Battle of Seringapatam
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| Battle of Seringapatam | |||||||
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| Part of Fourth Anglo-Mysore War | |||||||
 Battle of Seringapatam |
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| Combatants | |||||||
| United Kingdom | Kingdom of Mysore | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| General George Harris | Tipu Sultan † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 50,000 | 30,000 | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| 1,400 | 6,000 | ||||||
In the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799, the Battle of Seringapatam was the final confrontation between the British and Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore, who was killed when the British broke into the fortress.
Contents |
[edit] The Opposing Forces
The battle consisted of a series of encounters around Srirangapatnam (Seringapatam) in the months of April and May, 1799 between the combined forces of the British East India Company and their allies, numbering over 50,000 soldiers in all, and the soldiers of the Kingdom of Mysore, ruled by Tipu Sultan, numbering up to 30,000. The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War came to an end with the defeat and death of Tipu Sultan in the battle.
[edit] Troop Composition
When the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War broke out, the British assembled two large columns under Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington. The first consisted of over 26,000 British East India Company troops, 4000 of whom were European while the rest were local Indian sepoys. The second column was supplied by the Nizam of Hyderabad, and consisted of ten battalions and over 16,000 cavalry, along with many soldiers supplied by Maratha. Together, the soldiers in the British force numbered over 50,000 soldiers. Tipu's defending forces had been seriously depleted by the Third Anglo-Mysore War and the consequent loss of half his kingdom, but still probably had up to 30,000 soldiers.
[edit] The Siege
Seringapatam was besieged by the British forces on April 5, 1799. The River Cauvery, which flowed around the city of Seringapatam, was at its lowest level of the year, and could be forded by infantry if an assault was commenced before the monsoon. When letters were exchanged with Tipu, it seemed that the Sultan was playing for time. He requested two persons to be sent to him for discussions and also stated that he was preoccupied with hunting expeditions. Tipu Sultan's prime minister Mir Saadiq pulled out the Maysurian army for paying wages in middle of the battle, water was spilled in the basements where Sultan's army stored the gunpowder.
[edit] The Breach
The Governor-General, Richard Wellesley, planned the opening of a breach in the walls of Seringapatam. The location of the breach, as noted by Beatson, the author of an account of the Fourth Mysore War was 'in the west curtain, a little to the right of the flank of the north-west bastion. This being the old rampart appeared weaker than the new.' The Mysorean defence succeeded in preventing the establishment of a battery on the North Side of the River Cauvery on 22 April, 1799. However, by May 1, working at night, the British had completed their South Side batteries and brought them up to the wall. At sunrise on 2 May, the batteries of the Nizam of Hyderabad succeeded in opening a practical breach in the outer wall. In addition, the mines that were laid under the breach were hit by artillery and blew up prematurley.
The leader of the British troops was Major General David Baird, an implacable enemy of the Sultan: twenty years earlier, he had been held captive by the Sultan for 44 months. The storming troops, including men of the 73rd and 74th regiments, clambered up the breach and fought their way along the ramparts. After the Company troops had taken the city, the Sultan's body was found among the dead, shot in the head and stripped of his jewels.
[edit] The Storming of Seringapatam
The assault was to begin at 1:00 p.m. to coincide with the hottest part of the day when the defenders would be taking refreshment. Led by two forlorn-hopes, two columns would advance upon the defences around the breach, then wheel right and left to take over the fortifications. A third reserve column, commanded by Arthur Wellesley would deploy as required to provide support where needed.
At 11:00 a.m., on May 4, the British troops were briefed and whisky and a biscuit issued to the European soldiers, before the signal to attack was given. The forlorn-hopes numbering seventy-six men led the charge. The columns quickly formed, were ordered to fix bayonets, and began to move forward. The storming party dashed across the Kaveri River in water four feet deep, with covering fire from British batteries and within 16 minutes had scaled the ramparts and swept aside the defenders.
[edit] The Death of Tipu
The column that rounded the North-West corner of the outer wall was immediately involved in a serious fight with a group of Mysorean warriors under a short fat officer, that defended every traverse. The officer was observed to be discharging at the British loaded hunting weapons that were passed to him by servants at his service.
After the fall of Seringapatam, in the gathering dusk, some of the British officers went to look for the body of Tipu Sultan. He was identified as the fat officer who had fired hunting weapons at the offenders, and his body was found in a choked tunnel-like passage near the Water Gate.
