Patrons of art and culture, fierce warriors and astute administrators, the Wodeyars grew from provincial chieftains, to a mighty dynasty that would rule Mysore for nearly six centuries. The founding of the dynasty is veiled in the chivalrous legend of two princely brothers from Dwaraka, in the Northern State of Gujarat. While on pilgrimage in Mysore the two princes heard women lament the fate of the local Princess Devajammanni. The King of Mysore had died and the Chieftain of Karagahalli, a neighboring province, was trying to marry the princess and acquire Mysore by force.Rising to the occasion the two brothers mobilized troops, killed the Karagahalli Chieftain and rescued the princess. The grateful princess married the elder of the two brothers, named Yaduraya, who became the first ruler of the Wodeyar dynasty.
It was Raja Wodeyar (1578-1617), the eight king of the Wodeyar dynasty, however, who transformed Mysore from a feudal principality into a kingdom. Defeating the king of the declining Vijayanagar Empire, he shifted his capital from Mysore to Srirangapatna. It was also during his reign that the famous Dasara festival was revived.
Ranadhira Kantirava Narasaraja Wodeyar (1638-1659) consolidated the kingdom won by his predecessor, thwarting two invasions by the powerful Bijapur Adilshahis. He also fortified Srirangapatna and Mysore and began minting coins with his seals. Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar (1673-1704), the next great Wodeyar, further expanded the kingdom. He also introduced land reforms and streamlined the administration. Following his death, a series of inept rulers plunged the kingdom into political instability. By the mid eighteenth century, Mysore was virtually ruled by Hyder Ali, a general in the army of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II (1734 - 1766), and then his son Tipu Sultan. Finally, following the death of Tipu Sultan in 1799 in a battle with the British, the five-year-old Prince Krishnaraja Wodeyar III [1799-1868] was installed on the throne of Mysore. It was under the reigns of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III [1799-1868] and his son Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV [1895- 1940], that the modern township of Mysore was created. It was also during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV that the Mysore Palace was built, under the commission of his mother Maharani Kempananjammanni of Vanivilasa Sanndihana who served as Regent during his minority from 1895-1902.
After his death in 1940, Jayachamaraja Wodeyar became the 25th and last ruler of the Mysore royal family. It is during this period that India won freedom and monarchy was abolished, closing a chapter in history and ending the era of the Mysore Maharajas.
