History · 1399–2026

ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಅರಸರುThe Kings of Mysuru

Local chiefs, Wadiyar kings, two sultans, and a royal family in modern India. Follow their lives through changing forms of power. Reigns can overlap; later dates follow the family after sovereign rule ended.

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1399Vijayanagara

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01 / 1399–1552

Under Vijayanagara

ವಿಜಯನಗರ ಅಧೀನ

1399— 1423

Yaduraya Wadiyar

ಯದುರಾಯ ಒಡೆಯರ್

Includes a founding tradition or legend

Yaduraya was a Yadava prince. Tradition links his family to Dwarka. Rice’s records call him Vijaya. He came to the Mysore region in 1399 and stayed. He founded the family that has held Mysore for over six centuries.

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The traditional account

Rice tells the founding story as tradition gives it. The chief of Hadinad had "wandered away in a state of mental derangement". The chief of nearby Karugahalli demanded the family’s only daughter in marriage. Two young brothers, Vijaya and Krishna, had just arrived from Dwaraka. They were Kshatriyas, the warrior caste, of the Yadava clan. They decided to help her. At the feast they attacked the Karugahalli chief and his men and killed them. The girl married Vijaya, who "took the title of Odeyar, or Wodeyar, and assumed the government of Hadanad and Karugahalli". It may be a legend. The family he founded is still here.

Accession: Founded the dynasty in 1399. The story below gives Rice’s account of the founding, "according to tradition".
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1423. His son took the throne after him. The records do not say how he died.
Relationship: founder of the family
Capital: Mysore (city)
Elsewhere: Harihara II, Virupaksha I / Bukka II (contested)

Coinage

No coin can be linked for certain to any Mysore ruler before Kanthirava Narasa Raja. Tufnell writes: 'Regarding the coins in use during the first of these three periods but very little is known'. Before Haidar, people mostly used small copper coins showing a god, an animal or a Kanarese (Kannada) number. Copper coins with an elephant are found fairly widely in the region. The Mysore kings probably made them, but this is debated.

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1423— 1458

Chamaraja Wadiyar I

ಚಾಮರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್

Few surviving records

The second head of the family. The records say little about these years. The Wadiyars were one of dozens of local chiefs under Vijayanagara. They paid tribute and guarded their hill town.

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Accession: Succeeded his father Yaduraya in 1423.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1458. They do not say how it ended.
Relationship: son of Yaduraya
Capital: Mysore (city)
Elsewhere: Deva Raya II, Mallikarjuna

Coinage

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1458— 1478

Timmaraja Wadiyar I

ತಿಮ್ಮರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್

Few surviving records

He kept the family’s lands through the quiet fifteenth century. Mysore was then a small town of perhaps a few thousand people.

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Accession: Succeeded his father in 1458.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1478. They do not say how it ended.
Relationship: son of Chamaraja I
Capital: Mysore (city)
Elsewhere: Mallikarjuna, Virupaksha II

Coinage

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1478— 1513

Chamaraja Wadiyar II

ಚಾಮರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ II

Few surviving records

He ruled while Vijayanagara reached its peak under Krishnadevaraya. The empire’s best years passed small Mysore by.

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Accession: Succeeded his father in 1478.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1513. They do not say how it ended.
Relationship: son of Timmaraja I
Capital: Mysore (city)
Elsewhere: Virupaksha II, Saluva Narasimha

Coinage

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1513— 1552

Chamaraja Wadiyar III

ಚಾಮರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ III

Few surviving records

The last Wadiyar who was only a chief under Vijayanagara. By his death, the empire that kept Mysore safe was falling apart.

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Accession: Succeeded his father in 1513. Rice says this is the first reign with any palace records at all.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1552, as Vijayanagara moved toward collapse. While still alive, he divided his lands among his three sons.
Relationship: son of Chamaraja II
Capital: Mysore (city)
Elsewhere: Krishnadevaraya, Achyuta Deva Raya · Babur, Humayun

Coinage

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02 / 1552–1761

Independent kings

ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ ಒಡೆಯರು

1552— 1571

Timmaraja Wadiyar II

ತಿಮ್ಮರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ II

He ruled as Vijayanagara collapsed and left no power above Mysore. Here the Wadiyars begin to rise from local chiefs to kings.

