PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: Founded before 1350, though it was in existence since about 350AD when the Western Ganga Dynasty ruled this area. They were eventually displaced in 1024 by the Hoysala Dynasty till 1346. Sometime thereafter, the two brothers Vijaya and Krishna settled themselves in two fortresses of the Hadana region, initially vassals of the Hindu Vijayanagar Empire, they became the founders of the Wadiyar dynasty. In the 16th century, Hiriya Bettada Chamaraja III gave the fortress of Puragarh to one of his three sons, Appana Timmaraja II who named the place Mahishasura. The name was transformed to Maisur or Mysore and this kingdom became independant in 1565 when the Vijayanagar Empire fell. From 1755 until 1799, the throne was usurped by two Muslim rulers, but the British restored the Wadiyar Maharajas. Rulers were....

1. Maharaja VIJAYARAJA, 1st Maharaja of Mysore 1399/1423

2. Maharaja CHAMARAJA II, 2nd Maharaja of Mysore 1423/1459

3. Maharaja TIMMARAJA I, 3rd Maharaja of Mysore 1459/1478

4. Maharaja CHAMARAJA III, 4th Maharaja of Mysore 1478/1513

5. Maharaja CHAMARAJA IV, 5th Maharaja of Mysore 1513/1553

6. Maharaja TIMMARAJA II, 6th Maharaja of Mysore 1553/1572

7. Maharaja CHAMARAJA V, 7th Maharaja of Mysore 1572/1576

8. Maharaja BETTADA DEVARAJA, 8th Maharaja of Mysore 1576/1577

9. Maharaja RAJA WADEYAR, 9th Maharaja of Mysore 1577/1617, died 1617.

10. Maharaja CHAMARAJA VI, 10th Maharaja of Mysore 1617/1637

11. Maharaja IMMADIRAJA, 11th Maharaja of Mysore 1637/1638

12. Maharaja NARASSARAJA, 12th Maharaja of Mysore 1638/1659

13. Maharaja KEMPADEVARAJA, 13th Maharaja of Mysore 1659/1671

14. Maharaja CHIKKA DEVARAJA, 14th Maharaja of Mysore 1671/1705 or 1673/1704, born 1629, died 1705.

15. Maharaja MUKARASURAJA, 15th Maharaja of Mysore 1705/1714

16. Maharaja KRISHNARAJA I, 16th Maharaja of Mysore 1714/1731

17. Maharaja CHAMARAJA VII, 17th Maharaja of Mysore 1731/1734, died 1734.

18. Maharaja KRISHNARAJA II, 18th Maharaja of Mysore 1734/1766, born 1729, died 1766.

19. Maharaja NANJARAJA, 19th Maharaja of Mysore 1766/1771, born 1750, died 1771.

20. Maharaja CHAMARAJA VIII, 20th Maharaja of Mysore 1771/1776, born 1758, died 1776.

21. Maharaja CHAMARAJA IX , 21st Maharaja of Mysore 1776/1796, born 1775, married Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni Urs, daughter of Gopal Raj Urs, and had issue. He died 1796.

HAIDER ALI KHAN 1762/1782 (Usurper)

TIPU SULTAN Shah Bahadur 1782/1799 (Usurper)

22. Maharaja KRISHNARAJA III [Mummudi Krishna Raja Wadiyar], 22nd Maharaja of Mysore 1799/1868, born 1796, married 1stly Maharani (name unknown), married 2ndly, Maharani Devajammani Sita Vilasa Anaro, died 1893 ^(#3), and had issue. He died 1868.

    • Maharajkumari Devajammanni Wodiyar (by 1st wife), married Chikka Krishna Urs of the Bettadakote branch of the Royal Family, and had issue.

      • HH Sir Sri Maharajah Chamarajendra X Wadiyar (qv)

    • Natural Son, married and had issue.

      • Devaparthivaraj Wadiyar Bahadur, died after 1885.

