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CHANAKYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, PATNA

HISTORY 

Project on:-

 Mysore war  

Submitted To: Ms. Priyadarshini(Faculty for History)

Submitted By:Vagisha Pragya Vacaknavi

Roll No. 374 

Semester II, 1st Year.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

The present project on the   Mysore War has been able to get its final shape with thesupport and help of people from various quarters. My sincere thanks go to all the

members without whom the study could not have come to its present state. I am proud

to acknowledge gratitude to the individuals during my study and without whom the

study may not be completed. I have taken this opportunity to thank those who

genuinely helped me.

With immense pleasure, I express my deepest sense of gratitude to Ms. Priyadarshini,

Faculty for History, Chanakya National Law University for helping me in my project.

I am also thankful to the whole Chanakya National Law University family that

provided me all the material I required for the project. I would also like to thank my

parents without whose blessings the completion of this project was not possible.

I have made every effort to acknowledge credits, but I apologies in advance for any

omission that may have inadvertently taken place.

Last but not least I would like to thank Almighty whose blessing helped me to

complete the project.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 

Method of ResearchThe researcher has adopted a purely doctrinal method of research. The researcher has

made extensive use of the library at the Chanakya National Law University and also

the internet sources.

Aims and Objectives:

The aim of the project is to present a detailed study of the “ Mysore War ”.

Scope and Limitations:

The project deals with the history and causes of the famous Mysore War and all the

details regarding the war.

Sources of Data:

The following secondary sources of data have been used in the project-

1.  Books

2.  Websites

Method of Writing:

The method of writing followed in the course of this research paper is

primarily analytical.

Mode of Citation:

The researcher has followed a uniform mode of citation throughout the course of this

research paper. 

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CONTENTS

  Introduction 5-8

  The 1st

Mysore War 9-10

 The 2

nd

Mysore War 11-14

  The 3rd

Mysore War 15-16

  The 4

th

Mysore War 17-18

  Contributions of Tipu Sultan and Haider Ali 19-23

  Critical Analysis 24-25

  Bibliography 26

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INTRODUCTION

The Kingdom of   Mysore (1399 – 1947 AD) was a kingdom of Southern India,

traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city

of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as

a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire. With the decline of the Vijayanagara

Empire (circa 1565), the kingdom became independent. The 17th century saw a

steady expansion of its territory and, under Narasaraja Wodeyar I and Chikka

Devaraja Wodeyar, the kingdom annexed large expanses of what is now southern

Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu to become a powerful state in the

southern Deccan1.

The kingdom reached the height of its military power and dominion in the latter half 

of the 18th century under Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan, who deposed the

Wodeyars to take control of the kingdom. During this time, it came into conflict with

the Marathas, the British and the Nizam of Golconda which culminated in the four

Anglo-Mysore wars. Success in the first two Anglo-Mysore wars was followed by

defeat in the third and fourth. Following Tipu's death in the fourth war of 1799, large

parts of the kingdom were annexed by British which signaled the end of a period of 

Mysorean hegemony over southern Deccan. The British, however, restored the

Wodeyars to the throne by way of a subsidiary alliance and a diminished Mysore wasnow transformed into a Princely state. The Wodeyars continued to rule the state

until Indian independence in 1947, when Mysore acceded to the Union of India.

The State of Mysore rose to prominence in the policies of South India under the

leadership of Haider Ali. Haider Ali was born at Budikot in the state of Mysore in

1721. His father entered into the military service of the hindu ruler of Mysore,

received the rank of Faujdar and the jagir of Budikot. He died in 1728 when Haider

Ali was only seven years of age. His family suffered very much till Haider Ali gota job in the army. At that time, the king was Krishna Raj but the de  facto power of the

state was in the hands of his minister, Nanj Raj. The Karnataka wars helped in the rise

of Haider Ali. When Nasir Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad, was murdered, a part of his

treasure, per chance, fell into the hands of Haider Ali. He increased the number of his

soldiers and trained them on the model of the French army. He gradually received

higher ranks and accompanied Nanj Raj to attack Trichinopoly. There he, per chance,

could capture a few cannons of the British. In 1755, he was appointed the Faujdar of 

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Mysore last visited on 13.4.2010

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Dindigul. During the next five years, he enhanced his power and prestige at the court

enormously and, finally, succeeded in capturing power of the state from the hands of 

Nanj Raj. In 1761, he became the de  facto ruler of Mysore though the Hindu ruler

remained as the nominal sovereign who was simply shown to his subjects once a year.The wars of successions in Karnataka and Hyderabad, the conflict of the English and

the French in the South and the defeat of the Marathas in the third battle of Panipat

provided him opportunity for extending and consolidating the territory of Mysore. He

gradually conquered the neighbouring territories like Bednur and Kanara and forced

the chiefs of the important forts like those of Ballapur, Raidurg, Chittaldurg to accept

his suzerainty. Thus, Haider Ali succeeded in making Mysore a string state in the

South and himself becoming its master. It certainly provoked the jealousy of the

Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad. He was defeated by Peshwas Madhav Rao in

1764, forced to sign a treaty in 1765, surrendered him a part of his territory and also

agreed to pay rupees twenty eight lakhs per annum. The Nizam, however, did not act

alone but preferred to act in league with the English which resulted in the First Anglo

Mysore war2.