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Accession: Took the throne when his father divided his lands among his sons.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1571. Vijayanagara fell at the battle of Talikota in 1565, during his lifetime.
Relationship: son of Chamaraja III
Capital: Mysore (city)
Elsewhere: Sadashiva Raya (nominal; Rama Raya de facto), Tirumala Deva Raya (Aravidu) · Humayun (restored), Akbar

Coinage

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1571— 1576

Chamaraja Wadiyar IV

ಚಾಮರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ IV

A short reign in uncertain years. The states that grew out of Vijayanagara were pressing on the Mysore region. His eldest son later made Mysore a kingdom.

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Accession: Succeeded his father Timmaraja II in 1571.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1576.
Relationship: father of Raja Wadiyar I
Capital: Mysore (city)
Elsewhere: Tirumala Deva Raya (Aravidu), Sriranga I · Akbar

Coinage

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1576— 1578

Chamaraja Wadiyar V

ಚಾಮರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ V

Few surviving records

A two-year reign. The man who followed him made Mysore a kingdom.

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Accession: Succeeded Chamaraja IV in 1576. The records say little about where he fits in the family line.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1578. The throne then passed to Raja Wadiyar I.
Relationship: predecessor of Raja Wadiyar I
Capital: Mysore (city)
Elsewhere: Sriranga I · Akbar

Coinage

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1578— 1617

Raja Wadiyar I

ರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ I

Includes a founding tradition or legend

Mysore’s first great king. In 1610 he seized Srirangapatna and stopped obeying the failing Vijayanagara Empire. In Rice’s words, he had "thrown off his allegiance". He moved his capital to Srirangapatna and started the royal Dasara, which still runs today. His actions also led to the most famous curse in Karnataka.

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The traditional account

Raja Wadiyar took Srirangapatna in 1610. Alamelamma, the queen of the viceroy he pushed out, fled with her famous jewels. His men chased her to the Cauvery river at Malangi. She threw her jewels into the river and drowned herself. As she died, she cursed the Wadiyars. It is the best-known folk story in Karnataka. Talakadu does lie buried in sand. And the Wadiyar throne passed strikingly often to brothers, nephews and adopted sons, from the 1600s to Yaduveer’s adoption in 2015. The family still makes offerings to Alamelamma during Dasara.

Accession: Took the throne in 1578. In 1610 Tirumala Raja, the old Vijayanagara viceroy (the emperor’s governor in the region), retired. Rice writes that "Raja Wodeyar took possession of Seringapatam and transferred thither the seat of government".
How it ended: Rice’s records end his reign in 1617. The temple at Melukote has a tradition that he died a saintly death. The temple holds an idol of him.
Relationship: eldest son of Chamaraja IV
Capital: Mysore (city)
Life: Birth date unrecorded · died 1617
Elsewhere: Sriranga I, Venkata II · Akbar, Jahangir

Coinage

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1617— 1637

Chamaraja Wadiyar VI

ಚಾಮರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ VI

He kept and strengthened the lands his father had won, while the kingdom settled into its new capital at Srirangapatna.

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Accession: Succeeded his father in 1617.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1637. The next king was a son of Raja Wadiyar I, born after his father died.
Relationship: son of Raja Wadiyar I
Capital: Srirangapatna
Elsewhere: Rama Deva Raya, Venkata III · Jahangir, Shah Jahan

Coinage

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1637— 1638

Raja Wadiyar II

ರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ II

A young king who never held real power. His own army commanders poisoned him within a year and chose the next ruler. It showed that the court, not only the king, now held power in Mysore.

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Accession: Succeeded Chamaraja VI in 1637. He was a young man who had never known his father.
How it ended: Rice writes: "He was shortly poisoned by the dalavayi, and Kanthirava Narasa Raja placed on the throne." The dalavayi was the army commander. It was the first time a king of the family was murdered.
Relationship: son of Raja Wadiyar I, born after his father died (according to the palace records)
Capital: Srirangapatna
Life: Birth date unrecorded · died 1638
Elsewhere: Venkata III · Shah Jahan

Coinage

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1638— 1659

Kanthirava Narasaraja Wadiyar I

ರಣಧೀರ ಕಂಠೀರವ ನರಸರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್

A soldier king who made Mysore a real power. He defended Srirangapatna against an invasion from Bijapur "with great loss for the enemy". He expanded the kingdom on every side. He also gave Mysore its own money, the Kanthiraya pagodas, a unit of gold money that stayed in use for over a century.

