Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Kingdom of Mysore, Hyder Ali & Tipu Sultan

Founded by the Wodeyar dynasty, the Kingdom of Mysore in the Southern part of India has a rich and glorious history. The Kingdom of Mysore was however ruled by different dynasties from time to time beginning with the Wodeyar dynasty, followed by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. The Kingdom was plundered by many foreign powers from time to time but still succeeded in maintaining its glamour and heritage.
The Kingdom of Mysore was established by the Wodeyar brothers, Vijaya Wodeyar and Krishna Wodeyar in the year 1400. It remained a feudatory of the Kingdom of Vijaynagar until the latter declined in the second half of the 16th Century. The Kingdom of Mysore grew and flourished in the able hands of Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar. As the Kingdom of Mysore became independent it expanded and gradually engulfed most of the parts of Southern India.
A favorite of the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar two, Hyder Ali was just a soldier in the Mysore army. He went on to become a de facto ruler during the reign of the minor Raja Nanjaraja Wodeyar. After the death of Hyder Ali his son Tipu Sultan became the de facto ruler of the kingdom. He has fought the British bravely and even defeated them in the second Mysore war. Tipu was defeated and killed in the fourth Mysore war in the year 1799.
After the Britishers captured Mysore, they placed Krishnaraja Wodeyar three, a minor, on the throne of the Kingdom of Mysore. The Kingdom of Mysore thus became a princely state of British India.