Kanthirava Narasaraja I

Kanthirava Narasaraja Wodeyar I (2 May 1615 – 31 July 1659) was the twelfth maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore from 1638 until his death in 1659.

Accession The previous ruler, Raja Wodeyar II, Kanthirava Narasaraja Wodeyar's cousin, was poisoned on the orders of his dalvoy (commander-in-chief), Vikramaraya, within a year of becoming the maharaja. The 23-year-old Kanthirava Narasaraja I, who had earlier been adopted by the widow of Raja Wodeyar I, became, in 1638, the new maharaja of Mysore. Before becoming the king of Mysore, he lived in Terakanambi near Gundalpet, Chamarajanagar District. In the fashion of the two wodeyars before him, he continued to expand the Mysore dominions. The Mysore mission was established in Srirangapatna in 1649 by Leonardo Cinnami, an Italian Jesuit from Goa.