or Mysorean Dominions, a kingdom of Asia, in the East Indies, consisting of the following territories unirred or subdued by the late Hyder Ali, and transmitted to his son Tippoo Saib the present sultan.

1. Mysore Proper, or Seringapatam (from its capital), forming the independent state of a Hindu rajah for near 200 years from its dismemberment, as a province of the Bejenagur empire, fell into the hands of Hyder Ali Khan about the year 1763, by cutting off the Dalawar, or regent usurper of the government, and seizing the reins of administration himself; but without leaving even the shadow of any authority to a nominal rajah of his own creation, excepting in the formularies of justice or finance, and preserving on one side of the pagoda coin the impression of two swamies or divinities of the Hindoos, while the other was made to bear the initial letter of his proper name Hyder. The whole country, now again reduced into the form of a province dependent on the new Mysorean dominion of a musulman in the person of Tipoo, is bounded on the west by the Balagaut hills of Koork, and those called Anemally, bordering the whole coast of Malabar; on the east it frontiers with the Carnatic Payengaut and its dependencies along the Coromandel coast; and, on the north, with the pergunnahs of Serah, Bangalore, and Colar, belonging to the Carnatic-Balagaut-Bejapoury, in a longitudinal line little short of 200 English miles. From this latter boundary, in a form nearly triangular, it stretches 240 miles towards the south, where it terminates in a point at the extremity of Dindigul, near the pafs of Goodalore, through the Anemally hills, on the confines of Travancore, and within 100 miles of Cape Comorin. It partakes of the two great divisions of country known in the Decan by the terms Balagaut and Payengaut, or upper and lower region. The former, comprehending the districts immediately dependent on the capital, and 43 subordinate forts, chiefly on eminences, is but indifferently watered by the several branches of the Caveri, at no great distance from its source; and must therefore, as well as in consequence of an elevated situation, be precluded from foreign commerce, with scarcely any internal industry, be comparatively poor, as it is productive only of the smaller grains of joary and bajary, or a species of Indian corn, with the different kinds of vetches common to India; from all which, however, a nett revenue, in money or kind, of seven lacks of rupees or pagodas, being about 27 lacks of rupees, is computed to be forthcoming to the state, after defraying the ordinary charges of collection, which here, as in the rest of Hindoostan, consist chiefly of an establishment of village peons or militia, reckoned 40,000 in number, for the whole province of Mysore, supposed to contain 15,400 square geographic miles. The latter, or Payengaut division, making scarcely a third part of this extensive area, is better known to us under the name of Coimatore, including the districts of Caroor, Darampour, and Namcul, on both sides of the Caveri, with the valley of Dindigul on the south, and the great pafs of Palligautcherry towards Malabar on the west: it is extremely fertile and well cultivated; therefore, in proportion to its extent, more productive of revenue than the Balagaut territory, being estimated nett at 19 lacks of rupees. The rajas of Koork, and other Pallygars among the Gouts, from Bidonore south to Dindigul, occupy independently a considerable tract of country within the general description of Tipoo's dominions; but which being inaccessible to regular troops by hills or impervious woods, the Mysorean power hath never been able to conquer, further than to facilitate the catching of a few elephants yearly, by means of the natives.

2. Bedenore, or Ikeri, now Hydernagur, on the dissolution of the Canarine empire, of which it was a part, became an independent state under its Naicks of the race of Vencataputty, after which it fell under the divided female government of different rannies or queens, and so continued until conquered wholly by Hyder between the years 1763-5. This country is also divided into alagaut and Payengaut; the latter stretching stretching 140 miles along the sea-coast from Declah, or the river Cangrecorea, being the northern frontier of Malabar, north to Honawar or Onore, on the confines of Soonda, in different breadths of plain territory, from 40 to 50 miles, but which may in all form an area of 3200 square miles, still retaining the ancient name of Canar, and including the ports of Mangalore, Barcelore, Onore, &c. The former or elevated division beyond the Supramanny Gauts, and immediately dependent on the capital Bedenore, Hanampour, &c. is of great indefinite extent inland, on both sides of the Tumbbudra; perhaps twice more considerable in size, though not proportionally so in value, to the maritime border. Both divisions, however, allowing for a revenue establishment of about 22,000 village peons, are assessed for seven lacks of Ikeri pagodas, which, at four rupees each, make a clear income to the exchequer of 28 lacks of rupees.

3. Soonda, in circumstances of history or final conquest, might be placed under the preceding head; as also from a similarity in its geographical description, with only the difference of being on a much smaller scale. The Payengaut, from the district of Onore to the frontiers of Goa, along a sea-coast of 60 miles, cannot comprehend above 1100 square miles of territory, in which the port of Carwar may be considered the capital; while a much larger extent must be allowed for that portion of the district beyond the Gauts to the eastward. The whole revenue, however, of both divisions, does not exceed two lacks of pagodas, or eight lacks of rupees.

