Dewan of Mysore explained

Post:Dewan
Body:the Kingdom of Mysore
Native Name:ದಿವಾನರು
Style:The Honourable Dewan Bahadur
Reports To:Maharaja of Mysore
Status:Abolished
Appointer:Maharaja of Mysore
Termlength:4 years or at the pleasure of the Maharaja
Precursor:Dalvoy
Abolished:1950
First:K. Purnaiah
Last:Sir A.R. Mudaliar
Succession:Chief Minister of Mysore
Seat:Mysore, Kingdom of Mysore
Formation:1782

The dewan of Mysore (sometimes spelled diwan) was the de facto chief executive officer of the Government of Mysore (now Government of Karnataka), ex officio chairman of the Dewan's Council (now Cabinet), and the prime minister and royal adviser to the maharaja of Mysore. The role evolved in title and duties since the foundation of the fiefdom of Mysore in 1350 and its proper reformation into a kingdom in the following centuries until the kingdom's full abolishment in 1950. With the constitution of India into a republic in 1950, the position was replaced by Chief Minister of Mysore (later renamed Chief Minister of Karnataka).[1]

From offering minor political advice to the monarch as amatya (Sanskrit for minister) like in the Vijayanagara Empire to later acting as a major military chieftain as dalvoy[2] (Kannada for military chief) like in other southern kingdoms to being the head of the government as dewan (Persian/Urdu for accountant or chief adviser) like in the Ottoman Empire, the role has transmuted in powers over time.

From being handpicked by the monarch to being elected through popular suffrage, the mode of appointment and appointer also changed.

Formation and abolishment

Dalvoy

Until the mid-18th century, the role of the monarch's adviser was known as dalvoy, also spelled as dalavay or dalvi, under the Wadiyars. The word dalvoy is a vernacular form of the Sanskrit word dalapati (commander-in-chief).

Owing to the deposition of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar II by his own dalvoy Hyder Ali and his assumption as the supreme leader in 1761, until after Ali's son Tipu was briefly in that position, the role of dalvoy became abandoned.[3]

Dewan

After Ali's death in 1782, Tipu assumed absolute over Mysore and officially created the office of the Dewan of Mysore when he made his longtime childhood friend and his father's aide K. Purnaiah his adviser and a military strategist. Tipu considerably de-recognised the maharajas and the role of dewan was gradually ever more codified into government. The role as dewan became so popular under Tipu that later on, Princely India created the role and the title in their governments, such as Dewan of Kashmir, Travancore, Hyderabad, Baroda, Indore, etc.

After Tipu's death in 1799, British India installed Krishnaraja Wadiyar III as the maharaja.[4] The Wadiyars continued appointing to the role of dewan after resumption of power, starting with Purnaiah himself being continued.[5] Under the maharajas, it became one of the most venerable, esteemed, and celebrated leadership roles in princely India.[6]

Chief minister

In 1950, after the accession of the Kingdom of Mysore into the Republic of India, all titles and positions ascribed to the kingdom were abolished, including that of the dewan. It was replaced by Chief Minister of Mysore State, now renamed Chief Minister of Karnataka.

The role as dewan remained active in Mysore through one sultan and four maharajas. There have been a total of 24 dewans and two acting dewans. Most dewans during the latter years were civil servants in the Indian Imperial Service or Mysore Police Service.

Dewans

The first Dewan of Mysore was K. Purnaiah selected by Tipu, who served almost three decades from 1782 to 1811 and two rulers.[7] The last dewan was A. R. Mudaliar under Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, who served from 1946 to 1949. Other popular dewans of Mysore include C. V. Rungacharlu, K. Seshadri Iyer,[8] M. Visvesvaraya, M. Kantharaj Urs, and Mirza Ismail.Many of the dewans are associated with several industrial, financial, public infrastructure, and educational initiatives undertaken during their terms. These initiatives include almost all works assigned by the king or undertaken by the dewans themselves. This includes activities like setting up and maintaining industries like dams for irrigation like hydroelectric power plants on the Shivanasamudra Falls and the Jog Falls in 1902, Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant in 1923, Krishna Raja Sagara in 1924, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in 1940, Mysore Lamps, Mysore Chemical and Fertilisers Factory, Mysore Paper Mills, Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited, among others. Bangalore was the first city in India to get electric streetlights in 1905 under P. N. Krishnamurti.[9] The State Bank of Mysore was established in 1913 at M. Visvesvaraya's initiative.[10]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: The statesman's year-book : statistical and historical annual of the states of the world for the year 1957 . 1957 . Macmillan . S. H. Steinberg, Palgrave Connect . 978-0-230-27086-2 . 94th annual publication, rev. after official returns . London . 186 . 609408233.
  2. Dallapiccola . A. L. . July 1997 . Mysore royal Dasara. By Swami Sivapriyananda, photographs by Gajendra Singh Auwa pp. 160, 137 col. illus. New Delhi, Abhinav Publications, 1995. Rs 1800. . Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society . 7 . 2 . 306–307 . 10.1017/s1356186300009044 . 162104644 . 1356-1863. subscription .
  3. Book: Sivramkrishna, Sashi . The curse of Talakad : resituating and recontextualizing a legend in history . 2005 . Rupa & Co . 81-291-0836-4 . New Delhi . 42 . 63164586.
  4. Book: SARMAH, DIPAK . FORESTRY IN INDIA DURING BRITISH ERA: KARNATAKA CASE-STUDY . 2020-02-05 . Notion Press . 978-1-64783-681-8 . en . 4.
  5. Book: Bhargava, Moti Lal . History of Modern India . 1970 . Upper India Publishing House . 261 . en.
  6. Book: Rao, H S Gururaja . My Life, My Profession . 2014 . Lulu Publishing Services . 978-1-4834-1065-4 . S.l. . 1152239695.
  7. Book: Others, Muzaffar H. Syed & . History of Indian Nation : Medieval India . 2022-02-20 . K. K. Publications . 352 . en.
  8. Book: Office, Great Britain India . East India [Progress and Condition] Statement Exhibiting the Moral and Material Progress and Condition of India ]. 1913 . en.
  9. Book: Bengaluru, Bangalore, Bengaluru : imaginations and their times . 2010 . SAGE . Narendar Pani, Sindhu Radhakrishna, Kishor G. Bhat . 978-81-321-0543-5 . Los Angeles . 117 . 646068509.
  10. Book: Rao, V. S. Narayana . Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya: His Life and Work . 1973 . Geetha Book House . en.