The Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767 to 1799)
The four Anglo-Mysore Wars were fought between the British and Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan, and ended with Tipu's death at Seringapatam in 1799.
Why Mysore was a danger
Mysore under Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan had a modern army with French-trained soldiers, a strong economy and control over the rich Malabar trade, and so threatened British power in the south.
The four wars
| War | Years | Main events and treaty |
|---|---|---|
| First | 1767 to 1769 | Haidar Ali fought the British, with the Nizam and Marathas against him at first (the Nizam soon changed sides). Haidar reached the gates of Madras. Treaty of Madras (April 1769): mutual return of conquests, and a promise of help in case of attack. |
| Second | 1780 to 1784 | The British did not help Haidar when the Marathas attacked in 1771, breaking the Treaty of Madras. The British captured the French port of Mahe. Haidar joined the Nizam and Marathas, and won at Pollilur (1780). Eyre Coote won at Porto Novo (1781). Haidar died in December 1782. Treaty of Mangalore (March 1784): mutual restoration of territory, signed by Tipu. |
| Third | 1790 to 1792 | Tipu attacked Travancore, an ally of the Company (December 1789). Cornwallis led the British, with the Nizam and the Marathas as allies, and advanced on Seringapatam. Treaty of Seringapatam (March 1792): Tipu gave up half his territory (Malabar, Dindigul, Baramahal and other areas), paid Rs 3.3 crore and gave two sons as hostages. |
| Fourth | 1799 | Wellesley accused Tipu of seeking an alliance with the French (the Jacobin Club at Seringapatam, the "Tree of Liberty", and his embassy to France). Seringapatam was stormed on 4 May 1799 and Tipu died fighting. |
After Tipu's fall
- The British took Kanara, Coimbatore, Wynad, and Dharapuram and other areas, and Mysore was given back to the Wodeyar dynasty under a Subsidiary Alliance. Purnaiah was the Dewan. The Nizam also gained some territory.
- Mysore was placed under direct British rule in 1831 because of misrule and rebellion, and handed back to the Wodeyars in 1881 (Lord Ripon, Chamaraja Wodeyar X).
Tipu Sultan's character
- Modernising ruler: a new calendar, new coins and weights, state trading depots and plans for a navy (Board of Admiralty, 1796). He encouraged sericulture and took an interest in industries.
- Rockets: Mysore's iron-cased rockets made a deep impression on the British.
- Revenue: he reduced the powers of local chiefs (poligars) and dealt directly with peasants.
- French links: he sent embassies to France, Turkey and Persia, and planted the Tree of Liberty. He called himself "Citizen Tipu".
- His Fath-ul-Mujahidin is a military manual. He is called the "Tiger of Mysore".
Keep practising
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Prepared for exam revision from standard sources such as NCERT, Bipan Chandra, Spectrum and official records. Historians differ on some dates, figures and interpretations, so check your exam syllabus and a standard textbook. Found a mistake? Tell us.