Portrait of Kanthirava Narasaraja Wadiyar I — Portrait · Wikimedia Commons ↗

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Accession: The dalavayi (army commander) poisoned Raja Wadiyar II and "placed on the throne" this king, in Rice’s words. Rice adds: "the dalavayi thought to find him as forbearing and unambitious as his father. But he had already… given evidence of his emulous spirit."
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1659, when he was 44. Dodda Devaraja succeeded him.
Relationship: son of Bettada Chamaraja, who had been passed over for his younger brother
Capital: Srirangapatna
Life: Birth date unrecorded · died 1659
Elsewhere: Venkata III, Sriranga III · Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb

Wars and treaties

1638–1639 · Bijapur Sultanate (Randulla Khan's army, Shahji second in command): The siege ended and Mysore stayed independent. But Bangalore (1638) and Hoskote/Kolar (1639) fell to the invaders.

Buildings from the reign

Fortifications of Srirangapatna · 1638–1659 (fort strengthened 1654)

Coinage

The 'Canteroy' (Kanthiraya) fanam is the earliest coin known for certain to come from a ruler of this region. It is a small gold coin. Catalogue number 62 weighs 5.8 grains, and Tufnell gives 6–8 grains for the type. The front shows Vishnu as Narasimha, the man-lion. The back cannot be read. It matched the fanams made by nearby rulers. It was part of the money system used by Hindu states and some European powers in South India. The 'Canteroy' pagoda that went with it was never a real coin. It was only a unit for keeping accounts.

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1659— 1672

Dodda Devaraja Wadiyar

ದೊಡ್ಡ ದೇವರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್

He held the kingdom together and added land at its edges. He left the throne to one of the greatest rulers of the family.

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Accession: Succeeded Kanthirava Narasaraja I in 1659.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1672. His nephew followed him.
Relationship: of the royal family; uncle of Chikkadevaraja
Capital: Srirangapatna
Elsewhere: Aurangzeb

Buildings from the reign

Colossal Nandi, Chamundi Hill · 1659–1672

Coinage

After Kanthirava, Tufnell says the coinage is 'again buried in obscurity'. Tufnell judges the copper coins with Kanarese (Kannada) numbers to be 'purely issues of Mysore'. Coins numbered 1 to 31 are known. Elliot linked the series to Chima Raja V and reported numbers up to 32. The last Wadiyar kings before Haidar took power probably made them. No mint is named for any coin from before Haidar.

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1672— 1704

Chikkadevaraja Wadiyar

ಚಿಕ್ಕದೇವರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್

The greatest administrator among the Wadiyars before modern times. Under him Mysore bought Bangalore, fought the Marathas and made terms with Aurangzeb’s Mughals. He filled the treasury that paid for the next fifty years. His reign also has a dark side. He had Jangama priests killed for protesting.

Portrait of Chikkadevaraja Wadiyar — Portrait · Wikimedia Commons ↗

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Accession: Succeeded his uncle in 1672, according to the palace records.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1704. The kingdom was then at its largest before Hyder Ali’s time.
Relationship: nephew of Dodda Devaraja
Capital: Srirangapatna
Life: Birth date unrecorded · died 1704
Elsewhere: Aurangzeb · Shivaji, Sambhaji

Wars and treaties

1686–1686 · Marathas and southern chiefs: Mysore drove back the Maratha attacks. This let Mysore expand to the south and west.

1687–1687 · Mughal Empire (Khasim Khan) / Marathas of Bangalore (Venkoji): Bangalore became part of Mysore. Mysore counted as a state that paid tribute to the Mughal province of Sira. (Sale of Bangalore completed for Rs 3 lakhs (1687))

1687–1700 · Mughal Empire (Aurangzeb), alliance and recognition: In practice, the emperor accepted Chikkadevaraja's rule over the lands he had conquered. Mysore kept expanding in the south-west. (The emperor granted a royal seal and a title, 1700)

1696–1697 · Marathas: The Maratha leaders were killed. Mysore captured all their guns, baggage and supplies, and saved the capital.

