Indian history · British era · Kings and empires

Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and the Four Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767–1799): Treaties, Rockets, Reforms and the Fall of Srirangapatna — Exam Notes

For over three decades, the kingdom of Mysore was the East India Company's most determined opponent in south India. Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan fought four wars against the British, introduced iron-cased war rockets and sought allies as far away as France and the Ottoman Empire. This guide covers the wars in order, with the treaties and personalities exams ask about.

By PunjabExams Editorial Team · Updated 29 October 2026 · 6 min read · How we prepare guides

Mysore and the rise of Hyder Ali

Mysore was ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty, but by the mid-18th century real power lay with ministers. Hyder Ali, a soldier who rose through the army, became the effective ruler around 1761, keeping the Wodeyar raja as a nominal head. He modernised the army with French help, set up an arsenal at Dindigul, and expanded Mysore's territory towards the Malabar coast.

Tipu Sultan at a glance

Detail	Fact
Born	20 November 1750, Devanahalli (near Bengaluru)
Father	Hyder Ali
Ruled	1782–1799
Capital	Srirangapatna (Seringapatam), an island fortress on the Kaveri
Title	Tiger of Mysore
Died	4 May 1799, defending Srirangapatna

The four Anglo-Mysore Wars

War	Years	Main events	Treaty / result
First	1767–1769	Hyder Ali fought a coalition of the Company, the Nizam and the Marathas; he reached the outskirts of Madras	Treaty of Madras (1769) — conquests returned; mutual help in case of attack
Second	1780–1784	Hyder Ali, angered by the British failure to help him against the Marathas (1771) and their capture of French-held Mahe, invaded the Carnatic and defeated Colonel Baillie at Pollilur (1780). Hyder died in 1782; Tipu continued	Treaty of Mangalore (1784) — mutual restoration of conquests; signed with Tipu
Third	1790–1792	Began with Tipu's attack on Travancore, a British ally. Lord Cornwallis allied with the Nizam and the Marathas and besieged Srirangapatna	Treaty of Seringapatam (1792) — Tipu ceded half his territory, paid a large indemnity and sent two sons as hostages
Fourth	1799	Lord Wellesley attacked; Srirangapatna was stormed on 4 May 1799 and Tipu died fighting	Mysore restored to the Wodeyars (child ruler Krishnaraja Wodeyar III) under a Subsidiary Alliance; much territory annexed or given to the Nizam

The Battle of Pollilur (1780)

At Pollilur, near Kanchipuram, Hyder Ali and Tipu destroyed a British force under Colonel William Baillie — one of the heaviest defeats suffered by the Company in India. Mysorean rockets hit British ammunition carts. Tipu later had the battle painted on the walls of his summer palace, the Daria Daulat Bagh in Srirangapatna.

The Treaty of Mangalore (1784)

Signed between Tipu and the Company in March 1784, during the governor-generalship of Warren Hastings (negotiated by the Madras government under Lord Macartney), it restored the situation before the war. It is often noted as the last treaty in which an Indian ruler dictated terms to the Company on equal footing.

Mysorean rockets

Mysore's armies used iron-cased rockets, which could travel over a kilometre — far better than European rockets of the time because the iron casing allowed higher pressure. After 1799, captured rockets were taken to Britain, where William Congreve studied them and developed the Congreve rocket, used in the Napoleonic Wars. Some original Mysorean rockets are preserved in the Royal Artillery Museum collections in London, and several were found in a well near Nagar, Shivamogga in 2018.

Tipu Sultan's reforms

Calendar and coinage: introduced a new calendar and new coins with Persian names, and a new system of weights and measures.
Trade: set up state trading houses and factories, planned trading posts abroad and encouraged sericulture (silk) in Mysore.
Land revenue: tried to collect revenue directly from cultivators, reducing the role of intermediaries (poligars).
Navy: began building a fleet and dockyards on the west coast.
Diplomacy: sent embassies to France, the Ottoman Empire and Afghanistan, seeking allies against the British.

