Latest news with #MaharajaKrishnarajaWadiyarIV
India.com
07-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Meet Indian king who sold his jewels to 'light up every home', his name was..., he was king of...
New Delhi: India's history is studded with the stories and legends of queens and kings who made a mark for themselves in their own unique ways. They either introduced reforms in the society or stopped some bad practices. Overall, their focus was on public welfare and service to their subjects. One such king was Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV of Mysore, the twenty-fourth Maharaja of Mysore, who reigned from 1902 until his death in 1940. His might not be a popular name, but his acts of kindness, empathetic nature, and desire to serve his citizens speak a lot about his towering personality. He was a king who touched the lives of people and always strived to make them better. About Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was born on June 4, 1884, in the grand Mysore Palace. He was just 11 years old when he became king in 1895. His mother, Kempananjammanni Devi, was the Maharani of Mysore and later queen mother and regent of the Kingdom of Mysore until her son took full charge at the age of 18 years in 1902. Wadiyar IV was very different from many kings. He received both Western and Indian education and wasn't interested in living a luxurious life. He could speak English, Kannada, and Sanskrit, and was a patron of arts who earned praise from Lord Curzon, then Governor-General of India. Lord Curzon was very impressed by his vision. Mysore witnessed exceptional overall progress Under Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the Mysore kingdom witnessed a revolutionary transformation for better, and it became one of the most progressive states in the world. He created ample opportunities for his people and advocated equality as he banned untouchability and stopped child marriages for girls under eight years. He granted scholarship to widowed women, and he donated Rs 60 lakh every year from his personal wealth to help disabled children. Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV established the Mysore Social Progress Association in 1915 and launched one of the earliest reservation policies. After an official calculation of the condition of backward classes in 1918, he reserved 25% of government jobs for non-Brahmins. It was a very bold and courageous step at that time. A champion of modern technology and education He had an amazing foresight, and he delved on creative and practical ideas and schemes as was observed by Lord Curzon, then Governor-General of India. You will be amazed to know that Under Wadiyar IV, Mysore became a pioneer in technology and in 1905, Bangalore became the first city in Asia to be fully electrified using hydroelectric power. This earned him the moniker 'Krishnaraja Bhoopa, Mane Mane Deepa', which means 'the king who lit up every home'. He worked extensively in the field of education. Primary education became compulsory by 1915 and within 12 years, i.e. by 1927, the state's education budget sprung from Rs 6.9 lakh to Rs 46.8 lakh, helping more than 5 lakh students across 8,000 schools. He wanted the future generations to be educated irrespective of their social and economic status. He helped in setting up Mysore Sanskrit College for which he gave 10 acres of land to Sir CV Raman for his research institute and donated 400 acres to Jamsetji Tata for what would later become the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru. A talented musician, artist, and poet Mahatma Gandhi once called Wadiyar IV a 'Rajarshi', meaning a 'saintly king'. He was a talented musician as he could play instruments like the violin, veena, saxophone, and mridangam. He was a patron of art and artists of his time such as Gauhar Jan and Abdul Karim Khan. He promoted yoga legend T. Krishnamacharya and helped him in taking yoga to the global stage. He wrote poetry in Kannada which shows how much profoundly he was proud and connected to his people and culture. A generous king He passed away in 1940. That time, his net worth was estimated at Rs 57,901 crore (adjusted for today's value). But he was a king who always put his people at the forefront and did everything possible for their welfare. The Krishna Raja Sagar Dam is one such powerful example which was built by the funds provided by him. When money ran out, he sold his own personal jewels in Mumbai to make sure the dam was completed. The dam is a gift to the people that still serves millions today.
India.com
02-07-2025
- General
- India.com
This Indian king was once the richest, had net worth of Rs 57901000000; was a modern reformer, name is..., not Hyderabad Nizam
Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (File) There have been scores of uber-wealthy kings and queens in India's recent past who became famous across the globe because of their massive fortune, lavish lifestyles, opulent palaces filled to the brim with gold, diamonds and other rare jewels, and their fleet of Rolls-Royce cars. However, one name is often forgotten when looking at erstwhile Indian royalty, Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, an Indian ruler who was once the among the richest individuals on the planet, but is overlooked perhaps because unlike his peers, he used his wealth for social reforms instead of living an opulent lifestyle. Who was Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV? Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the son of Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar X and Maharani Vani Vilas Sannidhana, was born on June 4, 1884, in the grand Mysore Palace, and ascended the royal throne at the tender age of 11 after the sudden demise of his father. His mother acted as the Queen Regent till Krishnaraja turned 18 in 1902. Growing up, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV had an interesting education which had a mix of Western and Indian influences, covering English, Kannada, Sanskrit, and fine arts. His multicultural and reformist outlook shone through at an early age, with Lord Curzon, the then Governor-General of India predicting that Mysore would likely witness a golden age, with great strides in development under the young king's leadership, a prophecy which would later come true. How Wadiyar IV developed Mysore and worked for social upliftment? After taking the reins of the Mysore empire, Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV began transforming transforming society and the upliftment of downtrodden classes. The young king banned age-old practices like untouchability and child marriage for girls under the age of 8. He also introduced scholarships for widows and allocated Rs 60 lakh annually, a huge sum at the time, from his personal coffers, to support disabled children. In 1915, Wadiyar IV established the Mysore Social Progress Association for the upliftment of underprivileged classes, and in 1918, invited Sir Lesley Miller to assess the conditions of backward classes, leading to a 25% reservation in government jobs for non-Brahmins, a policy which is was way ahead of its time. Beyond social reforms, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV also worked for developing Mysore as a technological powerhouse, and soon the princely state became the first in Asia to generate hydroelectric power. The reformer king's efforts bore fruit when Bangalore (now Bengaluru) became the first full electrified city in Asia, earning him the moniker 'Krishnaraja Bhoopa, Mane Mane Deepa (the king who lit up every home). What reforms did Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV introduce to promote education? Additionally, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was a forward-thinking ruler who realized the value of good education and introduced several reforms, like making primary education compulsory to promote knowledge and learning. Under his rule, the education budget of Mysore had increased from Rs 6.9 lakh to Rs 46.8 lakh, with over 515,000 students enrolled in 8,000 schools in the princely state. Wadiyar also founded institutions that thrive to this day, including Mysore Sanskrit College, and also gifted 10 acres of land to Nobel Laureate Sir CV Raman for his research institute. He also donated 400 acres near Malleshwaram to industrialist Jamsetji Tata for establishing what is now known as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV net worth Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was once among the richest men in the world, boasting a net worth of $400 million, which is equivalent to around $7 billion (about Rs 57901 crore), when adjusted for inflation, according to reports. Notably, in 1937, TIME magazine had crowned the Osman Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad as the wealthiest on the planet with an estimated net worth of $236 billion (Rs 19 lakh crore)