Coinage

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1704— 1713

Kanthirava Narasaraja Wadiyar II

ಕಂಠೀರವ ನರಸರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ II

A deaf king who sat on the throne while ministers and commanders ruled. This set the pattern for the next century. Kings sat on the throne while others held the power.

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Accession: Came to the throne in 1704 with the backing of his prime minister. He was born deaf. Rice’s records call him Múka-rasu, the mute king.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1713. He died soon after.
Relationship: of the royal family; put on the throne by his minister
Capital: Srirangapatna
Life: Birth date unrecorded · died 1714
Elsewhere: Aurangzeb, Bahadur Shah I · Shahu, Balaji Vishwanath (Peshwa)

Coinage

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1713— 1731

Dodda Krishnaraja Wadiyar

ದೊಡ್ಡ ಕೃಷ್ಣರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್

The last reign before the Dalavayis, the army commanders, took control. Rival groups at court grew in number. The commanders from Kalale more and more ran the state in the king’s name.

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Accession: Succeeded Kanthirava Narasaraja II in 1713.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1731. The Kalale Dalavayis, army commanders from Kalale, gained more control during and after it.
Relationship: of the royal family
Capital: Srirangapatna
Elsewhere: Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar · Shahu, Balaji Vishwanath (Peshwa) · Asaf Jah I (Nizam-ul-Mulk)

Coinage

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1731— 1734

Chamaraja Wadiyar VII

ಚಾಮರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ VII

Few surviving records

A three-year reign. The Kalale Dalavayis gained more control of the state.

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Accession: Succeeded Dodda Krishnaraja in 1731.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1734. The records say little about him.
Relationship: of the royal family
Capital: Srirangapatna
Elsewhere: Muhammad Shah · Shahu, Baji Rao I (Peshwa) · Asaf Jah I (Nizam-ul-Mulk)

Coinage

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1734— 1766

Krishnaraja Wadiyar II

ಕೃಷ್ಣರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ II

Crowned as a child, Krishnaraja II reigned for 32 years while others ruled. First the sarvadhikari (chief minister) and the dalvoys (army commanders) held power, then Hyder Ali. Rice records that the head of government paid back eight lakhs to the king on his deathbed. The king’s own repeated plots came to nothing.

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Accession: Rice writes that a relative was "passed over as having too much talent to be subservient; and a child of five years old, of a distant branch, was placed on the throne… known as Chikka Krishna-Raja." The sarvadhikari (chief minister) Nanja-Raj ran the government.
How it ended: Died at Srirangapatna in 1766, after five years living on a pension under Hyder Ali. His plots to win back power all failed.
Relationship: a five-year-old from a distant branch of the family (Rice)
Capital: Srirangapatna
Life: Birth date unrecorded · died 1766
Elsewhere: Muhammad Shah, Ahmad Shah · Shahu, Baji Rao I (Peshwa) · George II, George III · Asaf Jah I (Nizam-ul-Mulk), Nasir Jung (contested)

Coinage

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03 / 1761–1799

Rule by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan

ಸುಲ್ತಾನರ ಕಾಲ

These reigns overlap. The sultans governed while the Wadiyar line continued.

1761— 1782

Governing ruler · alongside the Wadiyar throne

Hyder Ali

ಹೈದರ್ ಅಲಿ

Hyder Ali was the son of a junior officer in the Mysore army. Through talk, military campaigns and bribes, he won total power, but he never took the title of king. He built Mysore’s first modern army and an economy to pay for war. He fought the East India Company to a treaty between equals.

Portrait of Hyder Ali — Portrait · Wikimedia Commons ↗

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Accession: Rose through the Mysore army to command it. In Rice’s words, he was "usurping supreme power in 1761", while the king stayed on the throne.
How it ended: Died of illness in camp in December 1782, halfway through the Second Anglo-Mysore War. His son Tipu took over as ruler.
Relationship: army officer who became the real ruler
Capital: Srirangapatna
Life: Birth date unrecorded · died 1782
Elsewhere: Shah Alam II · Balaji Baji Rao (Peshwa), Madhavrao I (Peshwa) · George III · Salabat Jung (contested, deposed), Asaf Jah II (Nizam Ali Khan)

Wars and treaties

1767–1769 · British East India Company (Madras): The war ended in a draw. Each side gave back what it had taken, they exchanged prisoners, and each promised to help defend the other. Haidar was the first Indian ruler to fight the Company to a treaty between equals. (Treaty of Madras, 29 March 1769)