Even as a princely state, Mysore came to be counted among the more modern and

urbanized regions of India. This period (1799 – 1947) also saw Mysore emerge as one

of the important centers of art and culture in India. The Mysore kings were not only

accomplished exponents of the fine arts and men of letters, they were enthusiastic

patrons as well and their legacies continue to influence music and art even today.

The Mysore Wars, fought between 1767 and 1799 were the first and gravest threats to

British dominions, after they had established their supremacy in India during the

Carnatic Wars. It was war between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India

Company. There were several reasons why they were especially difficult and

dangerous for Britain. First, Hyder Ali and his son Tippoo Sultan were exceedingly

determined and energetic in their opposition to Britain. Other native armies that

Britain faced were often poorly generalled and poorly equipped, but such was not the

case in the Mysore Wars. Hyder Ali and his son were long time allies of the French,

employed foreign officers in his armies, and were sophisticated in the used of 

European weapons. They were clever diplomats as well as generals, and turned

several of Britain's allies against her.

2 Page 69, History of Modern India by L.P. Sharma

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Second, the East India Company did not have effective leadership for many years

from the time Clive left India to the arrival of Warren Hastings in 1773, and the

Madras presidency, which was responsible for the wars, was poorly administered. The

Company had experience in extracting revenue, and in fighting battles, but did nothave an over-arching vision to guide their policies, and was not equipped to deal with

the demands of properly governing the territories which they had acquired. In short,

the Company was poorly administered during this period, and its activities were

highly controversial even at the time. It was in fact, only during the Mysore wars, that

British fully realized that maintaining the status quo was not an option, and they

would either have to fight for their empire in India, and govern it properly, or lose it

altogether.

Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan remain controversial figures. They bravely and

competently resisted British rule, yet at the same time they were brutal tyrants who

held human life in low regard. They burned villages, terrorized the natives, forced

many of their subjects to relocate or convert to Islam, and ruled mainly by ruthless

coercion. They had courage and resolve, but unlike other Indian rulers, such as Akbar,

they had not the magnanimity required of truly great leaders.

The Anglo-Mysore Wars were a series of wars fought in India over the last three

decades of the 18th century between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East

India Company, represented chiefly by the Madras Presidency. The fourth war

resulted in the overthrow of the house of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan (who was killed

in the final war, in 1799), and the dismantlement of Mysore to the benefit of its pro-

British allies.

The First Anglo-Mysore War saw Hyder Ali inflicting crushing defeats on the

combined armies of the Marathas, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the British. The

Kingdom of Mysore gained large tracts of land to the north after this war.

The Second Anglo-Mysore War saw the rise of Tipu Sultan as a powerful military

leader. Soldiers from Mysore decimated British armies in the east, repelled a joint

Maratha-Hyderabad invasion from the north and captured territories in the south. The

war was ended in 1784 with the Treaty of Mangalore, at which both sides agreed to

restore the others' lands to the status quo ante bellum.

In the Third Anglo-Mysore War, Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore and an ally of 

France, invaded the nearby state of Travancore in 1789, which was a British ally. The

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resultant war lasted three years and resulted in a resounding defeat for Mysore. The

war ended after the 1792 siege of  Seringapatam and the signing of the Treaty of 

Seringapatnam according to which Tipu had to surrender half of his kingdom to the

East India Company.The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War saw the defeat of the kingdom of Mysore. Mysore's

alliance with the French was seen as a threat to the East India Company and Mysore

was attacked from all four sides. Tipu's troops were outnumbered 4:1 in this war.

Mysore had only 35,000 soldiers, whereas the British commanded 60,000 troops. The

Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas launched an invasion from the North. The

British won a decisive victory at the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799. Tipu was killed

during the defence of the city. Much of Tipu Sultan's territory was annexed by the

British, the Nizam and the Marathas. The core of it, around Mysore and

Seringapatam, was handed over to the Indian prince belonging to the Wodeyar

dynasty, whose forefathers had been overthrown by Hyder Ali, and whose

descendants ruled the Kingdom of Mysore until 1947 when it joined the Union of 

India.

The Battles of Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764) which established British dominion

over East India, the Anglo-Mysore wars (1766-1799) and the Anglo-Maratha Wars

(1775-1818) consolidated the British claim over South Asia, resulting in the British

Empire in India, though pockets of resistance among the Sikhs, Afghans and Burmese

would last well into the 1880s3.

3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Mysore_Wars"

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 The 1 st 

Mysore War 

The First Anglo-Mysore War (1766-1769) was a war in India between the Kingdom

of Mysore and the British East India Company. 

Hyder Ali, ruler of Mysore, had begun to occupy the serious attention of the British

government in Calcutta. In 1766 the British entered into an agreement with the Nizam

of Hyderbad to equip him with troops to be used against the common threat.

Shortly after this alliance been formed when a secret arrangement was made between

the two Indian powers, and Colonel Smith's small force was met with a united army

of 50 000 men and 100 guns. Superior British training and military discipline,

however, prevailed, first in the battle of Chengam (September 3, 1767), and again still

more remarkably in that of Tiruvannamalai (Trinornalai).

Following the loss of his recently built fleet and forts on the western coast, Hyder Ali

now offered overtures for peace; on the rejection of these, bringing all his resources

and strategy into play, he forced Colonel Smith to raise the siege of  Bangalore, and

brought his army within 5 miles of Madras.

The result was the treaty of April 1769, providing for the mutual restitution of all

conquests, and for mutual aid and alliance in defensive war.

