Thread by @sheshapatangi1

By the end of this thread, one will wonder, how 1 Maharaja can do so much for his subjects, that too being under British Rule.
#NalvadiKrishnaRajaWodeyar.
#Jayanti

Today, Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India, and it is the result of a foundation laid down by

the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore, Maharaja Sri Krishnaraja Wadiyar-IV or Sri Sir Krishnaraja Wodeyar- IV or Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar.
He was the 24th king of the Mysore Kingdom.
At the time of his death, the Maharaja had a personal fortune of approximately US$400 million

making him one of the world’s richest men. Under his reign, Mysore was renowned as the best-administered state in the world.
No On June 6th, 1900, he married Maharani Pratapa Kumari Ammani of Kathiawar.
He ruled over the state for 39 years which were often described as the

‘Golden age of Mysore’.

Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar- IV was the first to criminalize untouchability and ban child marriage for girls under the age of 8 years.

He also established a number of scholarships for widowed girls & donated Rs 60 lakhs each year for spastic children.

In 1915 the Mysore Social Progress Association was formed to empower weaker sections of the society.

In 1918 he appointed Sir Lesley Miller to look into the backward classes & recommended 25% reservation of government jobs for non-Brahmans.

The "City Improvement Trust Board"

was set up under his guidance – the first association of its kind in India.

A number of educational institutions were set up under his guidance many of which are renowned even today.

The Sanskrit college in Mysore was personally funded by the Maharaja.

He also gifted Sir CV Raman 10 acres of land to set up his science institution.

In 1927, the kingdom’s total expenditure on education increased from Rs 699,000 in 1902 to Rs 4,680,000.

A total of 8,000 schools were running in Mysore at the time with 515,000 pupils.

Hydroelectric power project at Shivanasamudra – In 1902, Mysore became the first state to produce hydroelectric power not only in India but in all Asia.

Minto Eye Hospital – This is the world’s oldest eye hospital. It was established during the Maharaja’s reign in 1903.

Street lights in Bangalore – On August 5th, 1905, streetlights were introduced in Bangalore. This made Bangalore the first Asian city with street lights.

Under Wadiyar guidance, Mysore’s Representative Assembly was expanded. In 1907, the assembly became bicameral with the

establishment of its legislative council.

Women’s Right to Vote – Long before women in Developed Civilization were allowed to vote, they were given the right to do so in Mysore.

Vani Vilas Sagar Dam in Chitradurga was constructed in 1907 & was the first dam in Karnataka.

Mysore Boy Scouts – This program introduced in 1909 was the first of its kind in India

The Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore – In 1911, 371 acres of land and funds were gifted to the Indian Institute of Science to begin running functionally.

Other Achievements
Compulsory primary education.

Primary education was made compulsory for everyone and in 1915, public schools were directed to begin admitting Dalit children in an effort to give up caste discrimination.

The State Bank of Mysore was established in 1913

The Bangalore Agricultural University was established in 1913.

The Kannada Sahitya Parishat was established in 1915.

He became the first chancellor of the Benaras Hindu University in 1916.

The Mysore University and the Mysore Chamber of Commerce were established in 1916.

The University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering & Maharani’s College for women in Mysore was established in 1917.

The Sandalwood Oil Factory, which manufactures world famous "Mysore Sandal Soap" was started in 1917.

The Bhadravati Iron and Steel factory was started in 1923

KRS Dam – This dam was crucial to irrigation in Mysore and was built in 1924 after the Maharaja pledged family assets to the project. At the time, it was Asia’s largest dam.

The Mysore medical college was started in 1924.

Markonahalli dam – This dam built in 1930 was the

first of its kind in Asia with an automatic siphon system.

The Vani Vilasa women and children’s hospital was instituted in 1934.

The Mysore Paper Mills was founded in 1936.

The Mysore Paints and Varnish was founded in 1936 – This company still manufactures indelible ink used

during Elections.

The Mysore Implements factory in Hassan was started in 1939.

Hirebhaskara dam – The Hirebhaskara dam was built in 1939. This dam generated 120 MW of power.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited – Though the company came into existence much later, the Maharaja laid

its foundation stone in 1940.

Not only he was an efficient administrator, but also a multi talented artist.
Krishnaraja Wodeyar himself could play a number of musical instruments including the Violin, Flute, Sitar, Veena, Saxophone, Mridangam, Piano and Nadaswaram.

The Great King Joined Saraswati’s Abode On 03rd August 1940.

At the time of his death, he was one of the world's wealthiest men, with a personal fortune estimated in 1940 to be worth US$ 400 million, equivalent to $ 56 billion at 2010 prices.
He was a philosopher-king, who was

seen by Paul Brunton as living the ideal expressed in Plato's Republic.
He has been compared to Emperor Ashoka by the English statesman Lord Samuel.
MKGandhi called him RaajaRishi, or "saintly king" and his kingdom was described by his followers as Rama Rajya, an ideal kingdom

akin to the rule of Shree Rama.

Acknowledging Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV's noble and efficient kingship, Lord John Sankey declared in 1930 at the II Round Table Conference in London, "Mysore is the best administered state in the world".

LET ME SEE HOW MANY DALIT CHAMPIONS, KANNADA OLATAGARAS REMEMBER THIS GREATEST KING FROM MYSORE.

#ForgottenHeroes
#VANDEMATARAM