1780–1784 · British East India Company (Madras and Bengal; French allied to Mysore): Peace. Each side gave back what it had taken and released its prisoners. Mangalore went back to Tipu. (Treaty of Mangalore, 11 March 1784)

Coinage

Tufnell writes that 'as far as is known Haidar struck but few coins'. He made a gold pagoda, half-pagoda and fanam. The front shows the first letter of his name (He). The back shows Siva and Parvati seated side by side, with a trident (trisul) and a deer. The Polygars (local chiefs) of Ikkeri had used this design before. When Haidar conquered their country in 1763, he set up a mint at Nagar (Bednur) and struck this type there. In his later years a small number of copper coins were in use. These were 'paisahs', or twenty-cash pieces, with an elephant on the front and the date and mint town on the back.

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1766— 1770

Nanjaraja Wadiyar

ನಂಜರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್

A young king for four years while Hyder Ali ran the state.

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Accession: Succeeded his father in 1766. He was a young king under Hyder Ali’s control.
How it ended: Died in 1770, still on the throne. His brother followed him.
Relationship: son of Krishnaraja Wadiyar II
Capital: Srirangapatna
Life: Birth date unrecorded · died 1770
Elsewhere: Shah Alam II · Madhavrao I (Peshwa) · George III · Asaf Jah II (Nizam Ali Khan)

Coinage

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1770— 1776

Chamaraja Wadiyar VIII

ಚಾಮರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ VIII

Few surviving records

Another king who lived quietly on a pension while Hyder Ali fought the Marathas, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the East India Company.

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Accession: Succeeded his brother Nanjaraja in 1770.
How it ended: The palace records end his reign in 1776. A baby from the royal family followed him.
Relationship: Bettada Chamaraja; brother of Nanjaraja
Capital: Srirangapatna
Elsewhere: Shah Alam II · Madhavrao I (Peshwa), Narayanrao (Peshwa) · George III · Asaf Jah II (Nizam Ali Khan)

Coinage

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1776— 1796

Chamaraja Wadiyar IX

ಚಾಮರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ IX

Crowned as a baby and kept as a prisoner. His son, born in 1794, became king after Tipu’s fall and brought the family back to the throne.

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Accession: Put on the throne as a baby in 1776.
How it ended: The last of the kings kept on a pension. Rice’s table ends his reign in 1796. Three years later the family returned to the throne through his son.
Relationship: Khasa Chamaraja; father of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III
Capital: Srirangapatna
Elsewhere: Shah Alam II · Madhavrao II (Peshwa), Baji Rao II (Peshwa) · George III · Asaf Jah II (Nizam Ali Khan)

Coinage

Tipu kept the pagoda and fanam coins and added a full set of mohurs and rupees, with new coins named after stars and Imams. His early pagodas (AH 1197–1200 in the Islamic calendar) carry Haidar's initial, the year of the reign and the mint. From the fifth year of his reign he dated coins in a new solar calendar, the Mauludi era (AM 1215 onward). From AM 1224 he used special letter-years, with an 'abtas' letter-value cycle in place of the usual abjad. Every coin names its mint. Copper coins carry an elephant. The British Museum holds 45 of Tipu's gold fanams, dated 1198–1222, from the mints at Kalikut, Srirangapatna, Farrukhi, Nagar and Khaliqabad.

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1782— 1799

Governing ruler · alongside the Wadiyar throne

Tipu Sultan

ಟಿಪ್ಪು ಸುಲ್ತಾನ್

Tipu modernised Mysore, pioneered war rockets, and was the strongest enemy the East India Company faced in India. He set up factories to make weapons and built state-run silk and sandalwood trades. He fought off two invasions before he died when the British stormed Srirangapatna.

Portrait of Tipu Sultan — Portrait · Wikimedia Commons ↗

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The account

The walls broke on 4 May 1799. Those around Tipu urged him to escape through the river gate. He refused. His body was later found in a pile of the dead under the gateway. His tiger-striped robes showed who he was. Rice states the result plainly: "on the capture of Seringapatam by the British and the downfall of Tipu Sultan in 1799, the country… was granted to the representative of the Hindu Rajas." Mysuru still remembers him in two ways. Some see a man who took power that was not his. Others see a patriot king.

