The earliest historical dynasty of Mysore was the Kadamba, whose capital, Banawasi, is mentioned by Ptolemy. The dynasty, after 14 centuries of rule, fell to the Chalukya, and the Chem, or Kougu seized the southern districts. The Ballala fell to the Vijayanagar rulers, who again yielded to the Adal Shahi kings of Bijapur. For a time it formed part of the dominions of the Adal Shahi dynasty of Bijapur, and the year after the fall of that dynasty it was taken by Aurangzeb's general, Kasim Khan, and the city of Mysore sold to Chik Deo Raj for 3 lakhs of rupees. But several polygar chiefs continued almost if not wholly independent. The most important of these were the Wodeyar of 3lysore in the south, the Nayak of Keladi in the north, the Nayak of Balam (Man jarabad) in the west, and the Beder chiefs of Chittuldrug and Tarikere. In 1610, the Raj Wode yar of Mysore seized the fortress of Seringapatam, and thus laid the foundation of the present Mysore state. Wodeyar is a plural or honorific form of Odeya, a Canarese word meaning lord or master. Hyder Ali, in the middle of the 18th century, brought Mysore proper, Coorg, with the Carnatic and much of the Dekhan, under subjection, and he was at the height of his successes when Chum" Raj, the titular ruler, died. Till then Hyder Ali had professed to rule Mysore in behalf of the Hindu raja, and, every Dassara, Chum Raj appeared before the people in the state balcony, seated on an ivory throne, Hyder All being present as his commander-in-chief and minister, and he selected a successor, also named Chum Raj, from amongst the collateral relations, but Hyder continued to rule in reality until his death on the 7th December 1782. The Carnatic rulers, aided latterly by the British, the Mahrattas, and the Hyderabad state, were frequently at war with Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan. When Hyder died in 1782, peace was filially concluded with Tipu in 1784, on the basis of a mutual restitution of all conquests. But in seven years war was again declared, and Lord Cornwallis in 1791 took command, and on the 21st March captured Bangalore. On the 13th May Tipu opposed him at Arikera, and was completely routed, but Lord Cornwallis was obliged to retreat. In August, however, Lord Cornwallis captured several difficult forts, and on the 5th February 1792 he encamped before Seringapatam, and drove the enemy into the fort, on • which Tipu came to terms, delivering up half his kingdom, and three kror of rupees, with two of his sons as hostages.
The taking of Bangalore from Tipu Sultan, on the 21st March 1791, gave the British' a perma neat position in Mysore ; but eight years later, on the 4th May 1799, when Seringapatam was stormed, the whole country came under British supremacy, by the replacement on the throne of the descendant of former Hindu rulers. The genealogy of this family is traced from the Yadu line of Chandravansa, but the first in authentic history was Timma Raja Wodeyar, son of Betta, A.D. 1530, and the dynasty ruled until A.D. 1767, when Hyder Ali put aside the raja Chama Raja Wodeyar. Krishna Raja Wodeyar was restored by the British in 1799, on the fall of Tipu at the storm of Seringapatam, and, after he came of age, rul ed the country till 1831, but during Lord W. Bentinck's administration, owing to frequent insurrections, commissioners were appointed for its manage ment. The raja died childless in the beginning of 1868, but had adopted as his successor the third child of Chikka Krishna Arasu of the Bettada Kote branch of the royal house, the new sovereign being installed under the title of Chama Rajendra Wodeyar. The date of the rendition was 25th March 1881. • The British Government conferred the country on the maharaja and his heirs for ever, prohibited building or repairing of forts, increase of military beyond a fixed maximum, the intro duction of separate coinage, and the employment of Europeans without the previous sanction of the Indian Government. Provision was made for
establishing British cantonments in Mysore wher ever and whenever required, the constructing and working of railways and telegraphs, respecting and continuing the existing laws, the revenue settlement and the existing system of 'admini stration, and prohibition. or limiting the manufac ture of salt or opium. prohibiting maharaja renounced his jurisdiction over the Bangalore cantonment, and surrendered his jurisdiction over European British subjects. The present annual tribute, amounting to 24 lakhs, or about 5th of the gross .revenue, is to be increased by 10 lakhs; but this clause was not to come into operation without the mature consideration of the maharaja. An infant princess, born a few days before the installation, was named Jaya Lukshroi, Jaya; in compliment to the Queen-Empress Victoria.
Rain.—The soil is tolerably fertile, but the rain fall is scant and uncertain ; it ranges from to 47.65 in the different parts of the country. This is often a cause of dearth, at times of famine. There was scarcity in 1824, 1831, 1833, and 1865; there was also scant rain in 1851 and 1860. The drought which affected all Southern India in 1876-78, fell with espeCial severity upon Mysore. From October 1875 to October 1877, four suc cessive monsoons failed to bring their full supply of rain. The harvest of 1875 was generally below the average, and remissions of 'revenue were found necessary ; but it was not till towards the close of 1876 that famine was recognised to be abroad in the land. The crops of that year, in some parts, had yielded only Ath ; and even in the less stricken districts of Hasan and Shimoga, under the Western Ghats, only half of a fair harvest was gathered. On the other hand, grain was poured into Bangalore by the Madras railway ; but the means for bringing the food to the hungry mouths were inadequate. During the whole twelve months of 1877, famine was at work. In October of that year, the S.W. monsoon broke with a fair rainfall, and cultivation at last became possible. It is calculated that the loss of population in 1876-78 must have been in excess of the number as esti mated by the Famine Commissioners, namely, 1,172,548; for the total population in 1871 was 5,055,412, that of 1881 was 4,186,188, or 869,224 less than the total in 1871. The area under cultivation in 1880-81 was 4,280,674 acres, against 3,996,206 in the previous year.
From 1831 the British authorities had con ducted the administration to 1880-81, the last year of the Government administration previous to its being banded over to the present maharaja. Large reductions had been made since 1878-79. The civil charges had been reduced by £1,423,000; the expenditure on the local fund by £31,000; public works by £775,000. The condition of the state funds at the period of rendition was as follows : — Ordinary expenditure, £8,585,000 ; civil expenditure, £754,000; local military forces, £1,O70,000; in ;11, £10,409,000. Nearly all the European civil and military officers had been dis placed by natives of India on smaller salaries. The great bulk of the population follow some form of Hinduism, but the aborigines are numerous; there are 200,484 Muhammadans, and a considerable number of Christians. The village officers are the Gowda, the Talawar or watchman, the Madiga, the Baraka or Kalawadi, whose office is that of the Totti of the Tamil villages ; the Shambogue or account ant, Badega or carpenter.