Hyder Ali

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Hyder Ali (Haidar'alī; حيدرعلى; Kannada: [hɐi̯d̪ɐr ɐliː] c. 1720 – 7 December 1782), historical anglicized spelling Hyde Ally Cawn, was the sultan and de facto ruler of the Sultanate of Mysore in southern India. He distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers. Rising to the post of Dalavayi (commander-in-chief) to Krishnaraja Wodeyar II, he came to dominate the titular monarch and the Mysore government. He became the de facto ruler of Mysore as Sarvadhikari (Chief Minister) by 1761, and served as its primary military leader in intermittent conflicts against the East India Company during the first and second Anglo-Mysore wars. Hyder Ali concluded an alliance with the French, and used the services of French workmen in raising his artillery and arsenal. His rule of Mysore was characterised by frequent warfare with his neighbours and rebellion within his territories. This was not unusual for the time, as much of the Indian subcontinent was then in...

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