Accession: Succeeded his father Hyder Ali as ruler of Mysore in December 1782, in the middle of a war.
How it ended: Killed defending Srirangapatna when the city fell on 4 May 1799. Rice calls it "the downfall of Tipu Sultan". It ended the rule of the sultans, and within weeks the British restored the Hindu raj.
Relationship: son of Hyder Ali
Capital: Srirangapatna
Life: Birth date unrecorded · died 1799
Elsewhere: Shah Alam II · Madhavrao II (Peshwa), Baji Rao II (Peshwa) · George III · Asaf Jah II (Nizam Ali Khan)

Wars and treaties

1789–1792 · British East India Company, Marathas and Nizam of Hyderabad (triple alliance, July 1790): Tipu gave up half his lands. Malabar, Coorg, Dindigal and Baramahal went to the British. The lands along the Tungabhadra went to the Marathas and the Nizam. He paid 3.3 crores of rupees and handed over two sons as hostages. (Treaty of Seringapatam, March 1792 (preliminaries 23 Feb 1792))

1799–1799 · British East India Company (General Harris; Col. Arthur Wellesley) with the Nizam's contingent: Mysore was divided. The British took Kanara, Coimbatore, the Ghats districts and Srirangapatam island. The Nizam took Gooty and Gurramkonda. The five-year-old Krishnaraja Wodeyar III was put on the throne (the masnad) at Mysore on 30 June 1799, with Purnaiya as Diwan (chief minister). (Partition of Mysore and Subsidiary Treaty of Seringapatam, 1799)

Buildings from the reign

Daria Daulat Bagh (Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace), Srirangapatna · 1784
Jama Masjid (Masjid-i-Ala), Srirangapatna · 1787

Coinage

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04 / 1799–1947

Princely Mysore

ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನ

1799— 1868

Krishnaraja Wadiyar III

ಮುಮ್ಮಡಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್

Crowned at five after Tipu’s fall, he became both a great patron of the arts and a warning about bad rule. His court created the Mysore school of painting and the Sritattvanidhi, a large reference work. His bad government cost him control of the state, and he spent his last 37 years as king in name only. He held the title longer than any other Wadiyar.

Portrait of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III — Portrait · Wikimedia Commons ↗

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The account

Diwan Purnaiah had served Hyder and Tipu as their capable Dewan, or chief minister. He moved easily into service under the restored child king and ran the state well for a decade. After him the young Maharaja took charge himself, and things went wrong. He favoured friends at court, ran up debts and ruled harshly. When peasants rebelled in 1830–31, the East India Company stepped in and put Mysore under British Commissioners. The Maharaja turned to religion, music, painting and chess. His support for the arts laid the base for the cultured Mysuru that people love today, even as he lost his political power. He died in 1868 still the Maharaja, having outlived every rival for the title.

Accession: Rice writes: "On the fall of Seringapatam and death of Tipu, the British Government restored the Hindu raj and placed on the throne Krishna-Raja III, the son of the last-named Chama-Raja". He was five years old when he was crowned in 1799.
How it ended: Rice writes: "Owing to misrule he was deposed in 1831". British Commissioners then ruled for 50 years. Rice adds: "But in 1867, a year before his death, his adoption was recognized of Chama-Rajendra X."
Relationship: son of Chamaraja Wadiyar IX
Regency: Diwan Purnaiah (to 1810)
Capital: Srirangapatna
Life: Born 1794 · died 1868
Age at accession: 5
Elsewhere: Shah Alam II, Akbar II · Baji Rao II (Peshwa) · George III, George IV · Asaf Jah II (Nizam Ali Khan), Asaf Jah III (Sikandar Jah)

Buildings from the reign

Jaganmohan Palace, Mysuru · 1861
Chamundeswari temple works, Chamundi Hill · 1827 and 1848

Coinage

After the fall of Seringapatam in 1799, the Hindu royal family returned to the throne and brought back the old pagoda, half-pagoda and fanam with Siva and Parvati. 'Sri Krishna Raja' in Nagari script replaced Haidar's initial. The British Museum has 5 gold fanams of Krishna Raja Wodeyar made at Mysore. The Mysore mint also struck silver rupees, half rupees and quarter rupees in the name of the Mughal emperor Shah Alam. It also made the 'Chamundi' series, showing the goddess Chamundi dancing and the words 'Mayili hanna' in Kanarese (Kannada). Copper coins showed an elephant at first and a lion later. In 1833 the mint moved from Mysore to Bangalore. The coins kept the name Mysore, and English dates and cash values were added. In 1843 the mint closed for good, and English coins became the money in use.

