysore became a part of Indian Union.