The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War was fought in South India in 1798–99 between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company and the Deccan. This was the fourth and final of the four Anglo-Mysore Wars. Mysore's capital was conquered by the British. Tipu Sultan, the ruler, was killed in the conflict. Britain gained indirect control of Mysore, returning the Wadiyar family to the throne. This article will explain to you about the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799) which will be helpful in Modern Indian History preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84) - Background

• The English, as well as Tipu Sultan, exploited the years 1792-1799 to make up for their losses.
• Tipu fulfilled all of the Treaty of Seringapatam's stipulations and had his sons liberated.
• When the Hindu king of the Wodeyar dynasty died in 1796, Tipu refused to appoint Wodeyar's little son to the throne and declared himself Sultan.
• He also resolved to avenge his humiliating defeat as well as the stipulations of the Treaty of Seringapatam.
• Lord Wellesley took over as governor-general in 1798, succeeding Sir John Shore.
• Wellesley, an imperialist at heart, was anxious about Tipu's increasing affinity with the French and sought to annihilate Tipu's independent existence or compel him to submit through the Subsidiary Alliance system.
• So, the charge sheet against Tipu said that he was scheming against the English with the Nizam and the Marathas and that he had despatched agents with treasonable intent to Arabia, Afghanistan, Kabul, and Zaman Shah, as well as to the Isle of France (Mauritius) and Versailles.
• Wellesley was unsatisfied with Tipu's explanation.

Course of War

• Lord Wellesley, a staunch imperialist, took over as Governor-General in 1798, succeeding Sir John Shore.
• Rockets were employed on various occasions during the battle. Colonel Arthur Wellesley, afterward known as the First Duke of Wellington, was involved in one of them.
• At the Battle of Sultanpet Tope, Tipu's Diwan, Purnaiah, beat Wellesley.
• Wellesley was concerned about Tipu's burgeoning ties with the French.
• With the goal of annihilating Tipu's autonomous existence, he pushed him into surrender via the Subsidiary Alliance structure.
• The conflict began on April 17, 1799, and ended with the fall of Seringapatam on May 4, 1799.
• Tipu was defeated by both British General Stuart and General Harris. Lord Wellesley's brother, Arthur Wellesley, also fought in the war.
• The British were once again supported by the Marathas and the Nizam, as the Marathas had been promised half of Tipu's land, and the Nizam had previously joined the Subsidiary Alliance.
• Tipu Sultan died during the war, and the British took all of his wealth.
• As the maharaja, the British picked a son from the former Hindu royal dynasty of Mysore and imposed the subsidiary alliance system on him.
• The English had taken 32 years to subdue Mysore. The possibility of a French renaissance in the Deccan was effectively eradicated.
• On 2 May 1799, during the decisive British onslaught on Seringapatam, a British shot struck a magazine of rockets within Tipu Sultan's fort, causing it to explode and send a towering cloud of black smoke with cascades of brilliant white light soaring up from the battlements.

Result of Fourth Anglo - Mysore War

• Tipu was defeated twice by the English Generals Stuart and Harris. Lord Wellesley's brother, Arthur Wellesley, also fought in the war.
• The Marathas and the Nizam once again aided the English.
• The Nizam had already joined the Subsidiary Alliance, and the Marathas had been given half of Tipu's land.
• Tipu died heroically battling; his family members were incarcerated at Vellore, and the English took his possessions.
• The English appointed a child from the former Hindu royal dynasty of Mysore as maharaja and imposed the subsidiary alliance system on him.
• Fateh Ali, Tipu Sultan's young heir, was exiled. In a secondary alliance with British India involving areas of present-day Kerala–Karnataka, the Kingdom of Mysore became a princely state and surrendered Coimbatore, Dakshina Kannada, and Uttara Kannada to the British.
• The newly constituted princely kingdom of Mysore was totally under British rule and also under subsidiary alliance (the Subsidiary Treaty signed on 6 April 1801). The British may also meddle in empire administration.
• The British gained total authority and dominance over South India as a consequence of the fourth Mysore war.
• The British Government bestowed the title of Marquees to Lord Wellesley following the war.

Mysore After Tipu

• Wellesley offered the Marathas the regions of Soonda and Harponelly in the Mysore Kingdom, which they declined.
• The districts of Gooty and Gurramkonda were granted to the Nizam.
• Kanara, Wayanad, Coimbatore, Dwaraporam, and Seringapatam were all taken over by the English.
• The new kingdom of Mysore was given to the previous Hindu dynasty (Wodeyars) by Krishnaraja III, a minor prince who accepted the subsidiary alliance.
• On the basis of misgovernance, William Bentinck assumed control of Mysore in 1831.
• Lord Ripon returned the country to its rightful monarch in 1881.

Lord Wellesley Lord Wellesley From 1798 until 1805, Lord Wellesley served as Governor-General of Fort Williams. During his reign, the fourth and last Anglo-Mysore war was fought, and Tipu was slain. In addition, the Second Anglo-Maratha War occurred, in which Bhonsle, Scindia, and Holkar were vanquished. Wellesley pursued the "subsidiary alliance" doctrine, which was recognized by the kings of Mysore, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bundi, Macheri, Bharatpur, Oudh, Tanjore, Berar, Peshwa, and the Nizam of Hyderabad. The Censorship of the Press Act of 1799 was also passed during his term, and Fort William College was founded in 1800 to teach civil workers. Lord Wellesley

Subsidiary Alliance

• Lord Wellesley established the Subsidiary Alliance system in India in 1798, under which the ruler of an allying Indian state was forced to pay a subsidy for the upkeep of the British troops in exchange for British protection against their opponents.
• It stipulated the establishment of a British Resident at the ruler's court, as well as the ruler's prohibition on engaging any European in his service without British sanction.
• The Nizam of Hyderabad was the first Indian king to sign the Subsidiary Alliance.
• Those native princes or monarchs who joined the Subsidiary Alliance were not allowed to wage war on any other state or negotiate without the British's permission.
• The princes who were relatively strong and powerful were allowed to keep their forces, but they were commanded by British generals.
• The Subsidiary Alliance was a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of allies, however, the British rarely followed through on this commitment.
• The British, on the other hand, could now afford to keep a huge army at the expense of the Indian kingdoms.
• They had a large army stationed in the heart of the protected ally's country, and they controlled his defense and foreign affairs.

Conclusion

Among all the heroes who battled against the British in the Indian subcontinent, the king of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, is remembered as the most notable hero in Indian history. He had relatively few peers. He was a renowned warrior who fought numerous wars, was well-educated, and knew a lot about administration. Mysore thrived throughout his reign, and he was continuously striving to make Mysore a stronger and more powerful state.