From 1902 to 1940, when King Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was reigning Mysore, the establishment of versatile institutions brought the state into the progressive limelight. His revolutionary decisions were iconic in representing Mysore as a well-administrated state in India.

Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was born in 1884, 4th June, at the Mysore Palace. In the Lokaranjan Palace, P. Raghavendra supervised his early education. He acquired in-depth knowledge of classical music, Sanskrit & western subjects. He also learned horse riding at a young age.

Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was declared the king of Mysore after his father died in 1895 at 11 years of age. So, his mother played the role of regent of the Mysore dynasty until 1902; on 8th February, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV received the royal responsibility of Mysore.

In the reign of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, structures for all religions were built without any religious turmoil. For his peaceful administrative arrangements, Gandhiji pronounced him ‘Rajarishi.’His nobility for the ordinary people of his state is compared with Ashoka.

Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was one of the greatest emperors who was a responsible social reformer. He did his best to wipe away the untouchability superstitions and banned child marriage. He executed reservation rules so the backward classes could join government jobs.

In the educational development sector, the contributions of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV are reflected in the progressiveness of today’s silicon valley. He funded Mysore Sanskrit College. To establish the Science institution, he handed over 10 acres of land to Sir CV Raman.

In the reign of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, Mysore had developed as not only the first Indian state but also as the first Asian state to establish a Hydroelectric Power station. Moreover, as the first Asian state, Mysore introduced streetlights in 1905, on 5th August.

In Mysore, Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV allowed women to give their vote. This social revolution introduced Mysore as an Asian state where women got one of their fundamental right long before America.

As one of the best examples of social progress, Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV declared primary education compulsory for every Mysore citizen. As a result, beyond the trap of caste discrimination, Dalit children received the boons of education in his reign.

In the educational sector, Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV's generous contributions turned Mysore into one of the most progressive Indian cities. In 1913, he established Bangalore Agricultural University. In 1917, he founded Visvesvaraya College of Engineering and Maharani's College for girls.

Krishna Deva Raya was also a prolific poet and writer, and his literary works are still revered today.

His legacy has had a lasting impact on Indian history and culture, and his reign is considered a time of peace, prosperity, and cultural growth in the Vijayanagara Empire.

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