Tipu Sultan died fighting the English forces under—

1. Rise of Mysore: Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan (basic)

The story of Mysore's rise begins in the shadows of the great Vijayanagar Empire. After the Battle of Talikota (1565), the empire collapsed, leaving behind several small successor states. One of these was Mysore, where the Wodeyar dynasty asserted independence as early as 1578 History, Class XI (Tamilnadu State Board 2024 ed.), Chapter 18, p. 279. By the mid-18th century, however, the Wodeyar kings had become mere figureheads, with real administrative and military power concentrated in the hands of two powerful ministers, Nanjaraj (the Sarvadhikari) and Devraj (the Dulwai) Modern India, Bipin Chandra (Old NCERT), Chapter 2, p. 22. Under their rule, Mysore remained a precarious state, constantly threatened by the Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad. In this era of political flux, a young soldier named Hyder Ali emerged. Born in 1721 into an obscure family, Hyder was uneducated but possessed an extraordinary military intellect and daring spirit. He started his career as a petty officer in the Mysore army and rose through the ranks by displaying exceptional soldierly qualities. By 1755, he had secured a powerful position as the Faujdar (garrison commander) of Kolar, and by 1761, he had successfully sidelined the ministers to become the de facto ruler of Mysore A Brief History of Modern India, Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum), Chapter 5, p. 94. Hyder Ali was a visionary who realized that to survive against European powers, he needed a modern army. He established an arsenal at Dindigul with French help and trained his troops in Western methods. Hyder Ali and his son, Tipu Sultan, transformed Mysore into a formidable regional power. This was not just about military might; it was about strategic economic control. Mysore controlled the Malabar Coast, which was the gateway to the lucrative spice trade, specifically pepper and cardamom A Brief History of Modern India, Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum), Chapter 5, p. 94. Their growing friendship with the French—the British's arch-rivals—combined with their control over trade, made Mysore a "double threat" to the British East India Company. This tension set the stage for one of the most intense periods of warfare in Indian history.

Sources: History, Class XI (Tamilnadu State Board 2024 ed.), Early Resistance to British Rule, p.279; Modern India, Bipin Chandra (Old NCERT), Indian States and Society in the 18th Century, p.22-23; A Brief History of Modern India, Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum), Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India, p.94

2. Tipu’s International Diplomacy and Modernization (intermediate)

Tipu Sultan stands out in 18th-century Indian history not just as a warrior, but as a ruler with a global perspective. Unlike many of his contemporaries who viewed the British as just another local power, Tipu recognized the British East India Company as a representative of a rising global empire. To counter this, he sought to modernize Mysore's economy and military while building an international coalition that reached far beyond the Indian subcontinent.

His international diplomacy was particularly bold. Tipu reached out to the Ottoman Empire (Constantinople), Afghanistan, and most notably, Revolutionary France. He sent emissaries to Paris in 1796 and maintained contact with the French governor in Mauritius History, class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.), Early Resistance to British Rule, p.282. In a remarkable show of solidarity with the French Revolution's ideals—which he saw as a useful ideological tool against British monarchy—he allowed the establishment of a Jacobin Club at his capital, Srirangapatna. He even called himself "Citizen Tipu" and planted a "Tree of Liberty" to mark the cordiality between Mysore and the French Republic Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM, Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India, p.99.

Domestically, Tipu was a modernizer who attempted to transform Mysore into a commercial and industrial powerhouse. He introduced a new coinage system, a new calendar, and a new system of weights and measures. Recognizing that naval power was the secret to British success, he laid the foundations for a modern navy and established several dockyards. His military modernization was equally advanced; he was a pioneer in the use of iron-cased rockets, which significantly harassed British infantry during the Anglo-Mysore wars. However, his refusal to accept the Subsidiary Alliance and his growing ties with the French eventually made him the primary target of Lord Wellesley’s imperialist expansion Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM, Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India, p.98.

Sources: Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM, Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India, p.98-99; History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.), Early Resistance to British Rule, p.282