Tipu and the French Revolution

Tipu was in contact with the French in Mauritius. According to records of the time, French soldiers in Srirangapatna formed a Jacobin Club in 1797, and Tipu is said to have been enrolled as "Citizen Tipu" and planted a Tree of Liberty. This contact gave Wellesley a reason for the Fourth War.

Why did Mysore fall?

The Company was able to ally with Mysore's neighbours — the Nizam and the Marathas — who distrusted Mysore's expansion.
Hoped-for French help never arrived in strength, especially after Napoleon's Egyptian campaign failed.
The Third War (1792) cost Tipu half his kingdom and huge sums of money, weakening him for the final war.
Wellesley's Subsidiary Alliance had already bound the Nizam (1798) to the British.

Tipu's legacy

Tipu Sultan is remembered as a determined opponent of the East India Company and a modernising ruler. His legacy is also debated: historians and communities differ over his treatment of some groups in Malabar, Coorg and Mangalore during his campaigns. Exams usually focus on the wars, treaties, rockets and reforms.

Objects associated with him — such as Tipu's Tiger (a mechanical toy showing a tiger attacking a European soldier) — are in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. His sword was bought at auction and brought back to India by Vijay Mallya in 2004.

Exam traps

Treaty of Madras — 1st war (1769); Mangalore — 2nd (1784); Seringapatam — 3rd (1792).
The Third War was fought under Cornwallis; the Fourth under Wellesley.
After 1799, Mysore went back to the Wodeyars, not to Tipu's sons.

Key points to remember

Hyder Ali took power c. 1761; Tipu ruled 1782–1799 from Srirangapatna.
Wars: 1767–69, 1780–84, 1790–92, 1799.
Pollilur (1780): Baillie defeated; rockets.
Seringapatam (1792): half territory lost; sons as hostages.
Tipu died 4 May 1799; Wodeyars restored under Subsidiary Alliance.

Practice questions

Q1. The Treaty of Mangalore (1784) ended the:
- (a) First Anglo-Mysore War
- (b) Second Anglo-Mysore War
- (c) Third Anglo-Mysore War
- (d) Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
Show answer
Answer: (b) Second Anglo-Mysore War — It was signed between Tipu Sultan and the Company in 1784.
Q2. Which Governor-General fought the Third Anglo-Mysore War?
- (a) Warren Hastings
- (b) Lord Cornwallis
- (c) Lord Wellesley
- (d) Sir John Shore
Show answer
Answer: (b) Lord Cornwallis — Cornwallis led the war that ended with the Treaty of Seringapatam (1792).
Q3. Tipu Sultan died defending Srirangapatna in:
- (a) 1792
- (b) 1797
- (c) 1799
- (d) 1802
Show answer
Answer: (c) 1799 — He died on 4 May 1799 in the Fourth War.
Q4. At the Battle of Pollilur (1780), Mysore defeated a British force led by:
- (a) Colonel Baillie
- (b) Eyre Coote
- (c) Arthur Wellesley
- (d) Robert Clive
Show answer
Answer: (a) Colonel Baillie — Colonel William Baillie's force was destroyed.
Q5. After the fall of Tipu, Mysore was handed to:
- (a) The Nizam
- (b) Tipu's eldest son
- (c) The Wodeyar dynasty
- (d) The Marathas
Show answer
Answer: (c) The Wodeyar dynasty — The child Krishnaraja Wodeyar III was placed on the throne under a subsidiary alliance.
Q6. Mysorean rockets later influenced the development of the:
- (a) Congreve rocket
- (b) Gatling gun
- (c) Enfield rifle
- (d) Mortar
Show answer
Answer: (a) Congreve rocket — William Congreve studied captured Mysorean rockets.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Tipu Sultan called the Tiger of Mysore?

For his courage and his frequent use of the tiger as a royal symbol on his throne, weapons and flags.

What did the Treaty of Seringapatam (1792) impose?

Tipu ceded half his territory to the British and their allies, paid a heavy indemnity and handed over two sons as hostages.

Where was Tipu Sultan's capital?

Srirangapatna (Seringapatam), an island fortress on the Kaveri near Mysuru.

Official sources

Rules, dates and figures can change. Always check the latest official notification or government release before relying on a detail.

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