Regents and Princes - 2
This is the eighth part of the series. Click here for Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7.
At the beginning of the later half of the eighteenth century, it was a period of turmoil and change in Indian history. There were many players in the game, changing alliances, trading friends and enemies, all in a bid for power. The British and the French who had struggled earlier for a foothold in the sub-continent, were now important parties. They fought with each other directly, as well as through a series of proxy princes and kings who they supported both explicitly, as well as covertly. The Mughals were still the nominal heads of the country, especially those parts of the country that were under Muslim rule, although the Mughal Emperors themselves would actually control only a few hundred square kilometres of area. In the south, the Nizam of Hyderabad was the appointed supremo of Muslim ruled lands, through a Firman issued by the Mughal Emperor. But the issue of succession would trouble the house of the Nizam now and then, and they looked to the British or French for support. Below the Nizam, were the Nawabs of Arcot and Sira and other Muslim ruled ares. But they fought each other for land, and again, were involved in succession struggles and such. In the Punjab, the Sikh misls were a loose confederacy, growing in power. The Marathas controlled vast lands with many smaller kingdoms professing allegiance to Shivaji's successors at Satara. Mysore, Calicut and Madurai were other South Indian and Hindu ruled kingdoms, who were also vying for power. All these parties fought one another and alliances shifted across regional, religious and familial ties. Added to all these was the invasion of the Afghan Durranis, which sealed the end of Mughal power by looting away Delhi's wealth.
In such an atmosphere, the eighteenth Maharaja of Mysore, Immadi Krishnaraja ruled under the power of his Dalavayis, the brothers, Devaraja and Nanjaraja. Devaraja died in 1747, and Nanjaraja though powerful was not as adept as his brother. Soon Mysore found itself being constantly plundered by the Marathas. In 1757, the Marathas surrounded Srirangapatna with Krishnaraja inside, the Mysore army in near mutiny, looking like the end was near. Krishnaraja chose now to employ a commander named Hyder Ali, the faujdar of Dindigul under the Nizam. Hyder Ali's father, Fath Khan had served under Hyderabad and Mysore, and the then king of Mysore had awarded him the jagir of Budikote near Kolar where Hyder Ali was born. Hyder Ali successfully quelled the impending mutiny and saved the king. Under Mysore he quickly rose in rank and power with successful campaigns against the Zamorin of Calicut, breaking the Maratha seige of Bangalore and was named Nawab by Krishnaraja in 1759. His rise caused concern for Nanjaraja, the dalavayi and the queen mother, and they plotted to overthrow him. Hyder Ali's forces routed the dalavayis and he named himself Sultan of Mysore in 1761. He continued to acknowledge the supremacy of the king nominally while taking complete control of the state.
Hyder Ali quickly began to expand the kingdom conquering Sira to the north and Ikkeri to the northwest, opening the profitable ports on the west coast to Mysore. He again travelled south to support the state of Kochi against the Zamorin of Calicut when Krishnaraja died. Krishnaraja however, had not one, but two surviving sons.
Back in the late sixteenth century, Devira was a princess of Mysore and aunt to the king, Raja I Wodeyar. She had married into a branch of the royal family that controlled the village of Kalale. Her great-grandson was Thimmaraja Urs, who had two sons, Kantaiya Urs who succeeded him at Kalale, and Narasaraja Urs, who was given control of Maddur. Narasaraja's family line would become important later, but Kantaiya's great-great-granddaughter, Devajamma had married Immadi Krishnaraja and now, the bloodline of Yaduraya would return to the throne on Krishnaraja's death, albeit for a short time. The elder son, Nanjaraja Wodeyar ruled for four years between 1776 and 1780, and was succeeded by his brother, Chamaraja VIII, who was eleven at the time of his coronation. He too died in 1776. By this time, the queen mother had adopted the two year old son of Chikka Devaraja Urs of Karugahalli and he ascended the throne as Chamaraja IX.
The three brothers were just puppet rulers, while Hyder Ali had assumed complete control of the kingdom. He had also increased his, and Mysore's standing with victory over the British in the First Anglo-Mysore War, and, over the Marathas. His son, Tipu had also become a seasoned commander and strategist. In 1782, Hyder Ali died of a cancer and was succeeded by his son Tipu after a short struggle.
