An Overview of Four Anglo-Mysore Wars
During the British rule over India, a series of four military confrontations occurred in India between the rulers of Mysore and the British. These Anglo Mysore wars took place in the late 18th century and occupy an important place in the history of India.
Similar to the battle of Buxar, where British rule was established after the defeat of Indians, the Anglo Mysore wars established the supremacy and hold of Britishers in the Southern part of India.
This article teaches details about all the four Anglo Mysore wars, their reasons, and their consequences.
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Background of the Beginning of Anglo Mysore Wars
After the demise of the Vijayanagar empire, Mysore (a small Hindu principality) maintained its independence. In 1612, the Wodeyars (a Hindu kingdom) emerged in the Mysore region.
Hyder Ali was an adventurer and commander in chief in the army of Wodeyars, and he became the de-facto ruler of Mysore in 1761 due to his great military tactics and administrative skills.
Till the helm of Hyder Ali, Mysore was considered a rather small and insignificant part of South India. It was under Hyder Ali’s rule that the East India Company was threatened when Hyder Ali began the expansion of his dominance. Mysore gained the reputation of a formidable power under him.
Mysore was in close proximity with the French, and with their support, Hyder Ali built a strong army that alarmed the British.
Haider Ali had a stronghold over the rich trade along the Malabar coast that threatened the commercial and political interests of the British and their control over Madras.
The British had gained success in the Battle of Buxar with the help of the Nawab of Bengal. Following the same pattern, the British sought alliance from the Nizam of Hyderabad and signed a treaty to persuade him to give the Northern Circars in order to protect the Nizam from Haider Ali. Hyder Ali already had disputes with the Marathas.
The Marathas, Nizam of Hyderabad, and the British allied against Haider Ali and declared war against Mysore.
First Anglo Mysore War
The first Anglo Mysore war was fought from 1766 to 1769.
Haider Ali used his diplomacy skills and brought the Nizam and Marathas to his side. He turned the Marathas neutral by paying them.
The war continued for over a year and was inconclusive.
Haider created chaos in Madras by appearing suddenly at its gates which panicked people.
After this incident, the Britishers had to conclude the war by signing a treaty with Haider. The first Anglo Mysore war treaty was signed on April 4, 1769, and called the Treaty of Madras. Details of the treaty were:
It provided for the exchange of conquered areas and prisoners.
Britishers had to promise help to Haider Ali in the event any other power attacked him.
Second Anglo Mysore War
The second Mysore war was fought from 1780 to 1784. The Britishers did not adhere to the terms of the treaty of Madras when the Maratha army attacked Mysore in 1771. Haider Ali’s territories were taken over by Marathas, which angered him, and he accused the British of breach of faith and turned to the French to fulfil his requirements of guns, lead, and saltpetre.
Haider Ali found the French more resourceful and started importing war materials from them to Mysore through Mahe (a French possession on the Malabar coast).
The increasing friendship between Haider Ali and the French caused concern to the British, and they tried to capture Mahe, which was under Haider’s possession.
Haider Ali allied with the Nizam and the Marathas against the British and declared war on the British in 1780.
Ali attacked the Carnatic, captured Arcot, and defeated the English army in 1781, run by Colonel Baille.
Meanwhile, the English under Sir Eyer Coote detached both the Nizam and Marathas from Haider’s side.
The undeterred Haider fought bravely against the English but was defeated at Porto Novo (which is now Parangipettai in Tamilnadu) in 1781.
But Haider regrouped his forces, and the English were again defeated with the capture of their commander, Braithwaite.
Haider Ali died of cancer on December 7, 1782. His son Tipu Sultan carried the war for another year without any conclusion.
Tired of this inconclusive war, both parties agreed to a peace treaty in March 1784 called the Treaty of Mangalore. As per the treaty, both the parties gave back each other’s territories which they had captured during the war.
Third Anglo Mysore War
The third Anglo Mysore war was fought from 1790 to 1792. The Mangalore treaty also failed to resolve the conflicts between the British and Tipu Sultan. Both wanted to obtain political supremacy over Southern India. The third Anglo Mysore war began when Tipu Sultan attacked Travancore in 1789. The city of Travancore was an ally of the British and the single source of pepper for the East India company.
