According to Western thinkers and administrators, the basic objective of the British policy towards Mysore was to restore the Hindu Wodeyer dynasty, which was overthrown by Haider Ali. This argument was, however, basically designed to legitimize British political action. The real reasons for the conflict between Anglo-Mysore conflict were as follows
- During the second half of the 18th century, the rise of Mysore under Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan and their alliance with the French was seen as a source of danger to the British power in India.
- The control of Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan over the rich trade of the Malabar coast was considered by the English as a threat to their trade in pepper and cardamom.
- Mysore was also considered a threat to the British control over Madras.
THE FIRST ANGLO-MYSORE WAR (1767-69 AD)
The rise of Haider Ali was seen as a source of danger to the British power in India. Haider’s ambition was to drive the British away from the Carnatic and finally from India and the British realization of the threat posed to them by Haider, led to the formation of the Tripartite alliance against him by the British, the Nizam, and the Marathas.
However Haider, by his art of permutation-combination succeeded in breaking this alliance. He played a diplomatic game, bought the Marathas, allured the Nizam with territorial gains, and together with the latter, launched an attack on the British. In the war, Haider registered brilliant victories over the British and finally appeared at the gates of Madras. The panic-stricken Madras Government was forced to sign a humiliating treaty, the Treaty of Madras, on 4th April 1769.
The treaty provided for
- Mutual restitution of each other’s territories except for Karur and its district, which were to be retained by the Mysore ruler.
- The defensive alliance between the two parties i.e. in case either of the parties was attacked, by another power; the other would rally to its assistance.
- All the captured employees of the Madras Government were to be released by Haider Ali.
- The Raja of Tanjore was to be treated as a friend of Haider Ali (the Raja of Tanjore and the Malabar ruler were the allies of the company in the war).
- The trade privileges of the Bombay Presidency and the English factories were to be restored.
THE SECOND ANGLO-MYSORE WAR (1780-84 AD)
The mutual distrust and refusal of the English to fulfill the terms of the defensive treaty with Haider, when he was attacked by the Marathas in 1771 bred discontent against the English. Further, Haider found the French more helpful in meeting his military demands for guns, saltpeter, and lead than the English and therefore established a close alliance with them. The outbreak of the American War of Independence and the French alliance with the American colonists made Warren Hastings extremely suspicious of Haider Ali’s relations with the French.
Under these conditions, the English attempt to capture Mahe, (French port on the Malabar coast), which Haider considered to be under its protection, was a direct challenge to Haider Ali. Thus, Haider formed a joint front with the Nizam and the Marathas and on July 1780, attacked Carnatic and captured Arcot, defeating an English Army under Colonel Baillie. Meanwhile, the English detached the Marathas and Nizam from the side of Haider, and on November 1781, in the battle at Porto Novo, Haider was defeated by Sir Eyre Coote.
In the following year, Haider inflicted a humiliating defeat on the English Army under Colonel Braithwaite. While the war was in progress, Haider died due to cancer, on 7th December, 1782.
Haider’s son and successor Tipu, carried on the unfinished task of his father and defeated Brigadier Mathews (1783 AD). The war continued till 1784 AD, when both sides got tired and concluded peace by the Treaty of Mangalore (March 1784 AD).
THE THIRD ANGLO-MYSORE WAR (1789-92 AD)
The growing power of Mysore and the success of Tipu in strengthening his position by undertaking various internal reforms made the British, the Marathas, and the Nizam apprehensive. Lord Cornwallis worked on the anti-Tipu suspicion of the Nizam, and the Marathas and arranged an alliance (1790 AD) with them against Tipu.
Convinced of a possible war with the English, Tipu sought the help of the Turks by sending an embassy to Constantinople in 1784 AD and again in 1785 AD, and to the French King in 1787 AD.
Meanwhile, Tipu’s differences arose with the Raja of Travancore, because the Raja purchased Jaikottai and Cranganore from the Dutch in Cochin state.
Tipu considered the Cochin state as his tributary state and thus considered the act of the Travancore Raja as a violation of his sovereign rights and therefore, attacked Travancore in April 1790. The English seeing an opportunity sided with the Raja of Travancore and declared war against Tipu. Tipu defeated Major General Medows in 1790, after which Cornwallis himself assumed the command of the English Army. Cornwallis approached Srirangapatnam with the help of the Marathas and Nizam’s troops. Tipu offered a tough fight, but finding it impossible to prolong the struggle, signed the Treaty of Srirangapatnam (March, 1792).
THE FOURTH ANGLO-MYSORE WAR (1798-1799 AD)
One of the reasons for the war was the desire of Tipu to avenge his humiliating defeat in the Third Anglo-Mysore War. Humiliated by the Treaty of Srirangapatnam, Tipu began to add to the fortifications of his capital, remount his cavalry, recruit and discipline his infantry, punish his refractory tributaries, and encourage cultivation in his empire.
All this resulted in the restoration of prosperity in Mysore. Further, to enlist the support of France (which was engaged in a deadly war with England in Europe) against the English in India, Tipu enlisted himself as a member of the Jacobin Club.
Tipu also planted a Tree of Liberty at Srirangapatnam. He sent embassies to Arabia, Zaman Shah of Afghanistan, Constantinople, the directory at Versailles, and the French in the Isle of France or Mauritius (France seized Mauritius in 1715 AD and later renamed it the Isle of France).
Realizing the hostile intentions of Tipu, Lord Wellesley, the new Governor-General of India, was determined to remove this threat once and for all. The war against Tipu began in 1799 and he was defeated, first by Stuart at Sedaseer (5th March) and then by General Harris at Malvelley (27th March). Then, the English captured Srirangapatnam (4th May 1799) and Tipu died defending his capital. Arthur Wellesley, who was the brother of the Governor-General and who was to defeat Napolean in the Battle of Waterloo, also participated in this war.