Click here for Part 9.
At the beginning of the later half of the eighteenth century, it was a period of turmoil and change in Indian history. There were many players in the game, changing alliances, trading friends and enemies, all in a bid for power. The British and the French who had struggled earlier for a foothold in the sub-continent, were now important parties. They fought with each other directly, as well as through a series of proxy princes and kings who they supported both explicitly, as well as covertly. The Mughals were still the nominal heads of the country, especially those parts of the country that were under Muslim rule, although the Mughal Emperors themselves would actually control only a few hundred square kilometres of area. In the south, the Nizam of Hyderabad was the appointed supremo of Muslim ruled lands, through a Firman issued by the Mughal Emperor. But the issue of succession would trouble the house of the Nizam now and then, and they looked to the British or French for support. Below the Nizam, were the Nawabs of Arcot and Sira and other Muslim ruled ares. But they fought each other for land, and again, were involved in succession struggles and such. In the Punjab, the Sikh misls were a loose confederacy, growing in power. The Marathas controlled vast lands with many smaller kingdoms professing allegiance to Shivaji's successors at Satara. Mysore, Calicut and Madurai were other South Indian and Hindu ruled kingdoms, who were also vying for power. All these parties fought one another and alliances shifted across regional, religious and familial ties. Added to all these was the invasion of the Afghan Durranis, which sealed the end of Mughal power by looting away Delhi's wealth.
In such an atmosphere, the eighteenth Maharaja of Mysore, Immadi Krishnaraja ruled under the power of his Dalavayis, the brothers, Devaraja and Nanjaraja. Devaraja died in 1747, and Nanjaraja though powerful was not as adept as his brother. Soon Mysore found itself being constantly plundered by the Marathas. In 1757, the Marathas surrounded Srirangapatna with Krishnaraja inside, the Mysore army in near mutiny, looking like the end was near. Krishnaraja chose now to employ a commander named Hyder Ali, the faujdar of Dindigul under the Nizam. Hyder Ali's father, Fath Khan had served under Hyderabad and Mysore, and the then king of Mysore had awarded him the jagir of Budikote near Kolar where Hyder Ali was born. Hyder Ali successfully quelled the impending mutiny and saved the king. Under Mysore he quickly rose in rank and power with successful campaigns against the Zamorin of Calicut, breaking the Maratha seige of Bangalore and was named Nawab by Krishnaraja in 1759. His rise caused concern for Nanjaraja, the dalavayi and the queen mother, and they plotted to overthrow him. Hyder Ali's forces routed the dalavayis and he named himself Sultan of Mysore in 1761. He continued to acknowledge the supremacy of the king nominally while taking complete control of the state.
Hyder Ali quickly began to expand the kingdom conquering Sira to the north and Ikkeri to the northwest, opening the profitable ports on the west coast to Mysore. He again travelled south to support the state of Kochi against the Zamorin of Calicut when Krishnaraja died. Krishnaraja however, had not one, but two surviving sons.
Back in the late sixteenth century, Devira was a princess of Mysore and aunt to the king, Raja I Wodeyar. She had married into a branch of the royal family that controlled the village of Kalale. Her great-grandson was Thimmaraja Urs, who had two sons, Kantaiya Urs who succeeded him at Kalale, and Narasaraja Urs, who was given control of Maddur. Narasaraja's family line would become important later, but Kantaiya's great-great-granddaughter, Devajamma had married Immadi Krishnaraja and now, the bloodline of Yaduraya would return to the throne on Krishnaraja's death, albeit for a short time. The elder son, Nanjaraja Wodeyar ruled for four years between 1776 and 1780, and was succeeded by his brother, Chamaraja VIII, who was eleven at the time of his coronation. He too died in 1776. By this time, the queen mother had adopted the two year old son of Chikka Devaraja Urs of Karugahalli and he ascended the throne as Chamaraja IX.
The three brothers were just puppet rulers, while Hyder Ali had assumed complete control of the kingdom. He had also increased his, and Mysore's standing with victory over the British in the First Anglo-Mysore War, and, over the Marathas. His son, Tipu had also become a seasoned commander and strategist. In 1782, Hyder Ali died of a cancer and was succeeded by his son Tipu after a short struggle.
Click here for Part 9.
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