This war was followed by the Mysore-Maratha war from 1769 to 1772 which saw

Mysore cede some territory to the Marathas. The British did not assist Mysore in this

war, in what Hyder Ali considered a violation of the agreement between himself and

the British. He blamed Mysore's losses on the British and his grievances played some

role in the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Mysore War. 

In 1765, the Nizam of Hyderabad sought the help of the English in Madras against

Haider Ali which was agreed to in return for the surrender of Northern Sarkars to

them. The Marathas also joined this alliance in 1766.

The war started when the Marathas attacked Mysore in 1766. Haider Ali purchased

peace with the Marathas on payment of rupees thirty five lakhs to them. Half of the

amount was paid immediately and for the rest, the district of Kolar was handed over

to them as security. The Marathas, then, returned. Next, the Nizam attacked Mysore

with the help of an English force under Joseph Smith. But the attack did not quite

succeed. In September 1767, the Nizam left the side of the English and joined hands

with Haider Ali. Smith could not face their combined forces and retreated toTrichinopoly where Colonel Wood joined him. The Nizam and Haider Ali failed to

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gain any success in the battle near Trichinopoly and, in December 1767, Haider Ali

was defeated at another place. The English planned to attack Hyderabad which broke

up spirits of the Nizam. He left the side of Haider Ali and entered into a treaty with

the English in March 1768 on the following terms:(a)  The Nizam agreed to the terms of the previous treaty signed with the English.

(b)  The Nizam regarded Haider Ali as an usurper and refused to acknowledge his

right to rule Mysore.

(c)  The Nizam granted the right of  Diwani of Mysore to the English.

(d)  The Nizam agreed to help the English and the Nawab of Karnataka to punish

Haider Ali.

This treaty made the English and Haider Ali permanent enemies of each other because

of the grant of  Diwani of Mysore to the English by the Nizam once it was conquered.

The treaty also left Haider Ali without any ally. He, however, did not lose courage.

He defeated an English force sent by the English from Bombay and captured

Manglore. In March 1769, he attacked Madras and forced the English to sign a treaty

on 4 April 1769. Its terms were as follows:-

(a)  Both the parties returned the conquered territories of each other.

(b)  Haider Ali gave the district of Karur to the Nawab of Karnataka.

(c)  Both parties promised to help each other in case of any foreign attack on them.

Thus, ended the first Anglo-Mysore War. But, it was no peace between the two for

maintaining friendly relations with each other but a temporary truce between two

enemies.

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 The 2 nd

Mysore War 

The Second Anglo-Mysore War  (1780-1784) was a conflict in India between the

Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Mysore. At the time, Mysore was a

key French ally in India, and the Franco-British conflict raging on account of the

American Revolutionary War helped spark Anglo-Mysorean hostilities in India.

Haidar Ali was ruler of Mysore (though he did not have the title of king). Stung by a

British breach of faith during an earlier war against the Marathas, Haidar Ali

committed himself wholeheartedly to the French alliance and to revenge against the

British. On the French declaration of war against Britain in 1778, the British (then

firmly entrenched in Madras) resolved to drive the French out of India. The British

captured Mahé on the Malabar coast in 1779, and annexed certain lands belonging to

a dependent of Haidar's4. Haidar 'Ali sprung at the opportunity to strike back, and

succeeded in making himself master of all that the Marathas had taken from him.

With an empire extended to the Krishna River, he descended through the passes of the

Ghats amid burning villages, reaching Conjeeveram, only 45 miles (72 km) from

Madras, unopposed. Not till the smoke was seen from St Thomas' Mount, where Sir

Hector Munro commanded some 5200 troops, was any movement made; then,

however, the British general sought to effect a junction with a smaller body under

Colonel Baillie recalled from Guntur. The incapacity of these officers,

notwithstanding the splendid courage of their men, resulted in the total destruction of 

Baillie's force of 2800 (September 10, 1780)5.

A great victory Tipu Sultan, the eldest son of Hyder Ali, had taken great interest in

the Mysore-Maratha war of 1769-72. After the death of Peshwa Madhava Rao in

1772, he was sent to the northern part of Mysore to recover the territories which the

Marathas had occupied. By the time of Second Mysore war he had gained great

experience both of warfare and diplomacy. In September 1780 he inflicted crushing

defeat on Colonel Baillie near Polilur. This was the first and the most serious blow the

British had suffered in India. The whole detachment was either cut or taken prisoners.

Of the 86 European officers 36 were killed, and 3820 were taken prisoners of whom

508 were Europeans. The British had lost the flower of their army. Baillie himself was

4

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taken prisoner. This defeat caused so much consternation in Madras that half of its

Black Town was deserted. Sir Hector Munnro, the hero of Buxar, who had defeated

three rulers of India (Mughal Emperor Shah Alam, Oudh Nawab Shuja-ud-daula and

the Bengal Nawab Mir Qasim) in a single battle, would not face Tipu. He ran for hislife to Madras throwing all his cannons in the tank of Conjeevaram. Tipu inflicted a

serious defeat on Colonel Braithwaite at Annagudi near Tanjore on 18 Feb 1782. This

army consisted of 100 Europeans 300 cavalry, 1400 sepoys and 10 field pieces. Tipu

seized all the guns and took the entire detachment prisoners. The total force, of a few

hundred Europeans, was the standard size of the colonial armies that had caused

havoc in India before Haider and Tipu. In December 1781 Tipu had successfully

seized Chittur from British hands. Thus Tipu had gained sufficient military experience

by the time Haider died in December 17826. The humbling of the British The

Second Mysore war came to an end by the Treaty of Mangalore. It is an important

document in the history of India. It was the last occasion when an Indian power

dictated terms to the British, who were made to play the role of humble supplicants

for peace. Warren Hastings called it a humiliating pacification, and appealed to the

king and Parliament to punish the Madras Government for "the faith and honor of the

British nation have been equally violated." The British would not reconcile to this

humiliation, and worked hard from that day, March 11, 1784, to subvert Tipu's power.

