Sir Maddur Kantharaj Urs (20 September 1870 – 3 October 1923) was an Indian royal, civil servant, and administrator who served as the 20th
Diwan of Mysore
The diwan of Mysore, also spelled dewan of Mysore, synonymously the prime minister of Mysore, was the ''de-facto'' chief executive officer of the government of the Kingdom of Mysore and the prime minister and royal adviser to the Maharaja of My ...
from 1918 to 1922.
Obituary. (1923). The Near East, XXIV(634), 380–380.
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Early life and education
Kantharaj Urs was born on 20 September 1870 to Narasaraja Urs and Kempananjammanni, the Maddur Urs branch of the Kalale Wadiyar dynasty
The Wadiyar dynasty (formerly spelt Wodeyer or Odeyer, also referred to as the Wadiyars of Mysore), is a late-medieval/ early-modern South Indian Hindu royal family of former kings of Mysore from the Urs clan originally based in Mysore city. ...
. His older sister was Maharani Kempananjammanni Devi.
He studied at Madras Christian College
Madras Christian College (MCC) is a liberal arts and sciences college in Chennai, India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. The college is affiliated to the University of Madras but functions as an autonomous institu ...
from 1892 to 1893 and graduated with distinction. He was the first member of the Ursu community to attain this distinction.
Career
In 1894, Kantharaj Urs was appointed Probationary Assistant Commissioner (Schedule II) in the Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
civil service. After the untimely death of his brother-in-law Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar X in December 1894, his sister became the Queen Regent of Mysore in 1895. She appointed him her Special Assistant and Private Secretary from 1895 to 1899.
In 1928, Urs succeeded Sir M. Vishveshwaraya as the Diwan of Mysore
The diwan of Mysore, also spelled dewan of Mysore, synonymously the prime minister of Mysore, was the ''de-facto'' chief executive officer of the government of the Kingdom of Mysore and the prime minister and royal adviser to the Maharaja of My ...
to his nephew Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV.
Personal life
Kantharaj Urs married his niece Princess Jayalakshami Amanni, the eldest daughter of his sister Maharani Kempananjammani Devi. They had one daughter, Rajakumari Lelavathi. Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion at Mysore, now part of the University of Mysore
The University of Mysore is a public state university in Mysore, Karnataka, India. The university was founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. The university is recognised by the University Grants Commission ...
, was their residence.
He died on 3 October 1923.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Urs, M. Kantaraj
CSI
1870 births
1923 deaths
Madras Christian College alumni
Diwans of Mysore
Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire
Indian knights
People from British India