The Third and Fourth Anglo-Mysore Wars

Introduction

The Third and Fourth Anglo-Mysore Wars were some of the battles fought in the peninsular region of India. There were four wars fought between the colonial rulers from Europe, the United Kingdom and the ruler of Mysore. The third war started with the invasion of Travancore when Tipu Sultan laid his army with a little support from the French regiments. In the fourth war, Colonel Arthur Wellesly took over the capital of Mysore.

Background of the Anglo-Mysore Wars

Image 1: Hyder Ali dominions 1780

The Anglo-Mysore Wars started when Hyder Ali gained power due to his immense skills by defeating the Wodeyar Dynasty. The Kingdom was getting close to France by having close proximity to the French forces. The de-facto ruler controlled the Malabar Coast which was a threat to the Company for several reasons.

This drove the British to make an alliance with the Nizam and the Marathas. Thus, a few battles were fought that were won by Hyder Ali. In order to recover the lost territories, another war was launched by Madhavrao which ended with the defeat of the Mysore King. The French became even closer to Mysore which brought the second war which led to the other two over disputed peace treaties.

Causes of Third Anglo-Mysore War

• The English Company was doing their best at improving ties with the Kingdom of Maratha and Nizam of Hyderabad.

• The French military was aiding the ranks of Tipu Sultan’s army by giving them modern pieces of training.

• The prisoners of war from the second Anglo-Mysore Wars were not released by Tipu Sultan.

• In the beginning war phase, Tipu Sultan lost to the Britishers and his army had to summon for withdrawal.

• At the end, when the Britishers marched their way to Seringapatnam, Tipu went wheel and deal for peace between the two.

Causes of Fourth Anglo-Mysore War

• The alliance between the Mysore and the French was a threat to the Company.

• Staunch refusal to subdue to Subsidiary Alliance by Tipu was the second cause of the war.

• The objective of peace was not secured with the Treaty of Srirangapatnam between the Company and the Tipu Sultan.

Course of the Wars

The third war started in 1789 when Tipu invaded Travancore and Lord Cornwallis declared war in 1790. In the first few events of the war, Tipu suffered a defeat that made him go back to Mysore. With the British forces preparing to invade Mysore Tipu decided to negotiate a treaty.

In the fourth war, the joint forces of the Maratha army and the troops sent by the Nizam of Hyderabad invaded the border of Mysore from the North. This invasion made the forces of Tipu lose the war as they were outnumbered by multiple folds. The British captured the city of Srirangapatnam in the year 1799 which finally led to the death of Tipu Sultan.

Result of the Third Anglo-Mysore Wars

Image 2: Map illustration showing the territories involved in the Third Anglo-Mysore War between the Kingdom of Mysore of southern India and the British East India Company.

• The end of the war was sought after the Treaty of Srirangapatnam was signed in the year 1792.

• Territories like Malabar, Coorg, Baramahal and Dindigul were given over to the English East India Company.

• The war brought heavy damage to the properties in and around Mysore. The cost to repair these damages was 3 crore rupees which were to be paid by the ruler of Mysore.

Result of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War

Image 3: Map illustration showing the territories involved in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War between the Kingdom of Mysore of southern India and the British East India Company.

• The territories that were lost by Mysore were divided between the Company and the Nizam of Hyderabad.

• Places like Srirangapatnam and Mysore were given to the Wodeyar Dynasty who used to rule over the kingdom before Tipu Sultan’s father Hyder Ali took over the thrown.

• There was a relation of subsidiary alliance that existed between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British Crown.

• The loss of Tipu Sultan paved way for the British rulers to send one officer to observe and report back on all the proceedings that took place at the court of Mysore Palace.

• There was not much power left to the Kingdom of Mysore as it remained a Princely State until the Independence of India.

Treaty of Srirangapatnam

The clauses under which the treaty was signed were as follows −

• The territories that were under the possession of the Tipu Sultan were to be given to the EIC.

• The ruler of Mysore had to pay for the losses that were incurred during the wars. The total war indemnity that was accounted for summed up to a total of three crore rupees.

• All the prisoners that were arrested during the war were supposed to be released by the ruler of Mysore.

• Two children were to be kept under British custody as a means to guarantee the Mysore king was compensating for the losses of the war.

Conclusion

The tutorial explains the causes that led to the third and the fourth Anglo-Mysore war. This was a war that brought an end to the reign of Tipu Sultan in the city of Mysore. With the end of this reign, the Kingdom becomes a puppet state until the subcontinent gained its independence. The state becomes a puppet of the Crown after the Wodeyar Dynasty was installed.

FAQs

Q1. What was the treaty that brought an end to the war between Mysore forces and the English East India Company?

Ans.The end to the war between Mysore forces and the English East India Company was brought by the Treaty of Srirangapatnam. The treaty was signed between Lord Cornwallis, Nizam of Hyderabad, Tipu Sultan and the representatives of the Maratha kingdom. The day when this treaty was signed is 18th March 1792.

Q2. When did the third and the fourth Anglo-Mysore War start?

Ans.The third Anglo-Mysore War started in the year 1790 and went on for two years which is 1792. The fourth war between the English regiments and forces from the Mysore army was fought in the last two years of the 18th century.

Q3. How did Tipu Sultan lose the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War?

Ans.Tipu Sultan lost the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War as he was killed during the invasion led by the future Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley. The heir of Tipu Sultan, Fateh Ali was exiled to Calcutta by the British forces.