The army of Hyder was one of the largest armies in India. In 1780, his army swept down the Eastern Ghats (mountains) and burnt the villages. Hyder set about forming a confederacy against the British. This included the French, the Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad. Hyder Ali overthrew the government and established his authority over the Mysore state. Hyder Ali tried to made a treaty with the Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad, but both of them decided not to take up arms against the British so Hyder Ali ended up fighting the war on his own. Hyder died in 1782 but Tipu Sultan proved to be a worthy successor, He introduced many reforms to overhaul and reorganize the administrative machinery. He also modernized the army.