M. Kantharaj Urs

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 from 1918 to 1922.^[1]

Rajasevadhurina Sardar Sir M Kantharaj Urs CSI KCIE
20th Diwan of the Mysore kingdom
In office 1918–1922
Monarch	Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV
Preceded by	Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya
Succeeded by	A. R. Banerjee
Personal details
Born	Maddur Kanthraj Urs (1870-09-20)20 September 1870
Died	3 October 1923(1923-10-03) (aged 53) Bangalore
Alma mater	Madras Christian College
Profession	Civil servant

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. His older sister was Maharani Kempananjammanni Devi.

He studied at Madras Christian College 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 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 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, was their residence.

He died on 3 October 1923.

References

1. Obituary. (1923). The Near East, XXIV(634), 380–380.

• Mysore Gazetteer. p. 3143.
• Speeches of Sirdar Sir M. Kantharaj Urs Vol-1 by Sirdar K. Basavaraj Urs M.A., LL.B. p. 362.