(a) The collapse of the powerful Vijayanagar empire in the 17th century gave rise to a number of independent kingdoms, constantly at war with one another. The most important of these was the kingdom of Mysore which had somehow managed to preserve its independence despite repeated attacks by neighboring kingdoms. In the middle of the 18th century, Mysore, under the leadership of Hyder Ali, emerged as one of the most powerful kingdoms in the south.
(b) In 1761 Hyder Ali overthrew the government and established his authority over the Mysore state. Under his rule, Mysore became a prosperous and powerful state and a formidable adversary of the English East India Company in the south.
(c) Tipu Sultan proved to be a worthy successor. He introduced many reforms to overhaul and reorganize the administrative machinery. He modernized the army and strengthened the economy by encouraging agriculture and modem trade and industry.