The Treaty redounds great credit to the diplomatic skill of Tipu. He had honorably

concluded a long-drawn war. He frustrated the Maratha designs to seize his northern

possession. The great advantage was the psychological impact of his victory with the

British, the mode of conclusion was highly satisfactory to him. The march of the

Commissioner all the way from Madras to Mangalore seeking peace made Munnro

remark that such indignities were throughout poured upon the British" that limited

efforts seemed necessary to repudiate the Treaty at the earliest time." Such public

opinion in the country highly gratified Tipu who felt it was his great triumph over the

British. That was the only bright spot in his contest with the British, the only proud

event which had humbled a mighty power. Warren Hastings sent from Bengal Sir

Eyre Coote, who, though repulsed at Chidambaram, defeated Haidar three times in

succession in the battles of  Porto Novo, Pollilur and Sholingarh, while Tipu was

forced to raise the siege of Wandiwash, and Vellore was provisioned. Tipu defeated

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Brathwaite on the banks of the Coleroon in February 1782. On the arrival of Lord

Macartney as governor of Madras, the British fleet captured Negapatam, and forced

Hyder Ali to confess that he could never ruin a power which had command of the sea.

He had sent his son Tipu to the west coast, to seek the assistance of the French fleet,when his death took place suddenly at Chittur in December 1782. The young Tipu

Sultan therefore took over the war effort. The British captured Coimbatore in 1783, 

but neither they nor Mysore were able to obtain a clear overall victory. The war was

ended in 1784 with the Treaty of Mangalore, at which both sides agreed to restore

the others' lands to the status quo ante bellum. This was the second of four Anglo-

Mysore Wars7.

It had happened that the English alienated both the Nizam of Hyderabad and Haider

Ali by their acts. They did not pay the annual amount of rupees seven lakhs to the

Nizam of Hyderabad which they had agreed to pay him by the treaty of 1768. They

helped the Nawab of Karnataka in capturing Tanjore. They also took over the district

of Guntur from Basalat Jung who was a relative of the Nizam. The Nizam, therefore,

felt offended. Haider Ali also did not like the occupation of Guntur by the English.

The English had also failed to help him against the Marathas in 1771 for which they

were obliged by the treaty with him in 1769. In 1779, the English captured the French

possessions at Mahe which were under the protection of Haider Ali. This infuriated

Haider Ali and he decided to take revenge on the English. The English had also

interfered in the affairs of the Marathas and the first Maratha War had already started.

Therefore, Haider Ali made a common cause with the Nizam and the Marathas and all

the three agreed to fight against the English. It was agreed that the Marathas would

attack the English possessions in the North through Berar and Madhya Bharat, the

Nizam would attack the Northern Sarkar and Haider Ali would attack Madras and its

neighbouring territories.

In July 1780, Haider Ali entered the plain of Karnataka with 83,000 soldiers and one

hundred cannons. The English despatched one force under Colonel Baillie and

another one under Sir Hector Munro to oppose him. Tipu, the son of Haider Ali,

advanced to check the combination of the two armies. He fought a battle against

Baillie near Kanjeevaram. Baillie and his entire force was cut down to pieces. Munro

who was waiting for Baillie at Kanjeevaram was so demoralised that he immediately

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retreated to Madras. By December 1780, Haider Ali captured Arcot and put the

English in a most difficult position. The English lost all their possessions in Karnataka

except the sea-coast.

Warren Hastings, the governor general of the company, however did not lose heart.He moved diplomatically and attempted to win favour of the Nizam and the Marathas.

He handed over the district of Guntur to the Nizam who left the side of Haider Ali.In

the same way, the Bhonsle and the Sindhia were tackled diplomatically and both

agreed to leave the cause of Haider Ali. Haider Ali was, thus, left alone to fight

against the English.

In 1781, Sir Eyre Coote defeated Haider Ali at Porto Novo and Tipu was obliged to

raise the siege of Wandiwash. Another force from Bengal under the command of 

Colonel Pearse also joined Eyre Coote and their combined force fought an indecisive

battle against Haider Ali at Polilur. However, in September 1781, Eyre Coote

defeated Haider Ali at Solinghur and the English captured Negapatam in November.

But, in the next round, the English faced defeat. Tipu besieged Tanjore and captured

it. In 1782, the French Admiral, Suffrein reached Madras to support Haider Ali. The

French captured Cuddalore and Trincomali from the English while the attempt of 

Eyre Coote to capture Arni and the attack of the English from Bombay on Malabar

failed. No party could make further progress for some time due to the rainy season. At

that very time, Haider Ali died of cancer on 7 December 1782. Eyre Coote who had

returned to Bengal also died on 26th

April 1783.

Tipu continued fighting against the English even after the death of his father. The

English government at Bombay deputed Brigadier Mathews to attack Manglore and

Bednore. He was, however, defeated and imprisoned by Tipu. But in June 1783, the

French withdrew from the fighting because France concluded a treaty with Britain. It

was a serious loss to Tipu. The English also succeeded in capturing Palghat and

Coimbatore. But when Colonel Fullerton proceeded towards Srirangapatam, the

capital of Mysore, he was recalled by the governor at Madras, Macartney, who had

opened negotiations for peace with Tipu because of serious financial difficulties. By

that time Tipu had also become desirous of peace.