4. Malabar. The country under this description, and conquered by Hyder in 1765-6, exclusive of Koork, is altogether Payengaut; stretching along the shore from Declah south to Cochin about 200 miles, and comprehending, in an area of perhaps 6000 square miles, the Samery's territory of Calcutt, with the petty states of Cartinad, Cotiotie, Cherica, or Cannanore, on the north, and the tributary kingdom of Cochin on the south—the whole rated at a revenue of five lacks of pagodas, or about 19 lacks of rupees, after allowing for the maintenance of 18,000 village peons.

5. Barah Mhal, or twelve pergunnahs, was one of the earliest conquered annexations of Hyder to the Myforean dominion, though in the war of 1768 it was over-run and for a while in possession of the company's troops. The whole circular district of Judgeo, composed of heights and valleys on the confines of the Balagaut and Payengaut Carnatics, being one of the seven dependencies of Ginjee subjected to the Mogul in 1698, was then subdivided into 17 pergunnahs, and assessed for a gross revenue of 1,757,717 rupees. Of these subdivisions, Amboor, Sautgur, &c. remain to the Payengaut; the rest in the hands of Tippoo, may comprehend, exclusive of the poligarry of Shili Naick, about 1800 square miles; but the net revenue of the same territory, after defraying the ordinary expenses of collection, does not exceed five lacks of rupees at present.

These five provinces of the Myforean empire, with the districts of Bangalore, Colar, &c. of the Carnatic-Balagaut Bejapoory, formed the whole of Hyder's dominion in the war 1768; and were calculated then to yield in all a net income of 119 lacks and an half of rupees, allowing an establishment of 115,000 Myfore village peons to enforce the collections, and maintain internal peace.

6. Petty states of Hindoo rajas, situated on the west and north of the Hendery and Tumbhudra rivers, to the confines of Goa, and the Merhatta territories of Toorgul, Raibaug, and Meritch, forming the jageer of Perferam Bow beyond the southern branch of the Kistnah. Some of these rajahships had been entirely conquered by the Mogul; but the most considerable of them never were subdued by any Muslim power until Hyder's conquest of them between the years 1774-7, though different districts from each may have been dismembered for a while by the Mogul deputies of the Carnatic-Balagaut Bejapoory, and therefore annexed in the accounts of the revenue of that circular. The frontier forts, and dependencies, of Goojunder-gur, Darwar, Badamy, &c. near the southern branch of the Kistnah towards the Merhatta dominion, composed at one time the jageer of Ragenaunt Row, and have frequently changed their masters. They fell ultimately to Tippoo at the peace of 1784, but he was forced to pay chout for them to the Peshwa. On the whole, all these states, of great indefinite extent and extremely poor, yield only a precarious revenue of 16 lacks of rupees to the Myforean.

7. Carnatic Balagaut Bejapoory, consisting, under the Mogul, of one circular of the same name, and of which the capital was Serah. It comprehended 51 pergunnahs, of which Bangalore, Colar, &c. on the south, were seized by Hyder, immediately when he possessed himself of Myfore; but Anantpour, Penekonda, &c. on the north, with the rest of the Merhatta state of Gooty, did not fall into his hands until the year 1776, when he overcame and made prisoner the proprietor Morarow, who had rendered signal service to the English in the preceding Myforean war. The whole circular was rated at a jumma kaumil, or total gross revenue on the king's books, of 439,16,396 rupees; but the accuracy of this valuation is much to be doubted; because it does not appear from the registers of the foubah of Bejapoor that the Mogul government ever ascertained the debates or village collections of either of the Carnatics, or went into greater detail than to fix the standard assessment of the different pergunnahs; and because the amount thus stated seems too large a receipt from a country naturally so poor and destitute of commerce, probably in all its dimensions not exceeding 10,000 square miles, and which was so liable to internal disturbances or foreign invasion, that notwithstanding the number of strong holds to be found in it, every town required and has its own particular fortification. However this may be, the revenue actually forthcoming to Hyder in 1778, after defraying charges of collection and an establishment of about 30,000 village peons, was only 3,205,206 rupees.

