Mysore, or MAISUR, a native state of Southern India, is surrounded entirely by districts of the Madras Presidency. The area is 24,700 sq. m. Pop. (1881) 4,186,188; (1891) 4,944,110. Mysore is an extensive tableland much broken by hill-ranges and deep ravines, and is divided into two portions, a little north of 13° N. lat., by the watershed between the Kistna and the Kaveri rivers. Numerous isolated rocks (drugs), rising to 4000 or 5000 feet, are a peculiarity of the country, and have been mostly converted into hill-fortresses. The rivers are used for irrigation purposes, but are not navigable. The climate of the higher districts is during a great portion of the year healthy and pleasant. The annual value of the exports, chiefly betel nut and leaves, coffee, ragi, gram, cotton, piece-goods, cardamoms, rice, silk, and sugar, is above £1,200,000. The imports, consisting mainly of piece-goods, cloth, wheat, silver, gold, cotton, rice, silk, betel-leaves, and pepper, are over £1,500,000. The ruinous misgovernment of the native prince led the British to assume the administration in 1831; but in 1881 Mysore was restored to the native dynasty. The famine years (1876-78) told with great severity on that state. Chief town, Mysore; but the British headquarters were at Bangalore. For the history of Mysore, see HYDER ALI, TIPPOO SAIB, and INDIA.
The capital of the state, MYSORE, is situated amid picturesque scenery on a declivity formed by two parallel ranges running north and south, 245 miles WSW. of Madras. A prosperous, well-built town, it has broad, regular streets, and substantial houses and public buildings. On the south side stands the fort, which encloses the rajah's palace; its chief object of interest is a magnificent chair or throne of fig-wood, overlaid with ivory and gold. Pop. (1881) 60,292; (1891) 74,048. The gold obtained by companies working at Kolar in the east of Mysore increased in 1877-90 from 15,500 ounces to 72,000 ounces per annum.