Dewan of Mysore
The dewan of Mysore was the de facto chief executive officer of the Government of Mysore, ex officio chairman of the Dewan's Council, and the prime minister and royal adviser to the maharaja of Mysore. The role evolved in title and duties since the foundation of the fiefdom of Mysore in 1350 and its proper reformation into a kingdom in the following centuries until the kingdom's full abolishment in 1950. With the constitution of India into a republic in 1950, the position was replaced by Chief Minister of Mysore.
From offering minor political advice to the monarch as amatya like in the Vijayanagara Empire to later acting as a major military chieftain as dalvoy like in other southern kingdoms to being the head of the government as dewan like in the Ottoman Empire, the role has transmuted in powers over time.
From being handpicked by the monarch to being elected through popular suffrage, the mode of appointment and appointer also changed.
Formation and abolishment
Dalvoy
Until the mid-18th century, the role of the monarch's adviser was known as dalvoy, also spelled as dalavay or dalvi, under the Wadiyars. The word dalvoy is a vernacular form of the Sanskrit word dalapati.Owing to the deposition of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar II by his own dalvoy Hyder Ali and his assumption as the supreme leader in 1761, until after Ali's son Tipu was briefly in that position, the role of dalvoy became abandoned.
Dewan
After Ali's death in 1782, Tipu assumed absolute over Mysore and officially created the office of the Dewan of Mysore when he made his longtime childhood friend and his father's aide K. Purnaiah his adviser and a military strategist. Tipu considerably de-recognised the maharajas and the role of dewan was gradually ever more codified into government. The role as dewan became so popular under Tipu that later on, Princely India created the role and the title in their governments, such as Dewan of Kashmir, Travancore, Hyderabad, Baroda, Indore, etc.After Tipu's death in 1799, British India installed Krishnaraja Wadiyar III as the maharaja. The Wadiyars continued appointing to the role of dewan after resumption of power, starting with Purnaiah himself being continued. Under the maharajas, it became one of the most venerable, esteemed, and celebrated leadership roles in princely India.
Chief minister
In 1950, after the accession of the Kingdom of Mysore into the Republic of India, all titles and positions ascribed to the kingdom were abolished, including that of the dewan. It was replaced by Chief Minister of Mysore State, now renamed Chief Minister of Karnataka.The role as dewan remained active in Mysore through one sultan and four maharajas. There have been a total of 24 dewans and two acting dewans. Most dewans during the latter years were civil servants in the Indian Imperial Service or Mysore Police Service.