What was the major cause of the third Anglo Mysore War?
A) Improvement in British Relationship with Marathas and Nizam of Hyderabad
B) Tipu Sultan refused to free the English prisoners taken during the second Anglo- Mysore war as per the Treaty of Mangalore
C) Tipu Sultan's bettering relations with French
D) All of the above

Hint: Tipu Sultan wanted assistance from Turkey and France in order to throw the British army out. The British were enraged when he attacked Travancore. In 1790, they launched a war against him. The Third Mysore War ended with the Treaty of Srirangapatnam, signed by Cornwallis and Tipu Sultan in 1792 after Tipu was defeated at Srirangapatnam.

Complete answer:
Anglo-Maratha War III (1817-1818) In 1817, the Maratha made one last desperate attempt to reclaim their independence and prestige, which resulted in the formation of a unified front of Maratha Chiefs, which was taken over by the Peshwa, who were restless under the British Resident's harsh supervision.

With the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas, the British began to improve their ties. Tipu Sultan, who took control of Mysore after Hyder Ali's death, benefited from French assistance in improving his military capabilities. In accordance with the Treaty of Mangalore, he also refused to release English prisoners taken during the second Anglo-Mysore war. These are the primary reasons for the third Anglo-Maratha war.

Thus, the correct answer is option D i.e, 'All of the above’ is the correct answer because options A, B, and C are correct.

Note: The Treaty of Seringapatam, signed in 1792, put an end to the war. Tipu had to hand over half of his empire to the English under the terms of the treaty, which included the provinces of Malabar, Dindigul, Coorg, and Baramahal. He also had to pay the British Rs.3 crore in war indemnity. Tipu also had to provide the British with two of his sons as sureties until he fulfilled his debt.