| Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, portrait by K. Keshavayya (c. 1906) | |||||
| 24th Maharaja of Mysore | |||||
| Reign | 1902 – 3 August 1940 | ||||
| Coronation | 1 February 1895, Mysore Palace | ||||
| Predecessor | Chamarajendra Wadiyar X | ||||
| Successor | Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar | ||||
| Born | 4 June 1884 Mysore Palace, Mysore, Kingdom of Mysore (present-day Karnataka, India) | ||||
| Died | 3 August 1940 (aged 56) Bangalore Palace, Bangalore, Kingdom of Mysore (present-day Karnataka, India) | ||||
| Spouse | Soubhagyavati Maharani Lakshmivilas Sannidhana Sri Pratapa Kumaribai Devi Ammani Avaru | ||||
| |||||
| House | Wadiyar dynasty | ||||
| Father | Chamarajendra Wadiyar X | ||||
| Mother | Kempananjammani Devi | ||||
| Religion | Hinduism | ||||
Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (4 June 1884 – 3 August 1940) was the twenty-fourth Maharaja of Mysore, reigning from 1902 until his death in 1940.
Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV is popularly deemed a rajarshi, or 'saintly king', a moniker with which Mahatma Gandhi revered the king in 1925 for his administrative reforms and achievements.[1][2] He was a philosopher king, seen by Paul Brunton as living the ideal expressed in Plato's Republic.[3] Herbert Samuel compared him to Emperor Ashoka. Acknowledging the maharaja's noble and efficient kingship, John Sankey declared in 1930 at the first Round Table Conference in London, "Mysore is the best administered state in the world".[4][5] He is often regarded as the "father of modern Mysore" and his reign the "golden age of Mysore".[6] Madan Mohan Malaviya described the maharaja as "dharmic" (virtuous in conduct). John Gunther, the American author, heaped praise on the king. In an obituary, The Times called him "a ruling prince second to none in esteem and affection inspired by both his impressive administration and his attractive personality".[7]
At the time of his death, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was one of the world's wealthiest men, with a personal fortune estimated in 1940 to be worth US$400 million, equivalent to $7 billion in 2018 prices.[8]
- ^ "The Rajarshi of Mysore". Bangalore Mirror. 6 June 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ Puttaswamaiah, K., 1980. Economic development of Karnataka. A treatise in continuity and change. New Delhi: Oxford & IBH, p. 3
- ^ "Notebooks of Paul Brunton, Category 15: The Orient", Chapter 2, p.453
- ^ Author (26 September 2018). "Protect heritage Krishnaraja Boulevard with iron grills". Star of Mysore. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Mysore State – Connect with IISc". Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "[Group portrait of] the Maharaja [of Mysore] & his brothers and sisters". British Library. Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
- ^ "Times' Tribute To Mysore Ruler". Morning Tribune. 6 August 1940. p. 2. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ Current Biography 1940, p833