{"id":118804,"date":"2023-12-04T14:38:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T18:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=118804"},"modified":"2023-12-11T14:43:40","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T18:43:40","slug":"the-anglo-mysore-wars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-anglo-mysore-wars\/","title":{"rendered":"The Anglo-Mysore Wars: The East India Company Expands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Who won the Anglo-Mysore wars? What impact did the wars have on India?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the East India Company (EIC) established itself in Bengal, it began to assert itself on the larger stage of regional powers vying for control of the greater Indian subcontinent. The EIC rose to power in greater India through a series of wars against two major powers: the Mysore Sultanate and the Maratha Confederacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s take a look at a brief history of the Anglo-Mysore wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767-1799)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Anglo-Mysore wars were a series of conflicts between the British East India Company (EIC) and the Mysore Sultanate, leading to a dramatic expansion of the EIC’s territory and resources. Historian William Dalrymple clarifies that the Mysore Sultanate was a powerful kingdom based in southern peninsular India and ruled during the late 18th century first by Hyder Ali and then by his son Tipu Sultan. The Mysore Kingdom commanded significant resources. It possessed superior numbers of troops and had narrowed the gap in military technology and tactics with assistance from French mercenaries. Additionally, the Kingdom had built its own munitions factories and artillery, funded by a strong silk-based economy. Lastly, Mysore had forged effective alliances, first with the Marathas and a central kingdom called Hyderabad and then later with the French. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of the Mysore Kingdom<\/strong>

By the time of its wars with the British, the Kingdom of Mysore already had an impressive track record of navigating the region’s imperial politics<\/a>. 

Founded in 1399 at the site of the modern-day city of Mysore, this kingdom served as a vassal state to the Vijayanagara Empire<\/a>\u2014a mostly Hindu empire based in Southern India (1366-1646). As a vassal state, it provided military support and financial tribute in return for security from the Empire, but lacked the autonomy of a fully sovereign state. However, Mysore expanded its power and independence<\/a> after the defeat of the Vijayanagara Empire at the hands of the Deccan Sultanates<\/a> (an alliance of Muslim Kingdoms independent from the Mughals) in 1565.

Mysore maintained its independence by fighting against the Mughals and Marathas throughout the 17th century. However, under the emperor Aurangzeb, the Mughals eventually broke through and subordinated Mysore to Mughal leadership in the 1690s<\/a>. 

Nonetheless, Mysore maintained a degree of political and cultural independence. Its subordination consisted purely of paying financial tribute to Delhi. However, it was able to resist even this arrangement. The Mughal empire’s grip on Southern India was loose enough that Mysore could get away with delaying payment or paying only partial sums. 

Like the EIC, Mysore rose in military and economic might after the collapse of the Mughal empire<\/a>. The kingdom was at the height of its power when fighting the British.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Course and Outcome of the Wars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At first, Mysore succeeded at challenging British power in southern and eastern India, but Dalrymple explains that the war turned against it.<\/strong> The EIC suffered its first major defeat in India when Mysore marched on Bengal with 50,000 troops. Failing to repel the attack, the British bought off Mysore with an enormous tribute. However, over the next 30 years, under the commands of Warren Hastings, George Cornwallis, <\/strong>and eventually Richard Wellesley, the British took several steps which allowed them to overcome the Mysore Sultanate and conquer its territory: <\/p>\n\n\n\n