3. Expansionist Policies: Lord Wellesley’s Vision (intermediate)

When Lord Wellesley (then Lord Mornington) arrived in India in 1798, he brought a radical shift in British strategy. Up until this point, the East India Company had largely followed a policy of consolidation—securing existing territories and only expanding when it was safe and profitable. However, Wellesley viewed the Company not just as a trading entity, but as an imperial power in the making. His arrival coincided with the global Napoleonic Wars, and the fear that Napoleon might ally with Indian rulers like Tipu Sultan drove Wellesley to adopt a 'forward policy' aimed at making the British the paramount power in India Modern India, Bipin Chandra, Chapter 4, p.75. To achieve this, Wellesley moved beyond the old 'Ring Fence' policy, which merely sought to create buffer zones around British territory. Instead, he developed the Subsidiary Alliance System. This was a masterstroke of political engineering: an Indian ruler who entered this alliance had to accept a permanent British military force within his territory and pay a subsidy for its maintenance. In return, the British promised protection against external enemies. However, the 'hidden' cost was the ruler’s sovereignty; they had to keep a British Resident at their court and could not negotiate with other powers or employ any other Europeans (especially the French) without British permission A Brief History of Modern India (Spectrum), Chapter 5, p.120. Wellesley’s expansionist vision relied on three distinct methods: outright war (as seen in the final conflict with Tipu Sultan in 1799), the Subsidiary Alliance (used effectively with the Nizam of Hyderabad), and the assumption of territories of previously subordinated rulers where the British took over the entire administration History, Tamil Nadu State Board, Chapter 18, p.267. By the time he left in 1805, the map of India had been fundamentally redrawn, shifting from a collection of independent states to a landscape dominated by British supremacy.

Feature	Policy of Ring Fence (Pre-Wellesley)	Subsidiary Alliance (Wellesley)
Primary Goal	Defend Company borders by creating buffer states.	Establish absolute British supremacy across India.
Military Presence	British troops often stationed outside the allied state.	Permanent British force stationed within the state.
Sovereignty	States maintained independent foreign relations.	Foreign policy and external relations surrendered to the British.

Sources: Modern India (Old NCERT), Chapter 4: The British Conquest of India, p.75-76; A Brief History of Modern India (Spectrum), Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India, p.120; History (Tamil Nadu State Board), Chapter 18: Early Resistance to British Rule, p.267

4. The Subsidiary Alliance System (intermediate)

To understand the British conquest of India, we must look at their most effective non-combat weapon: the Subsidiary Alliance System. Introduced by Lord Wellesley (Governor-General from 1798–1805), this wasn't just a military pact; it was a masterstroke of diplomacy that allowed the British to expand their empire using the resources and money of the very Indian rulers they were subordinating THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.), REBELS AND THE RAJ, p.266.

At its heart, the system functioned as a "protection racket." An Indian ruler who signed the treaty was promised protection from internal rebellions and external enemies. However, this safety came at a staggering cost to their sovereignty. The core terms included:

• Permanent British Force: The ruler had to station a permanent British armed contingent within their territory.
• Financial Burden: The ruler had to pay for the maintenance of this force. If they failed to pay, the British would simply annex a large portion of their territory as compensation History, class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.), Effects of British Rule, p.267.
• Loss of Foreign Policy: The ruler could not employ any other Europeans (especially the French) or negotiate with any other Indian state without British permission Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM., Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India, p.121.
• The British Resident: A British official called a "Resident" was stationed at the ruler's court. While supposedly just an advisor, the Resident eventually became the de facto ruler, interfering in the state's internal administration.

Why did Wellesley push this so aggressively? Beyond mere expansion, there was a global geopolitical fear: Napoleon Bonaparte. The British were terrified that the French might use Indian allies to attack British interests. By forcing Indian rulers to expel all non-British Europeans, Wellesley effectively built a "buffer zone" against French influence Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM., Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India, p.121.

In practice, the Subsidiary Alliance turned independent kings into "protected" puppets. They lost the right to defend themselves and the right to talk to their neighbors, while the British gained a massive army paid for by Indian taxes, stationed deep inside Indian territories, ready to strike whenever the Company saw fit.

Sources: THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.), REBELS AND THE RAJ, p.266; History, class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.), Effects of British Rule, p.267; Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM., Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India, p.121; Modern India, Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.), The British Conquest of India, p.78; Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM., Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India, p.122

5. Adjacent Concept: The Maratha Challenge (intermediate)

After the decline of the Mughals and the fall of Mysore, the Maratha Confederacy was the only indigenous power capable of challenging British hegemony. However, the Marathas were not a single unit; they were a loose collection of chiefs—the Peshwa (Pune), Sindhia (Gwalior), Holkar (Indore), Bhonsle (Nagpur), and Gaekwad (Baroda). While they were formidable warriors, their internal rivalries proved to be their undoing. The British, under Governor-Generals like Wellesley and Hastings, skillfully exploited these 'dissensions among the Marathas' to intervene in their internal affairs Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India, p.104.

The turning point was the Treaty of Bassein (1802). After being defeated by his rival Holkar, the weak Peshwa Baji Rao II fled to the British for protection. He signed away Maratha independence by accepting a Subsidiary Alliance, which other Maratha chiefs like Sindhia and Bhonsle viewed as a 'humiliating' betrayal History, class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.). Chapter 12: The Marathas, p.234. This led to the Second Anglo-Maratha War, where the British dismantled the Maratha coordination piece by piece. Although they made a 'desperate last attempt' to regain freedom in 1817 during the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the lack of a concerted plan and the superior espionage of the British led to the final abolition of the Peshwaship Modern India, Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.). Chapter 4: The British Conquest of India, p.81.

