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Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar
ಚಿಕ್ಕದೇವರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್
The builder of Mysore — the king who made it a great power
Years
1673 – 1704
Known as
Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar — the ruler of Mysore
Birthplace
Mysore, Karnataka
Field
Kings & Strategists
“A king's duty is to extend his kingdom and enrich his people — both are one work.”
— The spirit of Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar
The Story
Born in 1673, Chikkadevaraja ascended the throne of Mysore in 1672. He was a brilliant soldier and administrator who, in a reign of more than thirty years, extended his kingdom in every direction, taking the great forts and cities of the region and making Mysore the strongest power of the south of the Karnataka country.
His administration was a model of its age: he organised the revenue system, encouraged trade and agriculture, and built the state's resources with care. He was also a patron of learning — the author himself of works in Kannada — and his court was a centre of culture.
He built the fort and city of Srirangapatna, which his successors would make their capital, and laid the foundations on which the later greatness of Mysore was raised. He died in 1704, remembered as the builder-king who made Mysore a power of the south.
Core Ideas
The Expansion
He made Mysore the strongest power of the south.
The Administrator
He reformed revenue and encouraged trade.
The Author King
He wrote works in Kannada himself.
Srirangapatna
He built the future capital of Mysore.
The Builder
His foundations raised the later glory of the state.
Why it matters today
Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar is remembered as the builder of Mysore — the king who made the small state a great power and laid the foundations of its prosperity. His name is honoured in the history of the Wodeyar dynasty as the ruler who raised Mysore to greatness.