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1868— 1894

Chamarajendra Wadiyar X

ಚಾಮರಾಜೇಂದ್ರ ಒಡೆಯರ್ X

Adopted as a child and crowned at five, he had no power until he was eighteen. In 1881 the British handed the state back to him, an event called the Rendition. He began to modernise it at once. Rice’s own contents page marks the change: "Since the Rendition in 1881… Representative Assembly".

Portrait of Chamarajendra Wadiyar X — Portrait · Wikimedia Commons ↗

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Accession: Rice records that his adoption by the childless Krishnaraja III was recognised in 1867. He became king when the old king died in 1868. He was king in name only, under British Commissioners.
How it ended: Rice’s records end his reign in 1894. He died in Calcutta in December that year, aged 31.
Relationship: adopted heir of Krishnaraja III, the "third son of Krishna Arasu, of the Bettadakote branch" (Rice)
Capital: Mysore (city)
Life: Born 1863 · died 1894
Age at accession: 5
Elsewhere: Victoria · Asaf Jah V (Afzal-ud-Daula), Asaf Jah VI (Mahbub Ali Khan)

Coinage

The Mysore mint closed in 1843, according to Hawkes as cited by Tufnell. After that, English and British imperial coins were the only money used in the region. The sources we used record no later Wadiyar coins.

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1894— 1940

Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV

ನಾಲ್ವಡಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್

Crowned at ten and educated under regents, he is remembered as the best ruler Mysore ever had. He worked with able Diwans (chief ministers), Visvesvaraya and Mirza Ismail. Under them Mysore got Asia’s first hydro-electric scheme, the Krishnaraja Sagara dam, the University of Mysore, the Bhadravati steel works and sandalwood soap factories. The state became known around the world.

Portrait of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV — Portrait · Wikimedia Commons ↗

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The account

Chamarajendra X died suddenly in 1894. His queen, Kempananjammanni, was left with a ten-year-old king and a state to run. Her regency did far more than anyone expected. With Diwan Seshadri Iyer she lit Bangalore’s streets with electricity from Shivanasamudra and built the Vanivilasa dam. She gave money to the institute that became IISc, opened more schools, and left the treasury with a surplus. Krishnaraja IV carried on her work. He made M. Visvesvaraya Diwan in 1912 and backed him through the KRS dam and the Bhadravati steel works. People at the time called Mysore the best-run state in the Empire. The king’s own daily life stayed very simple.

Accession: He was ten when his father died suddenly in December 1894. The palace records start his reign in 1895. His mother ruled for him as regent until 1902.
How it ended: Died in 1940 after a 46-year reign. In that time Mysore became famous as the "model state". His nephew succeeded him.
Relationship: son of Chamarajendra X
Regency: Maharani Kempananjammanni (Vani Vilas regency, 1894–1902)
Capital: Mysore (city)
Life: Born 1884 · died 1940
Age at accession: 10
Elsewhere: Victoria, Edward VII · Asaf Jah VI (Mahbub Ali Khan), Asaf Jah VII (Osman Ali Khan; titular to 1967)

Wars and treaties

1914–1918 · Central Powers (World War I), Mysore State's contribution: Mysore's troops won praise again and again. The Lancers were part of the army that occupied Palestine.

Buildings from the reign

Mysore Palace (Amba Vilas), present rebuild · 1897–1912
Krishnarajasagar (KRS) Dam and Brindavan Gardens · 1911–1932
Lalitha Mahal, Mysuru · 1921

Coinage

Sources3 9 10 5Link to this reign ↗

1940— 1974

Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar

ಜಯಚಾಮರಾಜೇಂದ್ರ ಒಡೆಯರ್

A philosopher, a composer of Carnatic music and the last ruling Maharaja of Mysore. He joined his state to India and served as Rajpramukh and then Governor. He wrote kritis, Carnatic songs that are still sung today. He gave money to institutions in science and the arts. When the titles ended in 1971, he said the kingship had only ever been held in trust.

