Who was the first Indian ruler to consciously adopt and apply Western-style military and administrative methods in the governance of his kingdom?

Introduction / Context:
As European powers expanded their influence in India, some Indian rulers began to study and adopt Western methods of warfare, administration, and technology. This question asks which Indian ruler is widely recognised as the first to consciously apply Western techniques, especially in the spheres of military organisation and statecraft, in a systematic way.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question concerns an Indian ruler, not a European power.
• The focus is on adopting Western methods in administration and military organisation.
• The options include rulers from different regions and periods: Mysore, Bengal, and the Maratha sphere.
• We assume standard textbook interpretations of 'Western-style methods' such as disciplined standing armies, European-style drill, new weaponry, and modernised bureaucracy.

Concept / Approach:
To answer this, we need to recall which ruler deliberately modernised his state using European advisers, technology, and organisational models. While several Indian rulers experimented with reforms, one of them, the ruler of Mysore in the late eighteenth century, is especially famous for adopting European military practices, forging alliances, using modern artillery and rockets, and restructuring administration with Western ideas in mind.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Haider Ali of Mysore did modernise his army and used European officers, but his son advanced these reforms even further.2. Tipu Sultan, son of Haider Ali, is noted for systematically reorganising the army on European lines, including uniforms, drill, and formation of disciplined infantry and artillery units.3. Tipu Sultan also introduced modern rocketry, improved fortifications, and experimented with state-controlled trade and administrative changes influenced by Western models.4. Murshid Quil Khan, though an efficient administrator in Bengal, is not associated with Western-style reforms; his methods were essentially traditional Mughal systems.5. Malhar Rao Holkar was a prominent Maratha leader and military commander but is not highlighted as a pioneer of Western administrative methods.6. From these points, the ruler most clearly associated with consciously applying Western-style methods is Tipu Sultan.

Verification / Alternative check:
Historical accounts frequently describe Tipu Sultan as an innovator who employed French officers, reorganised his army, and tried to bring Mysore up to the technological level of contemporary European powers. He established arms factories, adopted Western artillery tactics, and introduced administrative reforms in revenue and trade. While Haider Ali began some of these processes, standard exam-oriented history texts clearly highlight Tipu Sultan as the best answer to this question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Haider Ali: He did initiate reforms and used European gunners, but Tipu Sultan is more strongly credited as the first systematic adopter of Western-style methods in administration and the military.
• Murshid Quil Khan: Known mainly for revenue reforms in Bengal following Mughal traditions, not for Western military or administrative experiments.
• Malhar Rao Holkar: A Maratha general and ruler with conventional cavalry-based warfare; he did not introduce distinct Western-style reforms on a large scale.
• None of these: Incorrect because Tipu Sultan clearly fits the description in standard exam references.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan, treating them as a single reforming figure. Others may think any effective administrator like Murshid Quil Khan must be the answer. The key is to focus on explicit adoption of Western-style methods, technology, and organisational structures, which is most closely associated with Tipu Sultan in mainstream Indian history surveys.

Final Answer:
The first Indian ruler to consciously apply Western-style methods to his administration and army was Tipu Sultan.