The correct answer is: a) Feudatory states and the British East India Company.
The Polygar Wars were a series of conflicts between the British East India Company and the feudal states of southern India in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The wars were fought over control of the region’s resources and trade. The British East India Company was ultimately victorious, and the feudal states were absorbed into the British Raj.
Option b) is incorrect because the Polygar Wars were not fought between neighboring princely states. The princely states of southern India were often allies of the British East India Company, and they did not fight against each other during the Polygar Wars.
Option c) is incorrect because the Polygar Wars were not fought between the French and the British. The French and the British were rivals in India, but they did not fight each other during the Polygar Wars.
Option d) is incorrect because the Polygar Wars were not fought between religious factions. The Polygar Wars were fought between the British East India Company and the feudal states of southern India, and they were not motivated by religious differences.