When did the Kingdom of Mysore exist?

The Kingdom of Mysore existed 1399–1947. On this map it is drawn 1572–1799.

How large was the Kingdom of Mysore?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Kingdom of Mysore covered about 92,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.

South Asia · Mughals and successors

Kingdom of Mysore

Hindu kingdom · 1399–1947

Founded around 1399 near modern Mysuru by the brothers Yaduraya and Krishnaraya, who assumed the title Wodeyar ("lord") and ruled as feudal vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire. The earliest Wodeyar inscription dates to 1551 under Timmaraja II.

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Type: Hindu kingdom (Wodeyar dynasty), later princely state of South India
Existed: 1399–1947
Shown on the map: 1572–1799
Peak area: roughly 92,000 km², and about 205,000 km² at Hyder Ali's maximal extent (1779).
Region: South Asia

Origins and founding

Capitals and territory

Capitals at Mysore, Srirangapatna (seized by Raja Wodeyar I in 1610), and later Bangalore under the British commission.

Major rulers and key events

After Vijayanagara's decline in 1565, Timmaraja II asserted independence; Raja Wodeyar I took Srirangapatna and annexed Channapatna. Kanthirava Narasaraja I repelled Bijapur's 1638 siege of Srirangapatna and expanded southward. Chikka Devaraja (1672–1704), the most notable early king, expanded to Salem, Bangalore, Hassan and Tumkur, reformed administration, and earned the epithet "Nine Crore Narayana." Real power later passed to the Kalale brothers, then to Hyder Ali (de facto ruler from 1761) and Tipu Sultan, whose Sultanat-e-Khudadad fought four Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767–1799); Tipu died defending Srirangapatna in 1799. The British restored the child Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, took direct control in 1831 (commissioner rule under Mark Cubbon), and returned power to the Wodeyars in 1881.

Government, economy and culture

Under Tipu the kingdom had 37 provinces and 124 taluks, state monopolies (sandalwood, silk, sugar, iron), and trading depots as far as Muscat and Jeddah; Mysorean rocket artillery was a military innovation. After 1881 dewans such as Seshadri Iyer, Visvesvaraya and Mirza Ismail made Mysore a model modern state — Kolar gold mining, the Shivanasamudra hydroelectric project (1899), Mysore University (1916).

Decline and end

The kingdom acceded to the Indian Union in August 1947, becoming Mysore State (later Karnataka); Jayachamaraja Wodeyar served as Rajapramukh and governor.

Legacy and significance

Mysore is remembered for its patronage of Carnatic music, Kannada literature, Dasara celebrations, and as one of South Asia's most developed princely states.

Common questions

What was the Kingdom of Mysore?: Founded around 1399 near modern Mysuru by the brothers Yaduraya and Krishnaraya, who assumed the title Wodeyar ("lord") and ruled as feudal vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire. The earliest Wodeyar inscription dates to 1551 under Timmaraja II.
When did the Kingdom of Mysore exist?: The Kingdom of Mysore existed 1399–1947. On this map it is drawn 1572–1799.
How large was the Kingdom of Mysore?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Kingdom of Mysore covered about 92,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
Where was the Kingdom of Mysore?: Capitals at Mysore, Srirangapatna (seized by Raja Wodeyar I in 1610), and later Bangalore under the British commission.
Who ruled the Kingdom of Mysore?: After Vijayanagara's decline in 1565, Timmaraja II asserted independence; Raja Wodeyar I took Srirangapatna and annexed Channapatna. Kanthirava Narasaraja I repelled Bijapur's 1638 siege of Srirangapatna and expanded southward.
How did the Kingdom of Mysore end?: The kingdom acceded to the Indian Union in August 1947, becoming Mysore State (later Karnataka); Jayachamaraja Wodeyar served as Rajapramukh and governor.
How was the Kingdom of Mysore governed?: Under Tipu the kingdom had 37 provinces and 124 taluks, state monopolies (sandalwood, silk, sugar, iron), and trading depots as far as Muscat and Jeddah; Mysorean rocket artillery was a military innovation.
Why does the Kingdom of Mysore still matter?: Mysore is remembered for its patronage of Carnatic music, Kannada literature, Dasara celebrations, and as one of South Asia's most developed princely states.

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Wikipedia: Kingdom of Mysore en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Mysore

This entry was written from the sources above and last updated 10 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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