Kingdom of Mysore (Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan)
Medieval History › Regional Kingdoms · Topic 3.8
The Wodeyars founded a Hindu kingdom at Mysore in 1612 on the ruins of Vijayanagara. Haidar Ali, a soldier who became de facto ruler in 1761, built a modern army, and his son Tipu Sultan continued the fight against the British until he fell at Seringapatam on 4 May 1799.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Regional Kingdoms
At a Glance
- Wodeyar kingdom 1612
- Haidar Ali Born 1721; de facto ruler 1761
- Tipu Sultan Born 1750; the Tiger of Mysore
- Fall Seringapatam, 4 May 1799
- Afterwards Wodeyars restored under the Subsidiary Alliance
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Regional Kingdoms
Where Does It Fit?
This is the eighth topic of the category on regional kingdoms. The previous topic covered Hyderabad, an ally of the English against Mysore, and this topic covers the south Indian state that resisted them. The next topic describes social and cultural conditions in the regional kingdoms of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Previous topic: Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah Decisive battle Shakr-Kheda, 1724 Title Asaf Jah, taken in 1725 Alliance with the…">Hyderabad State (Asaf Jahi/Nizam Dynasty). The modern phase is in First Anglo-Mysore War, 1767-69 and The Wodeyar Dynasty and the Rise of Haidar Ali.
How Did Mysore Rise After Vijayanagara?
In short: Mysore became a power after the fall of Vijayanagara in 1565, when a Hindu Wodeyar kingdom arose in 1612 and later passed under the control of Haidar Ali.
The defeat of Vijayanagara at Talikota in 1565 left many small kingdoms. In 1612 a Hindu kingdom under the Wodeyars emerged in the Mysore region, and Chikka Krishnaraja Wodeyar II ruled from 1734 to 1766. In the early eighteenth century the brothers Nanjaraj (the sarvadhikari) and Devaraj (the dulwai) had reduced him to a puppet. Marathas and the Nizam’s troops raided Mysore repeatedly, which made it weak.
How Did Haidar Ali Rise?
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth and start | Born in 1721 in an obscure family; began as a horseman in the Mysore army under Nanjaraj and Devaraj |
| Power | Became de facto ruler in 1761 |
| Conquests | Dod Ballapur, Sera, Bednur and Hoskote in 1761 to 1763; brought the poligars of south India to submission |
| Army | Swift cavalry to meet the Marathas, effective artillery against the Nizam’s French-trained guns, and an arms factory at Dindigul set up with French help; Western training |
| Marathas | Defeated by Madhavrao in 1764, 1766 and 1771, paid large sums; recovered lost lands in raids of 1774 to 1776 after Madhavrao died in 1772 |
Haidar Ali, though uneducated, was an able and determined man who rose by ability. The English feared Mysore because of its closeness to the French, its control of the Malabar trade and its power near Madras.
Who Was Tipu Sultan?
Tipu Sultan, born in November 1750 to Haidar Ali and Fatima, was well educated and could speak Arabic, Persian, Kanarese and Urdu. He was a great warrior known as the Tiger of Mysore and kept an efficient army organised on the European model with Persian words of command, using French officers without letting them become a pressure group. Like his father he saw the value of a navy: in 1796 he set up a Board of Admiralty and planned 22 battleships and 20 frigates with dockyards at Mangalore, Wajedabad and Molidabad, though the plan did not bear fruit. In 1796, when the Hindu ruler died, he refused to put the minor son on the throne and declared himself sultan.
He is credited with early work on military rockets, with introducing sericulture to Mysore and, by some accounts, with supporting a Jacobin Club at Seringapatam, though some of these claims rest on limited evidence and are best treated as reported. He despised palanquins. A British officer, Lieutenant Moore, described his country as well cultivated and flourishing.
How Did the Anglo-Mysore Wars End the Kingdom?
Four wars with the English were fought between 1767 and 1799. In the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, which ran from 17 April to 4 May 1799, Tipu was defeated by General Stuart and then General Harris, with Arthur Wellesley taking part. He died fighting as Seringapatam fell. His family was interned at Vellore and his treasure was taken. The English put a boy of the old Wodeyar family on the throne and made him accept the Subsidiary Alliance, and the allies divided the lands. Each war is covered in First Anglo-Mysore War, 1767-69, Second Anglo-Mysore War, 1780-84, Third Anglo-Mysore War and the Treaty of Seringapatam and Fourth Anglo-Mysore War and the Fall of Tipu Sultan.
