Mysore and Maratha wars decide the Company’s military position
Four Anglo-Mysore wars and three Anglo-Maratha wars broke the strongest organised checks on Company expansion in southern and western India. Victory depended on Indian sepoys, allies, credit and diplomacy as well as European military techniques.
Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and successive Maratha leaders pursued their own alliances and modernisation projects. The Company’s eventual dominance was cumulative, expensive and repeatedly uncertain.
Source: Britannica: East India Company