Portrait of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar — Portrait · Wikimedia Commons ↗

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The account

Jayachamarajendra became king just as the age of kings was ending, and he turned to learning. He studied philosophy. He composed kritis that are still performed in the sabhas, the music halls. He chose to serve as the constitutional Governor of the state he had once ruled. He died a private citizen in the palace where he was born. At his death in 1974, the 575-year-old Mysore throne passed quietly to his son.

Accession: Succeeded his uncle Krishnaraja IV in 1940. He was the last man to rule as Maharaja of Mysore.
How it ended: His reign ended when the Constitution came into force (1950). He stayed on as Rajpramukh, the head of the state, and later served as Governor of two states. The 26th Amendment (1971) ended the princely titles. He died on 23 September 1974.
Relationship: nephew and chosen heir of Krishnaraja IV
Capital: Mysore (city)
Life: Born 1919 · died 1974
Age at accession: 21
Elsewhere: George VI · Asaf Jah VII (Osman Ali Khan; titular to 1967) · Independence, 1947, and the princely states join India, The 26th Amendment ends the privy purses, 1971

Coinage

Sources4 3 12Link to this reign ↗

05 / 1947–2026

After Independence

ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ ಭಾರತ

1974— 2013

Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar

ಶ್ರೀಕಂಠದತ್ತ ನರಸಿಂಹರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್

A cricketer, a politician and a businessman behind the "Royal" brand. Srikanta Datta played Ranji Trophy cricket for Karnataka. He served several terms in the Lok Sabha for Mysuru. He fought and won the long court case over who owned the palace. As head of the family he led Dasara after it was revived on a grand scale.

Portrait of Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar — Portrait · Wikimedia Commons ↗

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Accession: Succeeded his father as head of the family in 1974. He was a citizen, not a king. The titles had ended three years earlier.
How it ended: Died of cardiac arrest in Bengaluru on 10 December 2013, aged 60. He had no children, so the family had no head for two years (The Hindu, 10 Dec 2013).
Relationship: son of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar
Life: Born 1953 · died 2013
Age at accession: 21
Elsewhere: Privy purses end (1971) and the family become private citizens, Bangalore rises next door as India's software capital

Sources13 12 4Link to this reign ↗

2015— 2026

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar

ಯದುವೀರ್ ಕೃಷ್ಣದತ್ತ ಚಾಮರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್

A university graduate from the Bettadakote branch of the family. He was adopted to continue the line after 2013–15, when the family had no head. He married Trishika Kumari of Dungarpur in 2016 and performs the royal Dasara duties. In 2024 he was elected to the Lok Sabha for Mysuru. The family line that began in 1399 continues through him.

Portrait of Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar — Portrait · Wikimedia Commons ↗

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Accession: Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, widow of the childless Srikanta Datta, adopted him in February 2015. He became head of the family on 28 May 2015, aged 23.
How it ended: He is still head of the family.
Relationship: adopted heir (2015) of Pramoda Devi Wadiyar; of the Bettadakote line
Life: Born 1992
Age at accession: 23
Elsewhere: Dasara continues as the state festival, the Nada Habba, The palace still lights it up every October

Sources14 12 11Link to this reign ↗

2026

The record reaches the present.
The city’s story continues.

Continue with the elephants of Dasara ↗

Sources

Each fact has a numbered chip. The number points to a source in the list below.

The dates and the order of rulers come from one table. It is the list of rulers kept by the palace, printed in Rice's Mysore Gazetteer of 1897. We checked it against the scanned book on archive.org. That covers the poisonings, the Bangalore purchase, the removal of the king in 1831, the adoption of 1867 and the return of rule to the family in 1881.

The life stories come mostly from Hayavadana Rao's History of Mysore (1943–46) and the state and district gazetteers. The entries on Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan use Britannica. For modern facts we used the official sources: IISc, the University of Mysore, the state's Dasara and Palace websites, and Election Commission results. The coins, wars, buildings and rulers elsewhere come from museum catalogues, the gazetteers, Britannica and Karnataka Tourism. All are in the list below.

Some limits. The numbers after the kings' names follow Rice's list. Some later books number them differently. Entries marked legend, such as the founding in 1399 and Alamelamma's curse, are stories the gazetteers wrote down. No record confirms them. Where the records say little, the entry says so.

The portraits are paintings from the time, taken from Wikimedia Commons under free licences.