When you talk about the greatest Princely states of India, Mysore State can never be forgotten. The state was led by several Kings, Tipu Sultan being the most powerful one. Let’s take a look at some of the most important events that took place in Mysore history and how the state finally became a part of the Union of India.

The Kingdom of Mysore was situated in the southern part of the Indian subcontinent. Many historians claim that the Empire was founded in 1399 near the city of Mysore. Wodeyar family ruled the Mysore kingdom which was a part of the Vijayanagara Empire initially.

The kingdom became independent after Vijayanagara Empire started losing its powers in c. 1565. Narasaraja Wodeyar I and Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar are considered to be some of the most important kings in Mysore history. They were responsible for expanding the kingdom in the 17^th century. It then included southern Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu as well.

In the second half of the 18^th century, Mysore state became even more powerful in terms of both economy and military. The De facto ruler Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan were responsible for this tremendous growth.

They were constantly fighting against the Marathas, the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Kingdom of Travancore and the British. Mysore history also talks about four Anglo-Mysore Wars. They won the first war. The second war ended without any sound conclusion. However, they lost the third and fourth wars.

Tipu Sultan died during the fourth war of 1799. After this event, large parts of Mysore state were taken away by the British. The Wodeyars were given back their throne. A subsidiary alliance was set up leading to the creation of Mysore princely state. The Wodeyars ruled the state from 1799 to 1947 until Mysore became a part of the Union of India after independence.

Mysore Princely State was more developed than many other regions of India. They also promoted art and culture in a great way. The influence of Mysore History on art and music has lingered on even today. That’s the reason why it is essential for us to learn and understand the various important aspects of Mysore history.