The correct option is (a).
Explanation
The Anglo-Mysore Wars were a series of conflicts fought in the latter half of the 18th century between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore.
Statement 1 is Correct:
There were a total of four Anglo-Mysore Wars fought between 1767 and 1799.
- First Anglo-Mysore War (1767–69)
- Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780–84)
- Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790–92)
- Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799)
Statement 2 is Incorrect:
The British East India Company did not achieve decisive victories in the first two wars.
- First War: It ended with the Treaty of Madras (1769), dictated by Haidar Ali, which was humiliating for the British.
- Second War: It remained largely inconclusive and ended with the Treaty of Mangalore (1784), which restored the status quo ante bellum.
Statement 3 is Incorrect:
Tipu Sultan was killed defending his capital, Seringapatam, on May 4, 1799, during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. The Battle of Plassey was fought in 1757 between the British East India Company (led by Robert Clive) and the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah.
Key Takeaway:
The Anglo-Mysore rivalry spanned four wars over three decades, ending with the death of Tipu Sultan in 1799 and the subsequent subsidiary alliance imposed on the Wodeyar dynasty.