Which of the following was NOT one of the three formidable players in southern…

Concept

After Mughal authority weakened, regional powers competed for political and fiscal control in southern India.

A period-specific question must distinguish the leading players of the 1720s from states that became more prominent later.

Application

For the 1720s, the three formidable players identified in this political setting were the Marathas, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and the Nawab of Arcot (the Carnatic). The rulers of Mysore were not part of that named trio.

Contrast

• The Marathas projected military and fiscal influence into the Deccan and the Carnatic.

• The Nizam, Asaf Jah, consolidated autonomous authority over Hyderabad and the Deccan from 1724.

• The Nawab of Arcot represented the Carnatic power centred on Arcot.

• Mysore was a Wodeyar-ruled kingdom in the southern interior, but it was not included in this specific three-power description of the 1720s.

Cross-check

The set named by the period description contains exactly Marathas + Nizam + Arcot. Comparing all four offered values with that set leaves the rulers of Mysore as the required exception.

Result

Therefore, the answer is the rulers of Mysore.