Indian History: Anglo Wars and Major Treaties — Mysore, Maratha, Sikh

The British conquest of India happened through a series of wars against three major powers: Mysore (Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan), the Maratha Confederacy, and the Sikh Empire. This note covers all wars chronologically with treaties, causes, and results.

Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767-1799)

First Anglo-Mysore War (1767-1769)

Aspect	Detail
Parties	British (Madras) vs Hyder Ali of Mysore
Cause	British alliance with Nizam against Hyder Ali; British expansionism
Key event	Hyder Ali defeated British allies, then attacked Madras itself
Result	Hyder Ali dictated terms at gates of Madras
Treaty	Treaty of Madras (1769)
Terms	Mutual restoration of territories; defensive alliance — British to help Hyder if attacked

Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-1784)

Aspect	Detail
Cause	British failed to help Hyder when Marathas attacked (violated Treaty of Madras)
Hyder’s allies	French, Nizam of Hyderabad, Marathas (initially)
Key events	Hyder Ali defeated British at Pollilur (1780) — worst British defeat in India until then
Hyder Ali’s death	1782 (during war); Tipu Sultan continued
Result	Inconclusive; status quo
Treaty	Treaty of Mangalore (1784)
Terms	Mutual restoration of conquests and prisoners
Significance	Last occasion when an Indian power dictated terms to British

Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790-1792)

Aspect	Detail
Cause	Tipu attacked Travancore (a British ally) in 1789
British allies	Nizam + Marathas (Triple Alliance against Tipu)
British commander	Lord Cornwallis (Governor-General) personally led
Key event	Cornwallis captured Bangalore, besieged Seringapatam
Treaty	Treaty of Seringapatam (1792)

Treaty of Seringapatam Terms:

Clause	Detail
Territory	Tipu lost HALF his kingdom (shared among 3 allies)
Indemnity	Rs. 3.3 crore war indemnity
Hostages	Tipu’s two sons given as hostages until payment
Significance	Tipu greatly weakened but not destroyed

Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799)

Aspect	Detail
Cause	Tipu’s correspondence with Napoleon (French threat); Subsidiary Alliance refusal
Governor-General	Lord Wellesley (policy of Subsidiary Alliance)
British commander	General Harris; Arthur Wellesley (future Duke of Wellington)
Key event	Siege of Seringapatam; Tipu Sultan killed fighting (May 4, 1799)
Result	Mysore kingdom destroyed; Wodeyar dynasty restored as puppet
Significance	End of strongest resistance to British in South India

Anglo-Maratha Wars (1775-1818)

First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-1782)

Aspect	Detail
Cause	British intervention in Peshwa succession dispute (backed Raghunath Rao)
Key event	British defeated at Battle of Wadgaon (1779) — humiliating Convention of Wadgaon
Later reversal	Warren Hastings sent forces; British recovered position
Treaty	Treaty of Salbai (1782)

Treaty of Salbai (1782) — Key Terms:

Clause	Detail
Territorial	British got Salsette island; returned other conquests
Status quo	Madhaji Scindia as mediator/guarantor
Peace duration	20 years of peace between British and Marathas
Significance	British gained first foothold in western India

Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-1805)

Aspect	Detail
Cause	Treaty of Bassein (1802) — Peshwa accepted Subsidiary Alliance after defeat by Holkar
Governor-General	Lord Wellesley
Opposed by	Scindia, Bhonsle, Holkar (saw Bassein as loss of Maratha independence)

Treaty of Bassein (1802) — Most Important Treaty:

Clause	Detail
Signed by	Peshwa Baji Rao II
Terms	Peshwa accepted British Resident and 6,000-strong subsidiary force
Peshwa gave up	Independent foreign relations; ceded territories for force maintenance
Significance	”Death warrant of Maratha independence” — beginning of the end

War Results — Multiple Treaties:

Treaty	With	Year	Key Terms
Treaty of Surji-Arjungaon	Bhonsle (Nagpur)	1803	Ceded Cuttack, Balasore
Treaty of Deogaon	Scindia	1803	Ceded territories between Ganga-Yamuna
Treaty of Rajghat	Holkar	1806	Holkar gave up claims north of Chambal

Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818)

Aspect	Detail
Cause	Peshwa Baji Rao II attacked British Residency (Battle of Khadki); Maratha chiefs revolted
Governor-General	Lord Hastings
Key battles	Khadki (1817), Sitabuldi (1817), Mahidpur (1818)
Result	Complete destruction of Maratha power
Peshwa	Baji Rao II surrendered; pensioned at Bithur (his adopted son = Nana Sahib of 1857)

Results of Third War:

Chief	Outcome
Peshwa (Baji Rao II)	Office abolished; pensioned at Bithur
Holkar	Signed subsidiary alliance
Bhonsle (Nagpur)	Signed subsidiary alliance
Scindia (Gwalior)	Already under subsidiary alliance
Gaekwad (Baroda)	Already under subsidiary alliance

Anglo-Sikh Wars (1845-1849)

First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-1846)

Aspect	Detail
Cause	Post-Ranjit Singh chaos; Khalsa army crossed Sutlej
Governor-General	Lord Hardinge
Key battles	Mudki, Ferozeshah, Aliwal, Sobraon (all 1845-46)
Sikh weakness	Treachery of commanders (Lal Singh, Tej Singh)
Treaty	Treaty of Lahore (1846)

Treaty of Lahore (1846):

Clause	Detail
Territory	Jalandhar Doab ceded to British
Army	Sikh army reduced to 20,000 infantry + 12,000 cavalry
Indemnity	Rs. 1.5 crore; since unable to pay — Kashmir sold to Gulab Singh
British Resident	Stationed at Lahore
Dalip Singh	Minor king; Council of Regency under British control

Treaty of Amritsar (1846):

Clause	Detail
Signed with	Gulab Singh (Dogra chief)
Terms	Kashmir and Jammu sold to Gulab Singh for Rs. 75 lakh
Significance	Created the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir

Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-1849)

Aspect	Detail
Cause	Mulraj’s revolt at Multan; Sher Singh joined; national uprising
Governor-General	Lord Dalhousie
Key battles	Ramnagar, Chilianwala (heavy British losses), Gujarat (decisive British victory)
Result	Complete annexation of Punjab (1849)
Significance	Last major Indian power absorbed; British now controlled entire subcontinent
Kohinoor diamond	Taken from Dalip Singh; now in British Crown Jewels

Master Treaty Timeline

Year	Treaty	Between	Significance
1769	Treaty of Madras	British-Hyder Ali	Ended 1st Mysore War
1782	Treaty of Salbai	British-Marathas	20 years peace
1784	Treaty of Mangalore	British-Tipu	Last Indian-dictated treaty
1792	Treaty of Seringapatam	British-Tipu	Tipu lost half kingdom
1802	Treaty of Bassein	British-Peshwa	Maratha independence ended
1803	Treaty of Surji-Arjungaon	British-Bhonsle	After 2nd Maratha War
1803	Treaty of Deogaon	British-Scindia	Doab ceded
1846	Treaty of Lahore	British-Sikhs	After 1st Sikh War
1846	Treaty of Amritsar	British-Gulab Singh	Kashmir sold

PSC Frequently Asked Questions

Question	Answer
Last treaty dictated by Indian power to British	Treaty of Mangalore (1784)
“Death warrant of Maratha independence”	Treaty of Bassein (1802)
Who killed Tipu Sultan’s sons as hostages?	NOT killed — returned after ransom paid
Where did Tipu die?	Seringapatam (1799)
Who sold Kashmir?	British sold to Gulab Singh (Treaty of Amritsar)
Nana Sahib’s connection to Marathas	Adopted son of Baji Rao II (last Peshwa)
Subsidiary Alliance introduced by	Lord Wellesley
First Indian state to accept Subsidiary Alliance	Hyderabad (1798)

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Memory Aid: Mysore = 4 wars (1767-1799), Maratha = 3 wars (1775-1818), Sikh = 2 wars (1845-1849). Sequence: 4-3-2 with last dates ‘99-‘18-‘49.