Ask a Teacher

Hyder Ali (1722-1782) was a great Indian general whose outstanding martial splendor saw him become the factual ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in south-western India. He married Fakhr-un-nissa (Fatima Begum), to become the father of the great warrior-ruler Tipu Sultan, where together they fought many a gallant battle opposing the British invasion in India. 

Haidar Ali is believed to have been born in 1722, while other sources state 1717 as his year of birth. He was born into a devout Shia Muslim family, his great-grandfather being a fakir from Gulbarga in the Deccan. Coming from a military lineage, Hyder's father was a naik (chief constable), while his brother served as a commander of a brigade in the Mysore army. Assisting his brother, young Hyder slowly learnt the art of warfare over the years, to then infuse his own military brilliance into operations, eventually rising from his humble roots into a ruler of the Hindu state of Mysore.