Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV

Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV
GBE GCSI GCStJ KGSJM KGCM DD
Maharaja of Mysore

Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV
Portrait by K. Keshavayya (1906)
Reign 28 December 1894 — 3 August 1940
Coronation 1 February 1895, Mysore Palace
Predecessor Chamarajendra Wadiyar X
Successor Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar
Born 4 June 1884
Mysore Palace, Mysore, Kingdom of Mysore
Died 3 August 1940
Bangalore Palace, Bangalore, Kingdom of Mysore
Spouse Lakshmivilasa Sannidhana Sri Pratapa Kumari Ammani Avaru
House Wadiyar dynasty
Father Chamarajendra Wadiyar X
Mother Maharani Vani Vilas Sannidhana
Religion Hinduism

Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar; ಶ್ರೀ ಶ್ರೀ ಶ್ರೀ ನಾಲ್ವಡಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್) GCSI GBE (4 June 1884, Mysore Palace – 3 August 1940, Bangalore Palace) was the ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Mysore from 1894 until his death in 1940. At the time of his death, he was also one of the world's wealthiest men, with a personal fortune estimated in 1940 to be worth US$400 million, equivalent to $56 billion at 2010 prices.[1]

He was a philosopher-king, who was seen by Paul Brunton as living the ideal expressed in Plato's Republic. He has been compared to the Emperor Ashoka by the English statesman Lord Samuel. Mahatma Gandhi called him Rajarshi, or "saintly king", and his kingdom was described by his followers as Rama Rajya, an ideal kingdom akin to the rule of Lord Rama.

Krishna IV was the 24th ruler of the Wodeyar dynasty of Mysore that ruled over Mysore State from 1399 to 1950.

Early years

A photograph of Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV taken 2 February 1895, a few months before his eleventh birthday.

Krishna was born on 4 June 1884 at the Royal Palace, Mysore. He was the eldest son of Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar X and Maharani Vani Vilas Sannidhana. After the death of his father in Calcutta in 1894, Krishna's mother ruled the state as Regent until Krishna reached the age of majority, 8 August 1902.

The Maharaja had his early education and training at the Lokaranjan Palace under the direction of P. Raghavendra Rao. In addition to Western studies, the Yuvaraja was instructed in the languages of Kannada and Sanskrit, was taught horse riding, and Indian and western Classical music. He was also sent to Mayo College, Ajmer to study but returned to Mysuru due to ill health. His early administrative training was imparted by Sir Stuart Fraser of the Bombay Civil Service. The study of the principles of jurisprudence and methods of revenue administration were supplemented by extensive tours of the state during which he gained extensive knowledge of the nature of the country which he was later to govern.

Mysore is the best administered state in the world

“
”

Lord John Sankey, 1930, II Round Table Conference, London, Acknowledging Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV's noble and efficient kingship

Marriage

Marriage of H.H Sri Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV and Rana Prathap Kumari of Kathiawar, painted 1904.

On 6 June 1900, the Maharaja married Maharani Lakshmivilasa Sannidhana Sri Pratapa Kumari Ammani Avaru of Kathiawar (b. 1889), youngest daughter of Rana Sri Bane Sinhji Sahib, Rana Sahib of Vana in the Kathiawar region of the present-day Gujarat State.

Shortly after the 1876–77 famine and the death of Maharaja Chamaraja Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, still a boy of eleven, ascended the throne in 1895. His mother Maharani Kemparajammanniyavaru ruled as regent until Krishnaraja Wodeyar took over on 8 February 1902.[2] Krishna IV was invested as the Maharaja of Mysuru, with full ruling powers, by the Viceroy, Lord Curzon, on 8 August 1902 at a ceremony at Jagan Mohan Palace (now the Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery).

Krishnaraja Wodeyar set up educational infrastructure.[3] The king was an accomplished musician, and like his predecessors, patronised the fine arts.[4] For these reasons, his reign is often described as the 'Golden age of Mysuru'.[5]

Mysore Kings
(1399–present)
Feudatory Monarchy
(As vassals of Vijayanagara Empire)
(1399–1553)
Yaduraya Wodeyar (1399–1423)
Chamaraja Wodeyar I (1423–1459)
Timmaraja Wodeyar I (1459–1478)
Chamaraja Wodeyar II (1478–1513)
Chamaraja Wodeyar III (1513–1553)
Absolute Monarchy
(Independent Wodeyar Kings)
(1553–1761)
Timmaraja Wodeyar II (1553–1572)
Chamaraja Wodeyar IV (1572–1576)
Chamaraja Wodeyar V (1576–1578)
Raja Wodeyar I (1578–1617)
Chamaraja Wodeyar VI (1617–1637)
Raja Wodeyar II (1637–1638)
Narasaraja Wodeyar I (1638–1659)
Dodda Devaraja Wodeyar (1659–1673)
Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar (1673–1704)
Narasaraja Wodeyar II (1704–1714)
Krishnaraja Wodeyar I (1714–1732)
Chamaraja Wodeyar VII (1732–1734)
Krishnaraja Wodeyar II (1734–1761)
Puppetry Monarchy
(Under Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan)
(1761–1799)
Krishnaraja Wodeyar II (1761–1766)
Nanjaraja Wodeyar (1766–1770)
Chamaraja Wodeyar VIII (1770–1776)
Chamaraja Wodeyar IX (1776–1796)
Puppetry Monarchy
(Under British Rule)
(1799–1831)
Krishnaraja Wodeyar III (1799–1831)
Titular Monarchy
(Monarchy abolished)
(1831–1881)
Krishnaraja Wodeyar III (1831–1868)
Chamaraja Wodeyar X (1868–1881)
Absolute Monarchy
Monarchy restored
(As allies of the British Crown)
(1881–1947)
Chamaraja Wodeyar X (1881–1894)
Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV (1894–1940)
Jayachamaraja Wodeyar (1940–1947)
Constitutional Monarchy
(In Dominion of India)
(1947–1950)
Jayachamaraja Wodeyar (1947–1950)
Titular Monarchy
(Monarchy abolished)
(1950–present)
Jayachamaraja Wodeyar (1950–1974)
Srikanta Wodeyar (1974–2013)
Yaduveera Chamaraja Wadiyar (2015–present)