23. HH Sir Sri Maharajah CHAMARAJENDRA X WADIYAR, 23rd Maharaja of Mysore 1868/1894, born 22nd February 1863, G.C.S.I., he was granted full ruling powers in 1881, he instituted the Representative Assembly of Mysore state also in 1881, founded the Kannada Bashojjivini School, he encouraged the founding of Agricultural Banks to help finance farmers and initiated Life Insurance for government employees, he was an entusiastic patron of arts and music, as well as a musician himself; married 1878, HH Maharani Kempananjammanni Vani Vilasa Sannidhana, died 1934^(#4), daughter of Sirdar Narase Urs of Kalale, and his wife, Kempananjammanni Avaru, and had issue, two sons and three daughters. He died 1894 of diphtheria in Calcutta.

    • Col. HH Maharajah Sir Shri Krishnaraja IV Wadiyar Bahadur (qv)

    • HH Yuvaraja Sir Sri Kantirava Narasinharaja Wadiyar, born 5th June 1888, educated at Mayo College, Ajmer; a member of the Council of Ministers, he was granted the style of His Highness in 1917, K.C.I.E. [cr.1911], G.C.I.E. [cr.1915], married 1910, HH Yuvrani Kempu Cheluvammanniyavaru Urs, and had issue, one son and three daughters. He died 12th March 1940.

      • Yuvarajkumari Jaya Chamunda Ammani Avaru [HH the Maharani of Bharatpur], married HH Shri Maharaja Vrijendra Singh Sahib of Bharatpur, and had issue. She died 1954.

      • HH Maharaja Sir Shri Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar Bahadur (qv)

      • Yuvarajkumari Sujaya Kantha Ammani [Thakurani Sujaya Devi of Sanand], married the Thakur Saheb of Sanand.

      • Yuvarajkumari Vijaya Lakshmi Ammani [Thakurani Vijaya Devi of Kotda-Sangani], married about 1942, Thakur Saheb Pradyumna Singh of Kotda-Sangani, and had issue.

    • Maharajkumari Jayalakshmi Ammani Wadiyar, married 15th February 1897 ^(#2), Sirdar Sir M. Kanth Raj Urs, Dewan of Mysore.

    • Maharajkumari Krishnajammani Wadiyar, married 20th April 1896 ^(#2), Col. J. Desaraj Urs, Commander of the Mysore Lancers, and had issue, one son and three daughters. She died of tuberculosis and the Royal Family established the Princess Krishnajammani TB Sanitorium at Mysore in her memory.

      • Rajkumar C. Desaraj Urs, married and had issue, three children.

        • Rajkumar Prithviraj Urs, married Shivamala Urs, and had issue, one son and four daughters.

          • Yogendra Prithviraj Urs

          • Mrinalini Devi Urs

          • Aarti Devi Urs

          • Mayurakshi Devi Urs

          • Deepika Devi Urs

        • Major Desaraj Urs

        • Geeta Devi Urs

    • Maharajkumari Cheluvajammani Wadiyar, married 1900, Sirdar M. Lakshmi Kanth Raj Urs.

HH Maharani Kempananjammanni Vani Vilasa Sannidhana 1894/1902 (Regent)

24. Col. HH Maharaja Sir Shri KRISHNARAJA IV WADIYAR Bahadur, 24th Maharaja of Mysore 1894/1940, born 4th June 1884 at the Royal Palace, Mysore, G.B.E.(civ) [cr.1917], G.C.St.J. [cr.1911], G.C.S.I. [cr.1907], educated at the Royal School in the Summer Palace premises (Lokaranjan Palace), educated in administrative matters by Sir Stuart Fraser of the Bombay Civil Service, also studied the principles of jurisprudence and methods of revenue administration, as well as music and horse riding; he was granted full ruling powers by the Viceroy on 8th August 1902, first chancellor of Banaras Hindu University and University of Mysore, he instituted the Legislative Council in 1907, a Donat of Order of St John of Jerusalem in England, Hon. Colonel 26th King's Own Indian Cavalry 1910; he was a patron of both Indian and Western Classical Music and himself was an accomplished player of eight instruments, viz. flute, violin, saxophone, piano, mridangam, nadaswara, sitar, and veena; he helped found the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore in 1911 with the gift of 371 acres of land and a donation of funds; during his reign, Mysore became the first Indian state to generate hydro-electric power in Asia, and Bangalore was the first Asian city to have street lights, which were lit on 5th August 1905; he was honoured with the Delhi Durbar Gold Medal in 1903 and again 1911, the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal in 1935 and the King George VI Coronation Medal in 1937; married 6th June 1900, HH Maharani Lakshmi Vilas Sannidhana Pratapa Kumari Devi Bai, daughter of Rana Thala Bane Singhji of Vana in Kathiawar, died sp 1953. He died sp 3rd August 1940 at Bangalore.