How Should Tipu Be Assessed?
Some colonial historians called Tipu a bigot, but this is not fully correct. He crushed the Coorgs and Nairs but also punished the Muslim Moplahs, and he gave money for repairs to the Sringeri temple and the idol of Sarada damaged in a Maratha raid of 1791. The historian Mohibbul Hasan rejected the view that Tipu was the first Indian nationalist, since nationalism as a sense did not exist then and he fought to preserve his own power. As an analytical point, Tipu’s state shows a ruler using the English methods of army and trade against them, defeated by alliances of the Company with other Indian powers. After him, Bentinck took control in 1831 for misgovernance and Ripon restored the kingdom in 1881.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Resistance Last major south Indian power to resist the English
- Military change Shows adoption of European methods
- Debate Tipu’s character is a standard Mains topic
What Came Next?
The next topic describes social and cultural conditions in the regional kingdoms of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Next topic: Social and Cultural Conditions in the Regional Kingdoms.
Key People and Terms
- Wodeyar Ruling house of Mysore
- Haidar Ali De facto ruler from 1761
- Tipu Sultan Tiger of Mysore
- Dindigul Site of the arms factory
- Sarvadhikari Chief minister
- Board of Admiralty Tipu’s naval body of 1796
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Wodeyar kingdom: 1612.
- Haidar Ali de facto ruler: 1761.
- Arms factory at Dindigul.
- Board of Admiralty: 1796.
- Fall of Seringapatam: 4 May 1799.
Do Not Confuse With
- Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan Founder of the power versus the son who lost it
- Mysore and Vijayanagara Wodeyar kingdom after 1612 versus the empire that fell at Talikota
- Wodeyar rule and Tipu’s rule Hindu dynasty restored in 1799
Memory Hook
Wodeyars rise, Haidar seizes, Dindigul arms, Tipu falls, Wodeyars return.
Mains Angle
Questions on Mysore ask about Haidar’s and Tipu’s modernisation and the reasons for defeat. These points add depth.
- Strength Army, artillery and administration
- Weakness Isolation against English-Maratha-Nizam combinations
- Legacy Mysore under restored Wodeyars
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Assess the contribution of Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan to the military and administrative modernisation of Mysore.”
How to Answer
- Rise Haidar’s ascent in 1761.
- Army Cavalry, artillery and arms factory.
- Tipu European-style army and navy plan.
- Fall 1799 and the alliances against him.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Haidar Ali?
Haidar Ali was born in 1721 in an obscure family and began as a horseman in the Mysore army. He became de facto ruler in 1761, modernised the army with French help, and fought the Marathas and the English until his death.
What military reforms did Haidar Ali introduce?
Haidar Ali built swift cavalry to face the Marathas and artillery to match the Nizam's French-trained guns. He set up an arms factory at Dindigul with French help, introduced Western methods of training and brought the poligars of south India under control.
Why is Tipu Sultan called the Tiger of Mysore?
Tipu Sultan was a great warrior who kept an efficient army organised on the European model, which won him the title Tiger of Mysore. He also planned a navy in 1796 and died fighting when Seringapatam fell on 4 May 1799.
Was Tipu Sultan a bigot?
Some colonial historians said so, but the view is not fully correct. He punished Hindu Coorgs and Nairs but also Muslim Moplahs, protected temples in his kingdom and sanctioned funds for the Sringeri temple, so his record is mixed.
What happened to Mysore after 1799?
The English gave Mysore to a boy of the old Hindu Wodeyar dynasty, who accepted the Subsidiary Alliance. William Bentinck took control in 1831 for misgovernance, and Lord Ripon restored the kingdom to its ruler in 1881.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Haidar Ali set up an arms factory at Dindigul with French help.
He also adopted Western training.
2 Tipu Sultan fell at Seringapatam in 1799.
The war ran from 17 April to 4 May.
3 The Wodeyar dynasty was founded by Haidar Ali.
The Wodeyars founded the kingdom in 1612; Haidar seized power in 1761.
4 Tipu set up a Board of Admiralty in 1796.
He planned 22 battleships and 20 frigates.
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