The Kingdom of Mysore (; 1399 – 1947 CE) was a kingdom in southern India founded in 1399 by Yaduraya in the region of the modern city of Mysore, in the Karnataka state. The Wodeyar dynasty, as the ruling family is known, ruled the southern Karnataka region until Indian independence in 1947, when the kingdom was merged with the Union of India. During the Kingdom's history, it went through various phases of administration, with increasing foreign influence from the eighteenth century.
Pre-colonial era administration
After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, King Raja Wodeyar gradually gained independence, eventually ousting the governor at Srirangapatna. The regional head of the diminished Empire now ruled from their new capital at Chandragiri (in modern Andhra Pradesh). During the rule of Narasaraja Wodeyar, the first gold coins were issued from Mysore. The position of the fledgling Mysore kingdom improved considerably during the rule of King Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar, who increased the value of the Treasury to 90,000,000 pagoda (a unit of currency). For his achievements, the king earned the title Navakotinarayana (literally nine-crore Narayana). Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar founded the Attara Kacheri, the central secretariat consisting of eighteen departments.
When Haider Ali became the Kingdom's de facto ruler in the later half of the eighteenth century, a large booty of gold coins usurped from the coffers of the Nizam of Golconda helped fund Mysore's expansionary policy. Haider Ali's military success was due to his fast moving French trained cavalry. The Kingdom was divided into 5 provinces (Asofis) of unequal size, comprising 171 Paraganas (taluk) in total. The Sira province comprised 5 Paraganas that contributed 200,000 varaha (a unit of currency) and the Srirangapatna province contained 102 Paraganas and contributed 1,70,0000 varaha.
When Tipu Sultan became the de facto ruler, the Kingdom, which encompassed 62,000 mi2 (160,000 km2), was divided into 37 Asofi and a total of 124 taluks (Amil). Each Asofi had a governor, or Asof, and one deputy Asof. The taluk was headed by an Amildar and a Patel was in charge of a group of villages. The central administration comprised six departments headed by ministers, each aided by an advisory council of up to four members; the military by Mir Miran, the revenue ministry by Mir Asaf, the navy by Mir Yem, the treasury, the commerce and the ordnance by Muluk-ut-Tufar. It has been noted that the policy of replacing Hindu governors with Muslim Asofs may have led to its revenue downfall. It is claimed that for a very brief period, the Kannada language was replaced by the Persian language in administration and accounting. The army consisted of infantry, cavalry, artillery and the navy. The navy had forty ships operating from Mangalore, Kundapura and Tadadi.
Direct British rule
Following Tipu's death in 1799, the kingdom came under direct British rule in 1831. Lushington, Briggs and Morrison, the early commissioners, were followed by Mark Cubbon and Lewin Bentham Bowring. Mark Cubbon took charge in 1834. He made Bangalore the capital and divided the princely state into 4 divisions, each under a British superintendent. The state was further divided into 120 taluks with 85 taluk courts, with all lower level administration in the Kannada language. The Amildar was in charge of a taluk to whom a Hoblidar, the caretaker of a Hobli comprising a few villages, reported. The office of the commissioner had eight departments; revenue, post, police, cavalry, public works, medical, the animal husbandry, judiciary and education. The judiciary was hierarchical with the commissioners' court at the apex, followed by the Huzur Adalat, four superintending courts and eight Sadar Munsiff courts at the lowest level. Mark Cubbon is credited with the construction of over one thousand miles of roads, hundreds of dams, coffee production and improvements in the tax and revenue systems.
Lewin Bowring became the chief commissioner in 1862 and held the position until 1870. Under Lewin Bowring, the state was divided into three divisions, each under a British commissioner. There were eight districts in all under these divisions, with each looked after by a deputy commissioner who was aided by the Amildars and Hoblidars. The property "Registration Act", the "Indian Penal code" and "Code of Criminal Procedure" came into effect and the judiciary was separated from the executive branch of the administration. Lewin Bowring expanded the education system with the formation of the Central Educational Agency, helping the kingdom modernize quickly. However, unlike Mark Cubbon, Lewin Bowring generally preferred to employ British officers.