There were four confrontations in India between the British and the Mysore rulers. These took place in 1767-1769, 1780-1784, 1790-1792, and 1799. The conflict began in the early 1760s when Hyder Ali, a Moslem, elevated himself from commander-in-chief to ruler of the Hindu state of Mysore. His expansion plans exacerbated the tension.
The status quo remained intact after the first war and Hyder Ali died during the second, leaving his son, Tippu Sultan, to make peace with the British; the French were excluded from this treaty as their help had arrived too late. By the end of the third war, Tippu Sultan was forced to give up half his dominions. At the end of the fourth war, during which Tippu was killed, the British were finally victorious.