Krishna Raja Wadiyar was the first chancellor of Banaras Hindu University and University of Mysore. The latter was the first university chartered by an Indian State. The Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore which was initiated during His mother's tenure as Regent was started during his reign, with the gift, in 1911, of 371 acres (1.5 km²) of land and a donation of funds. He was a patron of Indian (both Carnatic and Hindustani) and Western Classical Music.

Mysuru had been the first Indian state to have a Representative Assembly, a democratic forum in 1881. During Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV's reign, the Assembly was enlarged and became bicameral in 1907 with the creation of the legislative council, a house of elders which introduced much new legislation for the state. During his reign Mysuru became the first Indian state to generate hydroelectric power in Asia, and Bengaluru was the first Asian city to have street lights, first lit on 5 August 1905.

During his 39-year reign as Maharaja, Krishna IV had the following Prime Ministers (popularly known as Diwans):

  1. Sir P.N. Krishnamurthy (1901–06)
  2. Sir V. P. Madhava Rao (1906–09)
  3. Sir T. Ananda Rao (1909–1912)
  4. Sir M. Visvesvaraya (1912–19)
  5. Sir M. Kantha Raje Urs (1919–22)
  6. Sir Albion Rajkumar Banerjee, ICS, (1922–26)
  7. Sir Mirza Ismail (1926–41)
  8. Sir N. Madhava Rao ( 1941–47)

During his reign, he worked toward alleviating poverty and improving rural reconstruction, public health, industry and economic regeneration, education and the fine arts. Such were the strides that Mysuru made during his period that Gandhiji was moved to remark that the Maharaja was a Rajarishi ("a saintly king").[6] Paul Brunton, the British philosopher and orientalist; John Gunther, the American author; and the British statesman, Lord Samuel, were also among those who heaped praise on the king. Lord Sankey said during the Round table conference that Mysore was "the best administered state in the world". Princes from other sections of India were sent to Mysuru for administrative training. The Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya described the Raja as "Dharmic" and Lord Wellington echoed the sentiment by calling Mysuru's industrial development "incredible".

Patron of the arts

Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar

The Raja was a connoisseur of Carnatic and Hindustani music. He played eight musical instruments, flute, violin, saxophone, piano, mridangam, nadaswara, sitar, and veena. Members of the Agra Gharana, including Nattan Khan and Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan, were guests of the Maharajah in Mysore, as were Abdul Karim Khan and Gauhar Jan. Barkatullah Khan was a palace musician from 1919 until his death in 1930.
Asthana Vidwan Kadagathuru Seshacharya has written various works and is famous for his contributions towards Sanskrit and Kannada Literature.He also wrote many poems in Kannada.[7]

Mahatma Gandhi and the Maharaja

Mahatma Gandhi praised the Maharaja of Mysore in 1925 for taking up spinning, to the benefit of himself and his subjects.[8]

Progress during reign

During the reign of Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, Mysore Kingdom (comprising Bangalore, Chitradurga, Hassan, Kadur, Kolar, Mysore, Mandya, Shimoga, and Tumkur) saw an all-round development:

Titles

Honours

(ribbon bar, as it would look today)

References

  1. ↑ Current Biography 1940, p833
  2. ↑ Rama Jois, M. 1984. Legal and constitutional history of India ancient legal, judicial and constitutional system. Delhi: Universal Law Pub. Co. p597
  3. ↑ "The Mysore duo Krishnaraja Wodeya IV & M. Visvesvaraya". India Today. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  4. ↑ Pranesh (2003), p. 162
  5. ↑ "[Group portrait of] the Maharaja [of Mysore] & his brothers and sisters.". British Library. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  6. ↑ Puttaswamaiah, K., 1980. Economic development of Karnataka a treatise in continuity and change. New Delhi: Oxford & IBH, p. 3
  7. ↑ "musicalnirvana.com".
  8. ↑ Navajivan, 8 February 1925: "His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore has taken up spinning. This news cannot but gladden the hearts of those who look upon it as sacred duty ... I congratulate the Maharaja and hope that he will not give up till the end of his life this activity which he has taken up, It will do immense good to him and his subjects."
  9. 1 2 3 "Distribution of Social Justice" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "Yuvaraja College".
  11. ↑ "MSR".
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Hand Book of Karnataka" (PDF).
  13. ↑ "Mysore Sandal Soap".
  14. ↑ "MSCWM website".
  15. ↑ "Millers report".
  16. ↑ "Marakonahalli Dam".
  17. ↑ "Mysugar website".
  18. ↑ "MPM website".
  19. ↑ "RRI website".
  20. ↑ Handbook Series-MYSORE STATE with a WITH A FOREWORD BY J. Mohamed Imam. Esq .• B.A., B.L .• Minister for Education BY G. L. SWAMY Compiler. Handbooks & Manager, Tourist Bureau. Mysore
  21. ↑ "Hirebhaskara Dam surfaces as Sharavathy recedes". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 June 2003.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar.
Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV
Born: 4 June 1884 Died: 3 August 1940
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Chamaraja Wodeyar		 Maharaja of Mysore
1894–1940 		Succeeded by
Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur
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