On 7 March 1784 the treaty of Mangalore was signed between the two parties. Both

agreed to return the conquered territories of each other and also the prisoners of war.

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 The 3rd

Mysore war 

The Third Anglo-Mysore War  (1789-1792) was a war in South India between the

Kingdom of Mysore and the Kingdom of Great Britain. It was the third of four Anglo-

Mysore Wars8. The third contest between the English and the Mysore took place

when Cornwallis came to India as the Governor-General of the Company. Tipu was

determined enemy of the English. He was trying to seek alliance of foreign powers

against the English and for that purpose had sent his ambassadors to France and

Turkey. Cornwallis, therefore, was convicted of the necessity of subduing Tipu and

described the war against him as a “cruel necessity”. Cornwallis also tried to find

allies from among the native rulers. He made a settlement with the Nizam of 

Hyderabad concerning the district of Guntur. Tipu was not consulted while making

this agreement which convinced him that the English were preparing for a war against

him.

Tipu had grievances against the Raja (king) of Travancore who was a dependant ally

of the English. He had provided shelter to many enemy chiefs of Tipu who used to

attack the territories of Tipu in Malabar. He had purchased two ports from the Dutch

which were regarded by Tipu well within his territory. He had raised a protective wall

which, as Tipu claimed, had crossed his boundary. Tipu desired to settle his conflicts

with him the good offices of the English but when he received no reply from him, he

attacked his kingdom in December 1789.

Cornwallis took all precautions before declaring war against Tipu. He entered into

negotiations both with the Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad. The Marathas

entered into a treaty with the English on 1st

June 1790 and the Nizam on 4th

July 1790.

Both agreed to help the English against Tipu. It was also agreed that the conquered

territory would be divided between the three allies. Though the burden of the war fell

mostly on the shoulders of the English, yet they were assured that Tipu would be left

alone in fighting against them. The English, then, declared war against Tipu in 1790.

Tipu fought the war alone which continued for two years. The first attack of the

English under General Medows failed. Therefore, in December 1790, Cornwallis

himself took the command of the army. He proceeded towards Banglore via Vellore

and Ambur and captured it in March 1791. In May, the English reached Arikera

8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Mysore_War

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which was nearly nine miles away from the capital of Mysore, Srirangapatam. Tipu,

however, fought bravely and the English retreated during the rainy season. In

November 1791, Tipu succeeded in Coimbatore. But, his power was exhausted.

Cornwallis captured all hill forts. Tipu felt need for negotiations with English

9

.Cornwallis agreed and the Treaty of Srirangapatam was concluded in March 1792. Its

terms were:-

1)  Tipu surrendered half the territory of his kingdom to the allies. A part of it

was given to the Nizam of Hyderabad. The Marathas extended their

boundary up to the river Tungabhadra. The English obtained Malabar and

sovereignty over the Raja of Coorg. 

2)  Tipu agreed to pay more that 3,000,000 pounds to the English as war

indemnity. 

3)  Tipu also surrendered his two sons to the English as hostages.

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 The 4 th

Mysore War 

The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1798 – 1799) was a war in South India between the

Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company under General Harris. He

had taken over as Governor-General of the Company after Lord Charles Cornwallis. 

Tipu did not forget his defeat and humiliation at the hands of the English in the 3rs

Mysore War. He prepared himself to restore his lost power and prestige. He further

fortified his capital, increased the number of his infantry and cavalry and improved

their training, suppressed the rebellious chiefs and encouraged agriculture. In 1796,

the titular Hindu Raja of Mysore died and Tipu refused to place his minor son even

nominally on the throne and declared himself as Sultan. He sought alliance with

foreign powers against the English. Tipu desired to take revenge from English.

Lord Wellesley, who came to India as governor-general of the company in 1798 was

equally anxious to finish Tipu forever. He was determined to eliminate the influence

if the French from the courts of native rulers including that of Mysore. E was an

imperialist. He opened negotiations with the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas.

The Nizam entered into a treaty with the English in September 1798. Wellesley

assured the Peshwa that he would give him half of the territory captured from Tipu

after the war. He declared war against Tipu in 179910.

One English army under General Harris and Arthur Wellesley marched from Vellore

and attacked Mysore in March 1799. Another army under General Stuart attacked

Mysore from the West. Stuart defeated Tipu at Sedaseer and Harris defeated him at

Malvelly. Tipu took shelter in Srirangapatam and the English besieged it and captured

it on 4th

May 1799. Tipu died fighting and his son surrendered himself to the English.

The 4th

Mysore war destroyed the state of Mysore which was strengthened and taken

over by Haider Ali thirty three years back.

The state of Mysore was finished by the English. It was grand success to Wellesley

and he was rewarded the title of Marquess by the English government.

The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1798 – 1799) was a war in South India between the

Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company under General Harris. He

had taken over as Governor-General of the Company after Lord Charles Cornwallis. 

