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Mirza Ismail
ಮಿರ್ಜಾ ಇಸ್ಮಾಯಿಲ್
The great Dewan of Mysore — the architect of its modern glory
Years
1883 – 1959
Known as
Sir Mirza Ismail — the Dewan of Mysore, Jaipur, and Hyderabad
Birthplace
Bengaluru, Karnataka
Field
Kings & Strategists
“A state's greatness is measured not by its palaces but by the welfare of its people.”
— Mirza Ismail
The Story
Born in Bengaluru in 1883, Mirza Ismail was educated in the state and entered its service young. In 1926 the Maharaja of Mysore appointed him Dewan, and for fifteen years he governed the state with a vision that transformed it into the model of progressive princely rule.
Under his administration Mysore built the great industries — from steel to silk — established the state's electric power, developed irrigation and the Krishna Raja Sagara dam project, and promoted education on a vast scale, including the founding of institutions that made Mysore the most advanced of the princely states. He was the architect of its modern industrial glory.
After Mysore he served as Dewan of Jaipur and of Hyderabad, carrying his administrative genius to those states. He died in 1959, remembered as one of the greatest administrators Bhārat has produced — the man who showed how princely rule could serve the people.
Core Ideas
The Great Dewan
Fifteen years of transformative rule in Mysore.
Industry
He built the great industries of the state.
Irrigation and Power
He drove the state's great water and power projects.
Education
He made Mysore a model of learning.
The Model State
Mysore became the most advanced of the princely states.
Why it matters today
Mirza Ismail is honoured as one of the greatest administrators in the history of Bhārat — the Dewan who made Mysore the model state of the age. His industries, dams, and institutions still serve the people of Karnataka, and his name remains synonymous with good governance and visionary administration.