Factor	Maratha Weakness	English Strength
Leadership	Inept and divided (e.g., Baji Rao II)	Capacious and unified (Wellesley, Hastings)
Military	Old feudal levies; lack of modern tech	Superior artillery and organized discipline
Political	Loose confederacy with constant infighting	Single political command under the Company

Sources: Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM., Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India, p.103, 104, 134; History, class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.), Chapter 12: The Marathas, p.234; Modern India, Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT], Chapter 4: The British Conquest of India, p.81

6. The End of Mysore: Third vs. Fourth War (exam-level)

The final decade of the 18th century witnessed the dramatic rise and fall of the Kingdom of Mysore as the last major hurdle to British hegemony in Southern India. While the Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790–92) severely crippled Tipu Sultan's power, the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799) resulted in his death and the total collapse of Mysore's independence. Understanding the shift from the 'containment' policy of Lord Cornwallis to the 'annihilation' policy of Lord Wellesley is crucial for grasping how the British consolidated their Indian Empire.

The Third War was sparked by Tipu’s attack on Travancore, a British ally History, class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.), Chapter 18, p.281. Unlike previous encounters, Lord Cornwallis took personal command, leading a massive coalition that included the Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad. The ensuing Treaty of Seringapatam (1792) was a masterstroke of British diplomacy: Tipu was forced to cede half of his kingdom and pay a staggering war indemnity of three crore rupees. To ensure payment, the British took two of Tipu's sons as hostages Rajiv Ahir, A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.), Chapter 5, p.97. Cornwallis famously remarked that he had 'effectively crippled our enemy without making our friends too formidable,' as the ceded territories were shared among the allies.

The peace was merely a breathing space. In 1798, Lord Wellesley (then Lord Mornington) arrived as Governor-General. An aggressive imperialist, Wellesley viewed Tipu’s efforts to seek French aid and his refusal to accept the Subsidiary Alliance as an intolerable threat to British supremacy Rajiv Ahir, A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.), Chapter 5, p.98. The Fourth War in 1799 was swift and decisive. Seringapatam was besieged, and on May 4, 1799, Tipu Sultan was killed at the gates of his capital while defending it Rajiv Ahir, A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.), Chapter 5, p.98. With Tipu gone, the British restored the Wodeyar dynasty to the throne of a significantly reduced Mysore, which was immediately forced into a Subsidiary Alliance, making it a complete dependency of the Company Bipin Chandra, Modern India (NCERT 1982 ed.), Chapter 4, p.79.

Feature	Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790-92)	Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799)
British Leader	Lord Cornwallis	Lord Wellesley
Primary Outcome	Treaty of Seringapatam; Mysore lost 50% territory.	Fall of Seringapatam; Death of Tipu Sultan.
Status of Mysore	Severely weakened but independent.	Became a Subsidiary state under Wodeyars.
Strategic Focus	Territorial containment and indemnity.	Elimination of French influence and total submission.

Sources: History, class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.), Chapter 18: Early Resistance to British Rule, p.281; Rajiv Ahir, A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.), Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India, p.97-98; Bipin Chandra, Modern India (NCERT 1982 ed.), Chapter 4: The British Conquest of India, p.79

7. Solving the Original PYQ (exam-level)

This question synthesizes your knowledge of the Anglo-Mysore Wars and the specific administrative eras of British Governors-General. To arrive at the correct answer, you must connect the timeline of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799) with the expansionist policies you've studied. As you recall from A Brief History of Modern India by Rajiv Ahir (Spectrum), the British became increasingly wary of Tipu Sultan’s rapprochement with Revolutionary France. This geopolitical tension led the British to seek a final resolution to the "Mysore Problem" through the Subsidiary Alliance system.

The reasoning process requires matching the year 1799 to the correct official. Lord Wellesley (then Lord Mornington) arrived in India in 1798 with a clear imperialist mandate to eliminate independent Indian powers. Under his leadership, British forces, supported by the Nizam of Hyderabad, besieged the capital of Srirangapatna. Ask yourself: who was the architect of the final push against Tipu? It was Wellesley who orchestrated the assault where Tipu Sultan ultimately died defending his fort. Thus, the correct choice is (B) Lord Wellesley.

UPSC frequently uses "chronological traps" by listing officials who were active in the same theater of war but at different times. Lord Cornwallis is the most common trap here; while he defeated Tipu in the Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790–92), he did not kill him, opting instead for a treaty. Lord Dalhousie and Lord Hastings are chronologically misplaced, as their tenures occurred much later in the 19th century. According to Modern India by Bipin Chandra, Dalhousie is synonymous with the Doctrine of Lapse (1840s/50s), making him an impossible candidate for a 1799 event.