Napoleon's landing in Egypt in 1798 was intended to threaten India, and Mysore was

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a key to that next step, as the ruler of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, was a staunch ally of 

France. Although Horatio Nelson crushed Napoleon's ambitions at the Battle of the

Nile, three armies - one from Bombay, and two British (one of which contained a

division that was commanded by Colonel Arthur Wellesley the future 1st Duke of Wellington) - nevertheless marched into Mysore in 1799 and besieged the capital,

Srirangapatnam after some engagements with the Tipu's armies. On May 4, the armies

broke through the defending walls and Tipu Sultan, rushing to the breach, was shot

and killed. Tipu was betrayed in this war by one of his commanders, Mir Sadiq, a

traitor who was bought by the British. He sent the army to collect wages at the height

of the battle thus giving the British a chance to enter through the hole made through

bombardment of the wall. It is also known that he spread water in the basement where

the ammunition was stored, making the ammunition unusable. One notable military

advance championed by Tipu Sultan was the use of mass attacks with rocket brigades

in the army. The effect of these weapons on the British during the Third and Fourth

Mysore Wars was sufficiently impressive to inspire William Congreve to invent

Congreve rockets11

. This was the last of the four Anglo-Mysore Wars. The British

took indirect control of Mysore, restoring the Hindu Wodeyar dynasty to the Mysore

throne (with a British commissioner to advise him on all issues). Tipu's young heir,

Fateh Ali, was sent into exile. The Kingdom of Mysore became a princely state of 

British India, and ceded Coimbatore, North Kanara, and South Kanara to the British.

11 www.Fourth Anglo-Mysore War Summary.htm

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Contributions of Tipu sultan and haider ali

Hyder Ali (1722 – 1782) was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern

India. He is said to have induced his brother to employ a Parsi to purchase artillery

and small arms from the government of Bombay Presidency, and to enrol some thirty

sailors of different European nations as gunners, and is thus credited with having been

"the first Indian who formed a corps of sepoys armed with firelocks and bayonets, and

who had a train of artillery served by Europeans. He induced Shamaiya Iyengar into

his ministry as minister of post and police and later Shamaiya served under Tipu

Sultan12

.

Hyder Ali was the great-grandson of an Islamic fakir from Gulbarga,  Deccan. His

father was a naik  or chief constable at Budikote, near Kolar in present-day Karnataka. 

He was born in Budhikote between 1717 and 1722.According to some historians

Hyderali was born in 1721[1]

. As a youth, Hyder assisted his brother, a commander of 

a brigade in the Mysore Army, and acquired a useful familiarity with the tactics of the

French when at the height of their reputation under Joseph François Dupleix. 

At the siege of Devanhalli (1749) Hyder's services attracted the attention of Nanjaraja,

the minister of the Raja of Mysore, and he at once received an independent command;

within the next twelve years his energy and ability had made him completely master

of minister and raja alike, and in everything but in name he was ruler of the kingdom.

In 1763 the conquest of Kanara gave him possession of the treasures of Bednor, with

which he resolved to make a splendid capital in India, under his own name,

thenceforth changed from Hyder Naik into Hyder Ali Khan Bahadur. Hyder Ali

now began to occupy the serious attention of the Madras Presidency, which in 1766

entered into an agreement with the Nizam of Hyderabad to furnish him with troops to

be used against the common foe. But hardly had this alliance been formed when a

secret arrangement was come to between the two Indian powers, the result of which

was that Colonel Smith's small force was met with a united army of 50,000 men and

100 guns. British dash and sepoy fidelity were devastated, first in the Battle of 

Chengam (September 3, 1767) and again, even more remarkably, in that of 

Tiruvannamalai (Trinornalai). In February 1768, the British captured Mangalore from

Hyder. The Portuguese had offered to help Hyder against the British. But when they

12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyder_Ali

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betrayed Hyder, he directed his anger towards the Mangalorean Catholics, since they

had been converted to Christianity by the Portuguese. Towards the end of 1768,

Hyder defeated the British and re-captured Mangalore fort, where the Mangalorean

Catholics were taking refuge. Around 15,675 of them were taken as prisoners toMysore by Hyder.

On the loss of his recently-made fleet and forts on the western coast, Hyder Ali now

offered overtures for peace; on the rejection of these, bringing all his resources and

strategy into play, he forced Colonel Smith to raise the siege of  Bangalore, and

brought his army within 5 miles (8.0 km) of Madras. The result was the treaty of April

1769, providing for the mutual restitution of all conquests, and for mutual aid and

alliance in defensive war; it was followed by a commercial treaty in 1770 with the

authorities of  Bombay. Under these arrangements Hyder Ali, when defeated by the

Marathas in 1772 (three wars were fought between 1764 and 1772 by Madhavrao

Peshwa against Hyder Ali, in which Hyder Ali lost), claimed British assistance, but in

vain; this breach of faith stung him to fury, and thenceforward he and his son did not

cease to thirst for vengeance. His time came when in 1778 the British, on the

declaration of war with France, resolved to drive the French out of India. The capture

of Mahé on the Malabar coast in 1779, followed by the annexation of lands belonging

to a dependant of his own, gave him the needed pretext for the Second Anglo-Mysore

War. 

With the empire extended to the Krishna River, he descended through the passes of 

the Western Ghats amid burning villages, reaching Kanchipuram (Conjeevaram), only

45 miles (72 km) from Madras, unopposed. Not till the smoke was seen from St.

