Splendours of Royal Mysore
The Untold Story of the Wodeyars
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EXCERPTS
THE DEWANS OF MYSORE
The Dewans of Mysore were a stark contrast to the avaricious Dalavoys who had held similar positions of eminence in the polity. Unlike the semi-literate, militarily trained, ambitious Dalavoys, this new genre of officers were suave, English-educated, well-read, exposed to modern Western philosophies of freedom, liberty and justice and were appointees of the Raj, rather than self-appointed dictators of the kingdom. They knew that their professional performance would be the only way to earn fame, rather than the earlier Dalavoys, infamous for storming palace doors with elephants and deposing the king unceremoniously. Education and exposure ensured that the Dewans had a broader vision of development—one that included the welfare of common people and projects of public utility. These measures, carried out successfully over decades of nurturing by the Dewans, catapulted Mysore into the forefront of successful states of imperial India.
In describing the successes and achievements of the Dewans, we must not forget to praise the foresight of the kings who made all this possible. Rather than the autocratic kings of earlier centuries, who appointed and dismissed Dalavoys at whim, the later Wodeyars, especially Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, gave their Dewans the freedom and power to make Mysore a better, a more modern kingdom. In an environment free of interference, with a supportive and broad-minded king, the Dewans could make full use of their powers to make a difference during their reign. So, while the planning and implementation of various developmental projects is to the Dewans’ credit, we must not neglect the significant role played by their kings in this scenario.
By the turn of the 19th century, Mysore was poised to take off into the skies of progress and development. Her fundamentals were all right—politically stable, socially progressive and administered by a set of remarkable men who called themselves her Kings and Dewans.
The Rendition of Mysore on 25 March 1881 followed about 50 years of progressive and efficient administration by the British Commissioners. The Commissioners’ stint had, to a large extent, laid the foundations for a modern Mysore. If one were to take stock of the financial health of the state in 1910–12 vis-à-vis the Rendition, most of the fiscal parameters point to a surge, thereby bolstering the statement we set out to make about Mysore being poised for a confident take-off.*
On the downside, the period was marred by famines, with the one in 1875–78 the severest of its kind in the region in half a century. It cost the state exchequer Rs 160 lakh and embroiled the government in debts of over Rs 80 lakh. The province also lost one
million people to the famine and subsequent epidemics. From 50,55,402 in 1871, Mysore’s population fell to 41,86,188 by 1881—a fall of 17 per cent. The number stabilised, however, to 58,06,193 by 1911.
The demographics of the state also saw interesting change patterns during this time. The population in the towns, which was about 13 per cent of the state’s total population, fell to 11 per cent in 1911. This could be attributed to the lack of employment opportunities in towns and migration to cities—a trend that caught up during this time. The agriculture-dependent population in Mysore rose from 33 lakhs to 42 lakhs between 1881 and 1911. The same period also saw a healthy increase of 79 per cent in the area occupied for agriculture—mainly extensive and not intensive agriculture—to about 74,38,463 acres in 1911–12.
These changing socio-economic dimensions had a natural impact on the state’s revenues as well. From about 50 lakhs at the time of transfer of power to the royal family after the fall of Tippu, the revenue rose to 101 lakhs by the time of Rendition. Including the accidental income that was accrued due to the gold mines at Kolar, the revenue figures jumped to a healthy 247 lakhs by 1910–11. Between Rendition and the early decades of the 20th century, the land revenue also increased from 60 lakhs to 106.5 lakhs; excise saw a hike from 10 to 67 lakhs and income from forests shot up to 21 lakhs from 7 lakhs. But along with the rise in revenues, the expenditure also doubled from 101 lakhs to 223 lakhs in the said period. Law and justice, jails, education, medical expenses and public works were the main expense items that saw an increase. This was comforting, however, as the expense was intended to create a sound socio-economic infrastructure for the state and its people. Education in particular saw a healthy increase in fund allocations from Rs 3,91,028 in 1881 to Rs 18,79,135 in 1911—a whopping 80 per cent increase, clearly demonstrating where the administration’s priorities lay. Consequently, the school-going population within the kingdom of Mysore also increased from 53,872 in 1881 to 1,38,153 in 1911.
The railways was an area that was given primary importance by both the Commissioners and the rulers of Mysore. It might have begun as a means of transport for the British (especially between Mysore and their headquarters at Madras) and as a facilitator of trade activities, but in the long run it played a vital role in building a robust economy for the state. The railways, which covered only 50 miles in 1880–81 rose to 411 miles in 1910–11 and the capital outlay on them in the same period from 25 to 250 lakhs—a sharp rise indeed! The mileage of the province’s road networks were also doubled since the time of Rendition. Channel irrigation was extended during this period in the Cauvery and Kapani valleys, numerous tanks were restored and repaired, the two major works of public interest—the Cauvery Power Scheme which was a pioneering electrical undertaking in the whole of India and the Marikanave Reservoir, also one of its kind in contemporary times—were completed. Urban development and planning, especially in the cities of Bangalore and Mysore, began receiving royal attention. Industries like the gold mines of Kolar, manganese mines of Shimoga and a few cotton and other mills sprang up across the state.
The officials of the Madras Presidency would often remark that Mysoreans resided in one of the most beautiful and picturesque provinces of the country.
While the above description of the state’s financial health in the early decades of the 20th century sets a context for discussing the enormous strides Mysore made on all fronts, it is important to delve deeper into the various aspects of this growth saga.
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