Empire of Mysore

The Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom in southern India that was formed in 1399 near the contemporary city of Mysore, according to legend. It was a princely state from 1799 to 1950, and until 1947, it was in a subsidiary alliance with British India. In 1831, the British gained direct control of the Princely State. The Anglo-Mysore Wars were a series of wars fought between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company, Maratha Empire, Kingdom of Travancore, and the Nizam of Hyderabad in the last three decades of the 18th century, which created the contemporary structure of Mysore in post-independence time.

What is the Mysore Empire?

The kingdom began as a tributary state of the Vijayanagara Empire, founded and ruled for the most part by the Hindu Wodeyar dynasty. During the reigns of Narasaraja Wodeyar I and Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar, the kingdom acquired huge swaths of what is now southern Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu, consolidating its position as a powerful empire in the southern Deccan. During a brief period of Muslim dominance, the kingdom adopted a Sultanate administrative style. With the Mughal Empire in decay by the 1720s, new issues developed when Mughal citizens at Arcot and Sira demanded tribute. After the Anglo-Mysore war, it became a princely state under British rule. 

What is the Wadiyar dynasty?

From 1399 to 1947, the Wodeyar or Wadiyar dynasty ruled over the ancient Kingdom of Mysore. In 1399, the Wodeyar family established a feudatory principality that evolved into the Kingdom of Mysore. From 1399 to 1565, they reigned as vassals of the Vijayanagara Empire. From 1565 to 1761, they reigned as separate kings. From 1761 to 1796, the dynasty’s rulers only had nominal power because the real power was held by the commanders-in-chief, Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan. Following Tipu Sultan’s death at the hands of British overlords in 1799, the dynasty reigned as British allies from 1799 until 1947.

What are the details of the Anglo-Mysore war?

The Mysore wars were the confrontations between the British East India Company soldiers and the four rulers of Mysore. The wars occurred during 1767-1799 showing the struggle for power by centering Mysore. The participating powers are East India company representatives in the Madras Presidency, Maratha Empire, Nizam of Hyderabad, Travancore power. The role of Hayder Ali and Tipu Sultan was essential in the forefront management and control of battle statistics. 

• The first war was fought between Hayder Ali and the British where Hayder Ali almost captured Madras. With Treaty of Madras, the war came to an end.
• The leader of the second war was Tipu. The Treaty of Mangalore restored the status and brought the conflict to a conclusion. The Treaty of Gajendragad, signed in April 1787, put an end to the Marathas’ war.
• Third war was between Tipu and Travancore where Tipu Sultan got the ally of France and British helped Travancore kingdom. The war ended with Treaty of Seringapatam. 
• The fourth war saw the downfall of Tipu Sultan and the reduction of Mysore territories. 

Significance of first Anglo-Mysore war

Hyder Ali had some success against the British in the First Anglo-Mysore War (1767–69), almost conquering Madras. The Nizam of Hyderabad was persuaded by the British to attack Hyder. However, this was only temporary, and in February 1768, the Nizam signed a new contract with the British. A British Bombay force attacked from the west, while a Madras army attacked from the northeast, thus Hyder Ali had his work cut out for him. However, Hyder’s onslaught on Madras led to the Madras administration requesting peace, and the Treaty of Madras was signed as a result. Following full disorder and fear in Madras, the English were compelled to sign a humiliating settlement with Haydar on April 4, 1769, known as the Treaty of Madras, which ended the war. Conquered lands were returned to their rightful owners.

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it can be concluded that the battles fought centering on Mysore showed the power struggle, where the British also took part, indicating the potential shift in the power concentration in India. The Mysore-Anglo wars also highlighted the integral part of the British East India Company in political involvement. Nonetheless, the role of Hayder Ali and Tipu Sultan in conquering and extending the power of Mysore is immense while the alliance of foreign powers also showed the futuristic political influence of parties in the power challenges.