Janaki Nair's Mysore Modern takes a novel approach in examining the recreation of the kingdom of Mysore during the period of princely rule by examining the development of visual and spatial aesthetics and legal reforms through which the Wodeyar dynasty distinguished their royal heritage from the legacy of Tipu Sultan and legitimated their royal authority through “exhibitionary display.” Through her analysis, the “enlightened modernity” of Mysore is shown as deliberate construction from the underlying currents of political anxiety that shrouded the Wodeyar lineage following their “reestablishment” on the throne of Mysore.
Mysore Modern can be divided into two primary parts. The first (chapters 1 through 5) examines the transition from the Muslim rule of Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan to the establishment of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III as king of Mysore in 1799 and the subsequent “museumization” of the city of Mysore. In this section, the former capital of Srirangapatna, the...