Thomas Mount, where Sir Hector Munro commanded some 5200 troops, was any

movement made. Then, however, the British general sought to effect a junction with a

smaller body under Colonel Baillie recalled from Guntur. The incapacity of these

officers, notwithstanding the splendid courage of their men, resulted in the total

destruction of Baillie's force of 2800 (September 10, 1780). Warren Hastings sent

from Bengal Sir Eyre Coote, who, though repulsed at Chidambaram, defeated Hyder

thrice successively in the battles of  Porto Novo, Pollilur and Sholingarh, while Tipu

Sultan was forced to raise the siege of  Vandavasi (Wandiwash), and Vellore was

provisioned. On the arrival of Lord Macartney as governor of Madras, the British fleet

captured Nagapattinam (Negapatam), and forced Hyder Ali to confess that he could

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never ruin a power which had command of the sea. He had sent his son Tipu to the

west coast, to seek the assistance of the French fleet, when his death took place

suddenly at Chittoor in December 1782.

Hyder Ali invaded Tanjore in 1781, at the height of the Second Mysore War. Col.Braithwaite tried to stem his advance but was defeated and had to surrender. Hyder

extracted the allegiance of the Maratha king Thuljaji and plundered the country.

Cattle and crops were destroyed. The gross produce of the Tanjore kingdom fell from

10,439,057 in 1780 to 1,578,520 in 1781. It further slid to 1,370,174 in 1782. The

ravages of Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan were followed by alleged expeditions of 

plunder launched by the Kallars. There was scarcity of food and work and the

economy was shattered. The kingdom of Tanjore did not recover from the effects of 

the invasion till the start of the 19th century. The period of suffering referred to in

local folklore as Hyderakalabam is considered to be one of the darkest periods in the

region's history since the invasions of the Kalabhras. 

Sultan Fateh Ali Tipu (November 1750, Devanahalli  –  4 May 1799,

Srirangapattana), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the

Kingdom of Mysore13

. He was the first son of Hyder Ali by his second wife, Fatima

or Fakhr-un-nissa. His full name is Sultan Fateh Ali Khan Shahab or Tipu Saheb Tipu

Sultan. In addition to his role as ruler, he was a scholar, soldier, and poet. He was a

devout Muslim but the majority of his subjects were Hindus. At the request of the

French, he built a church, the first in Mysore. In alliance with the French in their

struggle with the British both Tipu Sultan and Haider Ali did not hesitate to use their

French trained army against the Marathas, Sira, Malabar, Coorg and Bednur. He was

proficient in many languages. He helped his father Haider Ali defeat the British in the

Second Mysore War, and negotiated the Treaty of Mangalore with them. However, he

was defeated in the Third Anglo-Mysore War and in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War

by the combined forces of the British East India Company, the Nizam of Hyderabad

and to a lesser extent, Travancore. Tipu Sultan died defending his capital

Srirangapattana, on 4 May 1799.

Under his leadership, the Mysore army proved to be a school of military science to

Indian princes. The serious blows that Tipu Sultan inflicted on the British in the First

and Second Mysore Wars affected their reputation as an invincible power. Dr. APJ

13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipu_Sultan 

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Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, in his Tipu Sultan Shaheed Memorial

Lecture in Bangalore (30 November 1991), called Tipu Sultan the innovator of the

world’s first war rocket. Most of Tipu Sultan's campaigns resulted in successes. He

managed to subdue all the petty kingdoms in the south. He defeated the Marathas andthe Nizams and was also one of the few Indian rulers to have defeated British armies.

He is said to have started a coinage system, banking system, a new calendar, and a

new system of weights and measures. Tipu was supposed to become a Sufi, but his

father Haider Ali insisted he become a capable soldier and a great leader.

He was called the Tiger of Mysore. It is said that Tipu Sultan was hunting in the forest

with a French friend. He came face to face with a tiger. His gun did not work, and his

dagger fell on the ground as the tiger jumped on him. He reached for the dagger,

picked it up, and killed the tiger with it. That earned him the name "the Tiger of 

Mysore". He had the image of a tiger on his flag.

Tipu Sultan was instructed in military tactics by French officers in the employment of 

his father, Hyder Ali (also spelled "Haidar Ali"). At age 15, he accompanied his father

Haidar Ali against the British in the First Mysore War in 1766. He commanded a

corps of cavalry in the invasion of Carnatic in 1767 at age 16. He also distinguished

himself in the First Anglo-Maratha War of 1775 – 1779.

Tipu Sultan led a large body of troops in the Second Mysore War, in February 1782,

and defeated Braithwaite on the banks of the Kollidam. Although the British were

defeated this time, Tipu Sultan realized that the British were a new kind of threat in

India. Upon becoming the Sultan after his father's death later that year, he worked to

check the advances of the British by making alliances with the Marathas and the

Mughals. 

Tipu Sultan defeated Colonel Braithwaite at Annagudi near Tanjore on 18 February

1782. The British army, consisting of 100 Europeans, 300 cavalry, 1400 sepoys and

10 field pieces, was the standard size of the colonial armies. Tipu Sultan seized all the

guns and took the entire detachment prisoner. In December 1781 Tipu Sultan

successfully seized Chittur from the British. Tipu Sultan had thus gained sufficient

military experience by the time Haidar Ali died in December 1782.

The Second Mysore War came to an end with the Treaty of Mangalore. It was the last

occasion when an Indian king dictated terms to the mighty British, and the treaty is a

prestigious document in the history of India.

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The Second Mysore War is also remembered for alleged excesses committed by

Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan in Tanjore. 

There were over 26,000 soldiers of the British East India Company comprising about

4000 Europeans and the rest Indians. A column was supplied by the Nizam of Hyderabad consisting of ten battalions and over 16,000 cavalry, and many soldiers

were sent by the Marathas. Thus the soldiers in the British force numbered over

50,000 soldiers whereas Tipu Sultan had only about 30,000 soldiers. The British

broke through the city walls, and Tipu Sultan died defending his capital on May 4.

