Editing Hyder Ali (section)

==Hyder Ali attacks the Maratha Confederacy==
{{Main|Maratha–Mysore War|}}

[[File:Hyder Ali.jpg|thumb|right|Hyder Ali in 1762, incorrectly described as the ''head of his army in the war against the British in India''. (French painting)]]

The Maratha Confederacy had just been routed at the [[Third Battle of Panipat]] by [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] and the [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]] had been restored in the year 1761.

The Maratha Empire was very vulnerable and feeble to any attack and the [[Peshwa]]'s power had been almost eliminated in all of Northern India.

At this point in his life Hyder Ali decided to go to war with the Marathas and put an end to the threat they posed to his power.

He therefore attacked the Maratha-aligned Rani of Bednore. She had appealed to the [[Nawab of Savanur]] for assistance when Hyder invaded. Hyder consequently threatened the Nawab, attempting to extort tribute from him.<ref>Chitnis, pp. 53–55</ref> Failing in this, he overran that territory, reaching as far as [[Dharwad]], north of the [[Tungabhadra River]].<ref name=Bow41/>

Since Savanur was a tributary of the Marathas, the Peshwa, [[Madhavrao I]], countered with a strong force and defeated Hyder near [[Rattihalli]] and in decisive [[Battle of Jadi Hanwati]] . Following the victory the Marathas restored their power under the reign of Madhavrao Peshwa. The Maratha victory forced Hyder to retreat; he had to abandon Bednore, although he was able to remove its treasures to Seringapatam. Hyder paid 35&nbsp;lakhs rupees in tribute to end the war, and returned most of his gains, although he did retain Sira.<ref name=Bow41>Bowring, p. 41</ref><ref>Rao Punganuri, p. 15</ref>

In 1766 Hyder Ali [[Mysore invasion of Kerala#Invasion by Hyder Ali|returned to the Malabar]], this time at the invitation of the raja of [[Arakkal Kingdom|Cannanore]], who sought independence from the [[Zamorin]], the ruler of [[History of Kozhikode|Calicut]] who held sway over Cannanore. Hyder also claimed a debt of tribute from the Zamorin, who had supported Hyder's opponents in [[Zamorin - Palakkad War (1756–1757)|earlier campaigns]]. After a difficult campaign, Hyder reached Calicut, where the Zamorin, after promising to make payment, failed to deliver. Hyder placed the Zamorin under house arrest and had his finance minister tortured. Fearing similar treatment, the Zamorin set fire to his palace and perished in the flames, ending [[Eradi]] dynastic rule of Calicut.<ref name=Bow44_6/><ref>Lethbridge, p. 94</ref> After establishing control of Calicut, Hyder departed, but was forced to return several months later when the Nairs rebelled against the rule of his lieutenant, Reza Sahib. Hyder's response was harsh: after putting down the rebellion, many rebels were executed, and thousands of others were [[Captivity of Nairs at Seringapatam|forcibly relocated]] to the Mysorean highlands.<ref name=Bow44_6>Bowring, pp. 44–46</ref>

[[File:IGI1908India1765a.jpg|thumb|Map of [[India]] in [[1765]] showing territories loyal to the [[Maratha]]s in ''(yellow)''; and the territories of those loyal to the [[Great Mogul]] in ''(green)'', which includes Mysore.]]

Mysore's titular ruler Krishnaraja died in April 1766, while Hyder was in Malabar. Hyder had left orders that Krishnaraja's son [[Nanjaraja Wodeyar]] be invested should that happen, and he only later came to formally pay his respects to the new rajah. He took advantage of this opportunity to engage in a sort of house cleaning: the raja's palace was plundered, and its staff reduced to the point where virtually everyone employed there was also a spy for Hyder Ali.<ref>Wilks, p. 294</ref>