8. Carnatic-Balagaut-Hydrabady, comprehending the five circulars of Sidhout, Kahman, Ganjecottah, Gooty, and Gorrumkonda, which were subdivided into 66 pergunnahs, rated by the Moguls kaumils 4,707,306 rupees; but from this amount is to be deducted the aggregate valuation of the pergunnahs or Chittoor, &c. now annexed to the Payengaut, together with the assessment of the diamond-mines of Ganjecottah, jecottah, which are no longer productive, making in all an object of two lacks of rupees. The whole country thus described, bounded by the circars of Adoni and Nundial on the north towards the Kiftnah, the Guntour circar or Carnatic Payengaut on the east, with that of the Balagaut Bejapour on the south and west, may in square dimensions be nearly equal to this last mentioned division of territory of about 10,000 square miles. It formed the inheritance for four generations of the Patan nabobs of Cuddapah, descended from a collateral branch of the Sanore family, until Gooty and Gorrumkonda were taken by the Merhat-tahs in 1758, and then ultimately, with the remainder of Helim Khan's possession, by Hyder in 1776-9.

After deducting the amount of a few jageers and some charitable lands still left to the Mahomedans of this district, with the expense of an establishment at least of 23,000 village peons, the nett revenue of the whole province may be estimated at 29 lacks of rupees.

Adoni, or circar of Imtiazghur on both sides of the Hendery river, south of the Tumbhudra or Tungabudra river, as far as and inclusive of Bellary, together with a small portion of the circar of Ghazipour or Nundial, dismembered from the nabobship of Karnool, all situated in the foubah of Bejapour, comprehend the whole of Tippoo's conquests and annexation to the Myforean empire, acquired since the death of Hyder, and subsequently to the treaty of Mangalore in 1784. In extent and revenue, this acquisition may be considered of little account. The former cannot exceed 5000 square miles, and the latter scarcely seven lacks of rupees, reckoning the petty zemindary of Bellary. But the fort of Adoni is of considerable importance, as being of the kind (on an inflated rock) thought the strongest in Hindoostan, without excepting Dowlatabad or Gualior. It was ever the favourite ambitious object of conquest to Hyder, the Merhattas and Nizam; and preserved only through the cautious policy of its proprietor, Baffalut Jung.

When it came by inheritance into the weak inexperienced hands of his son Mohabet Jung, it fell by treachery under the dominion of Tippoo; together with all its territorial dependencies, except the circar of Raichore, between the Kiftnah and Tumbhudra.

The extent of Tippoo's dominion, according to the latest maps, has been computed at 80,000 square geographic miles, or 92,666 English. Thus considering it a triangle, of which the base runs nearly parallel to and not far south of the Kiftnah, in a longitudinal line of 340 English miles, about the 16th degree of north latitude, or from the pagoda of Tripanti in the north-east angle to Kittoor in the north-west, towards the frontiers of Goa, of Bari, and the Merhat-tahs; then, one of its sides, along the Balagaut or mountainous ridge of the Malabar coast, will be found to stretch in a horizontal distance 500 miles southerly, to the extreme point and pass of Goodalore in that quarter; and its other side from thence northerly, touching the frontiers of the Carnatic Payengaut, 470 miles in a parallel direction to the Coromandel coast, until it reaches the further corner of the circar of Kahman near the first mentioned point at the pagoda of Tripanti. Beyond these three lines, the plains bordering the shores of Canara and Malabar are the only exclusive territory of considerable extent belonging to Tippoo; and to balance it in some degree, within the area of the triangle described, it is to be remembered are situated the independent or environed states of Sanore, Koork, &c. if not also a part of Karnool and Raichore. As the whole face of the country is known to be rugged, in many parts defolate, badly watered, and generally rising abruptly near half a mile of perpendicular height above the level of the sea, it cannot be supposed that the soil is equally fertile with the lower lands of Hindoostan. In fact, though every advantage of industry and population be allowed to a despotic government, which cherishes a numerous peasantry in exclusion of great intermediate landholders, yet the produce of the Balagaut altogether consists merely of the necessaries of life, and these of the coarsest kind; just enough to subsist the inhabitants, after making sufficient provision in pasture for the extraordinary number of horses and other cattle maintained there for the military establishment: while in the Payengaut on the Malabar coast, some pepper, cardamums, sandal wood, and surplus grain beyond internal consumption, constitute the only commercial funds of natural growth within the whole circle of the Myforean dominion. As to manufactures, except those of Salem and Bellary, if any exist in the country, they are not considerable enough to be known abroad.

From the foregoing view of the nature, produce, and revenues of the Myforean empire, it may be concluded that we could have no lucrative prospects in our late contests with Tippoo Sultan; but were compelled, for the preservation of our own possessions in that quarter, to undertake his reduction as a resolute, cruel, ambitious, and predatory neighbour. This has accordingly been effected by the good conduct of Lord Cornwallis; who, in the issue of the war, has obliged him to cede half his dominions to the Company and its allies, adjacent to their respective boundaries, and subject to their selection.