When the fallen Tipu was identified, Wellesley felt his pulse and confirmed that he

was dead. Tipu Sultan was killed at the Hoally (Diddy) Gateway, which was located

300 yards from the N.E. Angle of the Srirangapattana Fort. The Fort Gateway had

been built only 5 Years earlier to Tipu’s death.

Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan as regarded as pioneers in the use of solid fuel rocket

technology or missiles for military use. A military tactic developed by Tipu Sultan

and his father, Haidar Ali was the use of mass attacks with rocket brigades on infantry

formations.

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Critical analysis

The Anglo-Mysore wars were four wars conducted by British forces against Hyder

Ali (1722 – 1782) and his son Tipu Sultan (1749 – 1799), the rulers of the kingdom of 

Mysore (now Karnataka), in southern India, during 1767 – 1769, 1780 – 1784, 1790 – 

1792, and March – May 1799. The final conflict ended with the death of Tipu Sultan

during his defense of Seringapatam, Tipu's capital.

Mysore was a rich agricultural territory with many superbly built hill forts, and it was

a prize that the British East India Company saw as holding the key to a large conquest

of southern India and to blocking French aspirations in the region. The wars began

when Hyder Ali was fighting the Marathas to the north, and the British lent support to

the Nizam (ruler) of Hyderabad, who then invaded Mysore territory with a British

detachment. Hyder got the Marathas on his side, won over the Nizam, and then vented

his fury on the British, who were based in Madras and outlying towns. Hyder reached

the walls of Madras City, where he dictated a treaty to the panic-stricken residents.

His exasperation with the British flared anew in the Second Anglo-Mysore War,

caused by the British failure to honor the treaty and render him assistance in his

renewed struggle with the Marathas. Again Hyder marched on Madras, this time

hoping to get assistance from the French based in Pondicherry. It failed to materialize.

During this war Hyder Ali died of cancer, but his son Tipu Sultan took up the crusade

against the British, who made peace with him in 1784 (the Treaty of Mangalore).

The next war began because the British in Madras wrote to the nizam of Hyderabad

that they would help him regain territories lost to Tipu's forces. Anticipating further

hostilities, Tipu attacked Travancore and thereabouts in 1789 – 1790. The British then

entered into league with the Nizam and also with the peshwa, the chief minister of the

Marathas. In 1790 the British moved into southern Mysore, but Tipu denied them any

clear victories. Lord Charles Cornwallis (1738 – 1805), the governor-general of India,

then assumed command himself. He captured Bangalore and moved toward

Seringapatam, just outside Mysore City. Now Tipu's scorched earth policy brought

famine into the British camp and obliged Cornwallis to retreat. He had more success

in a subsequent campaign, and in 1792 besieged Seringapatam. This led to Tipu's

submission, and another treaty was concluded in March. Tipu was obliged to

surrender two of his sons as hostages, pay a massive indemnity, and cede up half of his dominions, which were then incorporated into the British East India Company

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territories as the "Ceded Districts". Tipu also was forced to cede territory to the

Marathas and the Nizam.

The Fourth Mysore War, a three-month engagement, was caused by Tipu's refusal to

accept an alliance with the British. The new governor-general, Lord RichardWellesley (1760 – 1842), suspected Tipu's intentions because following the previous

treaty Tipu had tried to form alliances with France, Istanbul, and the shah of 

Afghanistan, hoping to drive the British out of India altogether. Three armies, one led

by Arthur Wellesley (1769 – 1852), the future Duke of Wellington, converged on

Seringapatam and with two fierce attacks brought the war to an end. Tipu's dead body

was found, sword in hand, among those of his soldiers at a north gate, on 4 May 1799.

The nizam was given some of the captured territory, but much of it was restored as

the Kingdom of Mysore under Krishnaraja, the maharaja of Mysore, and remained

with Mysore until 1947. The alliance with the British was finally signed.

Thus it is seen that the State of Mysore which flourished under the power and control

of Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan war totally ruined by the English. The four

Anglo-Mysore wars brought an end to the prosperous state of Mysore. Both Tipu

Sultan as well as Haider Ali failed to save Mysore from the successive attacks of the

English army and in the end it was captured by the English.

By doing this project I came to know a lot of facts about the Southern state, Mysore,

and the heroes of the four Mysore Wars, i.e., Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan.

It was a wonderful experience in doing this project. It also shows how the princely

states of India were ruined one by one through foreign invasion.

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Bibliography 

Books referred:-

  Mahajan, V.D. “Modern Indian History”. S. Chand Publishers: India, 2003.

  Sarkar, Sumit. “Modern India”. Macmillan India Ltd: New Delhi, 2005.

  Sharma, L.P. “History of Modern India”. Konark Publishers Pvt. Ltd: 2004.

Internet sources:-

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Mysore

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Mysore_Wars

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Anglo-Mysore_War

  http://www.indhistory.com/mysore-war-2.html

  http://www.indianetzone.com/37/second_mysore_war_1780-

1783_british_india.htm

  http://www.indianetzone.com/37/second_mysore_war_1780-

1783_british_india.htm

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Mysore_War

  http://sify.com/itihaas/fullstory.php?id=13258672

  http://www.indhistory.com/mysore-war-3.html

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Anglo-Mysore_War

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipu_Sultan

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyder_Ali