Regents and Princes
This is the seventh part of the series. Click here for Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6.
In 1732, the 16th Maharaja of Mysore died, ending the male lineage of the Wodeyars of Mysore going back to the first Raja of Mysore, Yaduraya. The Mysore kings, at some time during or after the reign of Raja I Wodeyar, had started to use the island town of Srirangapatna as an alternate capital. Only fifteen kilometres away from Mysore, the fortress of the temple town was much older than the fort of Mysore. Located on a natural island formed by the Cauvery river, it was better defensively than the Puragiri fortress.
Dodda Krishnaraja Wodeyar, who ruled between 1714 and 1732, died without any male sons of his own. He had married seven times, and only his first wife had given birth to a male son who had lived only for a few months. So, in October of 1731, he adopted two sons; Chamaiya, the son of Devaraj Urs of Ankanahalli, and Krishnaraja, the son of another noble in the court, Chame Urs. Chamaiya was only two years younger than the king who adopted him, whereas his foster brother was only three years old when they were adopted. On the death of Dodda Krishnaraja I, Chamaiya ascended the throne as Chamaraja VII Wodeyar. But, he ruled for a mere two years before the Dalavayis grew tired of him and his wife and imprisoned them in the fortress of Kavaledurga.
The Dalavayis now placed the younger of the two adopted sons of Dodda Krishnaraja on the throne. Krishnaraja II or Immadi Krishnaraja (which means second in Kannada) was only seven years of age when he was crowned king. The Dalavayis, Devarajaiah Urs and his brother Nanjaraja were the real power holders. The first ten years of the boy king's reign seems to have been largely uneventful. However, at this time, India and specifically South India was being drawn into a conflict of global proportions. The War of the Austrian Succession had broken out in Europe and two colonial powers, France and England brought the war to the sub-continent. As the British and the French fought each other the Indian princes and kings manouvered themselves for the support of one or the other super power.
At around this time, a soldier in the Nawab's army changed his loyalties to join Mysore. It does not seem to be a very uncommon thing to do in those times. His father was a soldier in the Mysore army, working with rocket artillery and the son took up the same trade as was the norm. The son's name was Hyder Ali and in 1757, he helped Krishnaraja defend a seige on Mysore. He followed this up with a successful campaign against the Nairs of Cochi, for which he was awarded the jagir of Bangalore. Hyder Ali would very soon go on to become the ruler of Mysore. But, the curse of Talakadu would still hold strong.
Click here for Part 8.
In 1732, the 16th Maharaja of Mysore died, ending the male lineage of the Wodeyars of Mysore going back to the first Raja of Mysore, Yaduraya. The Mysore kings, at some time during or after the reign of Raja I Wodeyar, had started to use the island town of Srirangapatna as an alternate capital. Only fifteen kilometres away from Mysore, the fortress of the temple town was much older than the fort of Mysore. Located on a natural island formed by the Cauvery river, it was better defensively than the Puragiri fortress.
Dodda Krishnaraja Wodeyar, who ruled between 1714 and 1732, died without any male sons of his own. He had married seven times, and only his first wife had given birth to a male son who had lived only for a few months. So, in October of 1731, he adopted two sons; Chamaiya, the son of Devaraj Urs of Ankanahalli, and Krishnaraja, the son of another noble in the court, Chame Urs. Chamaiya was only two years younger than the king who adopted him, whereas his foster brother was only three years old when they were adopted. On the death of Dodda Krishnaraja I, Chamaiya ascended the throne as Chamaraja VII Wodeyar. But, he ruled for a mere two years before the Dalavayis grew tired of him and his wife and imprisoned them in the fortress of Kavaledurga.
The Dalavayis now placed the younger of the two adopted sons of Dodda Krishnaraja on the throne. Krishnaraja II or Immadi Krishnaraja (which means second in Kannada) was only seven years of age when he was crowned king. The Dalavayis, Devarajaiah Urs and his brother Nanjaraja were the real power holders. The first ten years of the boy king's reign seems to have been largely uneventful. However, at this time, India and specifically South India was being drawn into a conflict of global proportions. The War of the Austrian Succession had broken out in Europe and two colonial powers, France and England brought the war to the sub-continent. As the British and the French fought each other the Indian princes and kings manouvered themselves for the support of one or the other super power.
At around this time, a soldier in the Nawab's army changed his loyalties to join Mysore. It does not seem to be a very uncommon thing to do in those times. His father was a soldier in the Mysore army, working with rocket artillery and the son took up the same trade as was the norm. The son's name was Hyder Ali and in 1757, he helped Krishnaraja defend a seige on Mysore. He followed this up with a successful campaign against the Nairs of Cochi, for which he was awarded the jagir of Bangalore. Hyder Ali would very soon go on to become the ruler of Mysore. But, the curse of Talakadu would still hold strong.
Click here for Part 8.
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