25. HH Maharaja Shri Sir JAYA CHAMARAJA WADIYAR Bahadur, 25th Maharaja of Mysore 1940/1974, G.C.S.I. [cr.1945], G.C.B. [cr.1946], born 18th July 1919, a philosopher, musicologist, political thinker and philanthropist, educated at the Maharaja's College, Mysore, graduating in 1938, Rajpramukh of Mysore State 1950/1956, first Governor of the unified State of Mysore 1956/1964 and later was transferred as the Governor of the State of Madras (Tamil Nadu) 1964/1967, a Licentiate of the Guild Hall of Music, London and honorary Fellow of Trinity College of Music, London in 1945, he was elected as the first president of the Philharmonia Concert Society, London in 1948, a fellow and president of Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi, 1966; author of a number of literary works, including The Quest for Peace: an Indian Approach, 1959;Dattatreya: The Way & The Goal, 1957; The Gita and Indian Culture, 1963; Religion And Man, 1965; Avadhuta: Reason & Reverence, 1958; An Aspect Of Indian Aesthetics, 1956; Puranas As The Vehicles Of India's Philosophy Of History, 1963; he was awarded a Doctor of Literature from the University of Queensland, Australia and from the Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, and a Doctor of Law from the Benaras Hindu University, the first Chairman of the Indian Wild Life Board, founder-president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, he married 1stly, 15th May 1938 (sep'd.) ^(#1), HH Maharani Sathya Prema Kumari of Charkhari, died 1983, she was younger sister of the queen of Achrol-Jaipur; married 2ndly, 30th April 1944, HH Maharani Tripura Sundarammani Yavaru, died 1983, and had issue. He died 24th September 1974.

    • Maharajkumari Gayatri Devi Yavaru, born 1946, married Sirdar Rama Chandra Raj Urs, died 29th June 2011, adopted son of Rajkumari Leelavati and Sirdar Basava Raj Urs, and had issue, one son and three daughters. She died 1974.

      • Tripurasundari Devi, born 1966, educated at Mysore University, married Swarup Anand Gopalaraja Urs of the Bettada Kote branch of the Mysore Royal Family, born 1960, and has issue.

        • Yaduveer Gopalaraj Urs, born 1992.

        • Jayatmika Lakshmi, born 1995.

      • Chaduranga Kanth Raj Urs, married Priyanka from the family of Princess Krishnajammanni.

      • Rajkumarani Keerti Devi, married Rajkumar Shailendra Singh of Ajaigarh, and has issue.

    • Maharajkumari Meenakshi Devi Yavaru, born 1951, former Member of the Social Welfare Board of Karnataka, owner of a riding school in Bangalore Palace grounds called Princess Academy of Equitation, married M. R. Lakshmi Kanth Raje Urs, a Lawyer, and has issue.

      • Varchuswee SS Raje Urs, born 29th July 1981 in Bangalore, B.A. and LL.B. and an Advocate, Manager of Two Horse Safaris and the Princess Academy of Equitation, Matadipathi of Malvali, Honnakayanhalli, Kapadi and BGPura.

    • HH Maharaja Shri Kanta Datta Narasinharaja Wadiyar Bahadur (qv)

    • Maharajkumari Kamakshi Devi Yavaru, born 1954, married Kunwar Atmanaya Dev Singh [Kumar Shri Atmanayadevsinhji Surendrasinhji] of Wadhwan, born 1947, and has issue, twin daughters.

    • Maharajkumari Indirakshi Devi Yavaru, married Raja Chandra Urs, and has issue.

      • Ms. Samyukta Lakshmi, graduate in commerce and studying M.B.A.

      • Aditya Gurudev Urs, graduate in commerce as well as in Master in Business systems from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

    • Maharajkumari Vishalakshi Devi Yavaru, born 1962, married Kunwar Gajendra Singh of Auwa, and has issue.

26. HH Maharaja Shri Kanta Datta NARASINHARAJA WADIYAR Bahadur, 26th Maharaja of Mysore (see above)