With the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, Chamaraja Wodeyar III's son and successor
Timmaraja Wodeyar II declared independence and assumed the title of
Maharaja (Sanskrit and Kannada, [great] king)) of Mysore. During the reigns of
Kanthirava Narasaraja I (1638-1659 CE) and
Dodda Kempadevaraja (1659-1673 CE), the territory of the kingdom was expanded significantly. However, the kingdom started to become weak under the rule of
Dodda Krishnaraja I (1714-1732 CE). Hence, during the later reign of
Krishnaraja Wodeyar II (1734-1766),
Hyder Ali, who was a soldier in the kingdom, took over as the
dalvoy (commander-in-chief) and the maharaja was reduced to a nominal rule. Ali's son
Tipu proclaimed himself as the
Sultan of Mysore and ruled from 1782-1799 CE. In 1799CE, after the defeat of Tipu in the
Anglo-Mysore wars, the region came under the control of the
British Empire, and the
Wadiyars were restored as the maharajas.
Krishnaraja Wadiyar III was restored as the maharaja under
his grandmother's regency. While Krishnaraja's reigned lasted for nearly seventy years, till 1868, he was not in control of the kingdom from 1831. In 1831, citing maladministration, the British took direct control of the
princely state of Mysore and instituted the
Mysore Commission. The region was ruled by British Commissioners, while the maharaja remained without actual power. Krishnaraja III was considered a great patron of arts, and he instituted the first
English school, which later became a precursor to the
Mysore University. Though, Krishnaraja III appealed for a return of power, it was rejected, and the deposed king died a dejected man.
Chamarajendra Wadiyar X ascended the throne on 23 September 1868. The state had been under the direct administration of the British Raj since 1831, was restored to the Wadiyar dynasty by an instrument of rendition in 1881, and Chamarajendra X was officially handed the reins in the same year. Chamarajendra X ruled till 1894, and during his reign, various irrigation and industrial projects were carried out. He divided the state into several administrative divisions, and established the
Mysore Representative Assembly in 1881, one of the earliest legislative institutions in princely India. He founded several schools including
Maharaja's College, Mysore and
Oriental Research Institute Mysore, textile mills, and expanded mining activities at the
Kolar Gold Fields. Several buildings including the
Bangalore Palace and
Lalbagh Glass House in Bangalore,
Dufferin Clock Tower, and
Mysore Zoo in Mysore, and the
Fernhills Palace in
Ooty were built during his reign. He started the annual Dasara Industrial Exhibition, patronised several artisans, and established agricultural banks.
Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV ascended to the throne in 1895 after the death of his father, Chamarajendra X, in 1894. During his reign, the
Mysore Legislative Council was established in 1907. He also established several educational institutions, hospitals, research institutes and industries. After Krishnaraja IV died in 1940,
Jayachamaraja Wadiyar ascended the throne, and he was the last maharaja of the state. During Jayachamaraja's reign, several educational and research institutes were established, and the
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was established in 1940. As India gained
independence from
British Crown in 1947, crown allies ceded into the
Dominion of India, and the maharaja continued as a nominal ruler till January 1950. File:Rajawodeyar.jpg|
Raja Wodeyar I (1578–1617) File:Kanthirava.jpg|
Kanthirava Narasaraja I (1638–1659) File:Chikkadevaraja.jpg|
Chikka Devaraja ((1673–1704) File:Krishnaraja I.jpg|
Dodda Krishnaraja I (1714–1732) File:Krishnaraja_Wadiyar_III,_Maharaja_of_Mysore.jpg|
Krishnaraja Wodeyar III (1799–1868) File:Chamaraja Wodeyar 1863-94.jpg|
Chamarajendra Wadiyar X (1868–1894) File:Nalvadi_Krishnaraja_Wodeyar_1881-1940.jpg|
Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV (1894–1940) File:Court_portrait_of_Jayachamarajendra_Wadiyar_of_Mysore.jpg|
Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1940–1950) == Aftermath ==