The third war took place when Cornwallis came to India as the governor-general of the East India company.
Tipu Sultan attempted to form alliances with other foreign nations, and in this endeavour, he also sent diplomats to Turkey and France.
Tipu refused to free English prisoners captured during the Second Anglo Mysore war and breached the Treaty of Mangalore.
The British took the help of the Nizam, Marathas, and Travancore and attacked Mysore.
The three allies had decided that they would split the conquered regions amongst themselves.
Tipu defeated the British army in 1790, which was led by General Meadows.
Lord Cornwallis took the leadership in 1791 and marched with his army through Ambur and Vellore and reached Bangalore, which was captured in March 1791. From there, his army travelled to Seringapatm.
Tipu Sultan had to relent and bargain with the British when the British allied with Marathas and Nizam and attacked Seringapatam for the second time.
The Treaty of Seringapatam was signed in 1792 to end the war. As per this treaty:
Half of the Mysorean territory was given to the allies (British, Marathas, Nizam). This included Coorg, Malabar, Baramahal, and Dindigul.
Tipu had to give them war damage of three crores rupees.
Tipu’s dominant position in the south was destroyed by the third war and established British supremacy.
Fourth Anglo Mysore War
The fourth Mysore war was fought from 1798 - 1799.
From 1792 to 1799, both Tipu Sultan and the British were engaged in recovering their losses from the third war.
Tipu fulfilled all the terms mentioned in the Seringapatam treaty, and his sons were released.
The Wodeyar dynasty’s Hindu monarch died in 1796, and Tipu declared himself as a Sultan.
Tipu swore to avenge his humiliating defeat in the third Mysore battle.
In 1798 Lord Wellesley was the British governor-general who was a staunch imperialist. He had concerns over Tipu’s growing connection with the French.
Wellesley aimed to destroy Tipu’s autonomy and forced him to submit via the Subsidiary alliance system.
Tipu was convicted of treason against the British by sending emissaries to Afghanistan, Arab, Mauritius (part of the Isle of France then), and Versailles.
The argument given by Tipu for this action did not satisfy Lord Wellesley, and the fourth Anglo Mysore war was declared where Mysore was attacked from all four sides. The Marathas and Nizams attacked Mysore from the North.
Tipu lost in the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799 and died in the course of defending his city.
FAQs on Mysore Wars
1. Who is called the Tiger of Mysore?
Tipu Sultan, who is also referred to as the “Tiger of Mysore,” was a dreaded ruler and a legend. He is still deemed as an enlightened ruler in India. He fiercely and effectively opposed British rule in the southern part of India around the late 18th century. He was born in November 1750 and was the son of Haider Ali. Tipu was a well-educated man, who was fluent in many languages, including Persian, Arabic, Urdu, and Kanarese.
He raised and maintained an efficient military force and organized his army as per the European model. He took help from French officers to train his troop. He was also aware that naval forces were vital for his kingdom and set up a Board of Admiralty to have a fleet of 20 large frigates and 22 battleships. He also established three dockyards in Molidabad, Mangalore, and Wajedabad.
2. What was the Subsidiary alliance system?
Lord Wellesley introduced the subsidiary alliance system in India. As per this system, the ruler of an Indian state had to pay a subsidy to the British for the maintenance of the British army. In return, they got protection against enemies by the British forces. The Nizam of Hyderabad was the first Indian ruler who signed the Subsidiary alliance.
The Subsidiary Alliance System Gave the Following Provisions:
A British resident could be posted at the ruler’s court, which restricted the ruler from appointing any European in his court without British approval.
Rather than paying an annual subsidy, a ruler could cede a part of his territory.
Those rulers who entered this alliance system were not allowed to declare war against any entity or enter into negotiations without British consent.
Though the Subsidiary alliance had a promise of non-interference in the internal affairs of the allied state, the British seldom kept this promise.
