Criticism leveled against Raja for allying with English East India Company during his wars with Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan is not rational in light of an analysis of contemporary South Indian history. Raja allied with Company initially not because he was a vassal of British, but because Mysore was enemy of both. Before 1792, Malabar suffered from rapacity of Mysore rule and British were only a merchant power who had not yet harmed people of Malabar. So it was understandable that many leaders of Malabar – Pazhassi Raja included – allied with British to fight Mysore rulers like Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.