SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This is a study of the East India Company's relations with Haidar Ali of Mysore. As his state bordered on the Carnatic, and as his activities affected greatly the presidency of Madras, the policies of that presidency appear prominent in the study. Regard is also paid to his relations with the Company's home government as well as with the Bombay and Bengal Governments. English relations with Haidar Ali were dominated by the two wars which were fought during this period. The rise, the progress and the conclusion of these wars are discussed at some length. The rivalry between Haidar and the Nawab of the Carnatic, the ambitions of the neighbouring powers such as the Nizam and the Marathas, and the presence of other European powers, chiefly the French, influenced to a large extent the policies of the Madras government. These policies are studied in this thesis. Extensive use has been made of the Company's records, as also of the private papers of Robert Palk, Warren Hastings and Lord Macartney, together with the Orme Manuscripts and the French records in Paris.