Fourth Anglo-Mysore War and the Fall of Tipu Sultan

At a Glance

• What it is The last war between Mysore and the Company
• Dates 17 April to 4 May 1799
• Governor-General Lord Wellesley, from 1798
• Result Tipu killed; the Wodeyars restored under a subsidiary alliance
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: The Anglo-Mysore Wars

Where Does It Fit?

This is the fifth topic of the category on the Anglo-Mysore Wars. The previous topic described the settlement of 1792. This topic covers the war that ended Tipu Sultan’s rule. The next topic covers Mysore after Tipu and an estimate of the Sultan. Previous topic: Third Anglo-Mysore War and the Treaty of Seringapatam.

How Did the Years After 1792 Prepare the War?

The English and Tipu Sultan used the period 1792 to 1799 to recover from their losses before the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. Tipu fulfilled all the terms of the Treaty of Seringapatam and got his sons released. In 1796, when the Hindu ruler of the Wodeyar dynasty died, Tipu refused to place the Wodeyar’s minor son on the throne and declared himself sultan. He also decided to avenge his humiliating defeat and the terms of the treaty set out in Third Anglo-Mysore War and the Treaty of Seringapatam.

What Were Wellesley’s Charges?

In 1798 Lord Wellesley succeeded Sir John Shore as Governor-General. An imperialist to the core, Wellesley was worried by Tipu’s growing friendship with the French and aimed either to destroy Tipu’s independent existence or to force him to submit through the system of Subsidiary Alliance.

The charge sheet against Tipu said that he was plotting against the English with the Nizam and the Marathas, and that he had sent emissaries with treasonable intent to Arabia, Afghanistan, Kabul and Zaman Shah, as well as to the Isle of France (Mauritius) and Versailles. Tipu’s explanation did not satisfy Wellesley.

What Was the Course of the War?

The war began on 17 April 1799 and ended on 4 May 1799 with the fall of Seringapatam. Tipu was defeated first by the English general Stuart and then by General Harris. Arthur Wellesley, brother of Lord Wellesley, also took part.

The Nizam, who had already signed the Subsidiary Alliance, supported the English. The chapter says the Marathas were helped by a promise of half of Tipu’s territory, while other accounts say the Marathas stayed neutral and later refused the districts offered to them, so their role is described differently by different sources. Tipu laid down his life fighting bravely. His family members were interned at Vellore and his treasures were confiscated by the English.

What Did the English Do After the Victory?

The English chose a boy from the earlier Hindu royal family of Mysore as the Maharaja and imposed on him the subsidiary alliance system. The partition of Tipu’s lands and the later history of Mysore are described in Mysore After Tipu and an Estimate of Tipu Sultan.

As an analytical point, the war shows the logic of Wellesley’s policy. The Subsidiary Alliance offered security in return for control: it was first used to bring the Nizam under the Company, then to turn a defeated Mysore into a client state under a restored dynasty. Tipu was the last major power in south India to resist, and with his fall the Company became the dominant power in the south.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Wellesley’s policy It is a clear case of the Subsidiary Alliance in practice
• Direct facts The dates of the war and the names of the generals are common questions
• End of an era The fall of Tipu ended Mysore’s resistance

What Came Next?

The next topic covers what happened to Mysore after Tipu and gives an estimate of Tipu Sultan. Next topic: Mysore After Tipu and an Estimate of Tipu Sultan.

Key People and Terms

• Subsidiary Alliance A system in which an Indian ruler accepts an English force and pays for it, losing independence
• Wellesley The Governor-General from 1798 who attacked Mysore
• Seringapatam Tipu’s capital, which fell on 4 May 1799
• Charge sheet A formal list of charges against someone
• Interned Kept in a particular place under guard
• Maharaja of Mysore The title of the Wodeyar ruler installed in 1799

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask about Wellesley’s motives and the fall of Mysore. These points add depth.

• Imperial policy Wellesley wanted Tipu either destroyed or bound by subsidiary alliance
• French fear Tipu’s links with the French were used as the main charge
• Client state Mysore became a subsidiary state under a restored dynasty