Nalwadi Krishna Raja Wadiyar
Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, also known as Nalwadi Krishna Raja Wadiyar, one of the great rulers of the modern era, whom Paul Brunton described as the ideal philosopher-king, and under whom Mysore achieved great progress.
If today Mysore region is one of India's more developed areas, an educational and industrial hub, the credit goes to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, who had the foresight to invest in education, public works and industry.
The Wodeyar dynasty gets it's name from a local Kannada word "Oddeyar" meaning Lord, originally vassals of the Vijayanagar Empire, they became a powerful, independent kingdom, following the decline of the Empire, post Tallikota .
Nalwadi Krishna Raja Wadiyar was born on June 4, 1884, to Chamarajendra Wadiyar and Vani Vilas Sannidhana. His father was an equally accomplished ruler, who built the Lalbagh Glass Palace, Mysore Zoo, and was a great patron of arts and culture. With his father passing away when he was just 10 years old, it was his mother Vani Vilas, who ruled the state as regent, till he reached the majority age in 1902. He was instructed by P.Raghavendra Rao in Kannada, Sanskrit, Western studies.
He also learnt horse riding, classical music, and was instructed in the principles of administration by Sir Stuar Fraser, and toured the countryside extensively to get a first hand knowledge of the people's life. Coronated as Maharaja of Mysore on August 9,1902 when he turned 18, Krishnaraja Wadiyar began to actively invest in education. He was the first chancellor of BHU and Mysore University too.
University of Mysore established by Krishna Raja Wadiyar in 1916 was the first wholly Indian university established, and the first in Karnataka too. It was established on reccomendation of C.R. Reddy and it's first VC was H.C.Nanjundaiah who played a major role. IISc Bangalore also started during the reign of Krishna Raja Wadiyar, when he donated 371 acres of land, as well as funds for it. He also set up schools, colleges for women, as well as the backward classes, gave them scholarships.
Mysore was one of the first Princely states to provide reservations to the backward castes in education as well as in the legislature. Many Dalits were given land to till, and he provided land to betel nut growers at Ashokapuram near Mysore. If today the Mysore-Bangalore region is one of the most literate and an educational hub of India, credit goes to Krishna Raja Wadiyar Nalwadi who had the foresight to set up schools, colleges, make education available to women and backward classes.
It was under Krishna Raja Wadiyar Nalwadi, that Mysore became the first Indian state to generate hydro electric power, and Bangalore was the first Indian city to have street lights in 1905. His reign saw some of the most significant investments in irrigation. Vani Vilasa Sagara, the first dam in Karnataka at Chitradurga and of course the Krishna Raja Sagar Dam that benefited so many farmers in the Cauvery regions of Mysore, Mandya.
One of India's first hydro electric projects was set up at Shivanasamudra in 1902, that continues to serve Karnataka to date. As also Minto Eye Hospital in Bangalore, one of the older eye hospitals in India. Among the notable industries set up during Krishna Raja Wadiya Nalwadi were the Sandalwood Oil Factory, steel plant at Bhadravathi, Mysore paper mills. Also the State Bank of Mysore and Mysore Medical College.
The Maharaja was also a patron of music, he himself played 8 instruments including mridangam, sitar, veena, nadaswaram. Many famous musicians like Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan, Gauhar Jaan, Barkatullah Khan were patronized by him. Mahatma Gandhi called him a true Rajarshi, princes from other states were sent to Mysore to learn about administration, Madan Mohan Malviya described him as a true epitome of Dharma. Mysore was praised as the best administered state in the world. Nalwadi Krishna Raja Wodeyar passed away on August 3,1940, but not before leaving a rich legacy in the development of Mysore State. Today the people of Mysore-Bangalore would forever be indebted to him.