The History Of Bangalore

Description:
What remained of the legendary kingdom of Mysore after the Treaty of Seringapatam in 1792? In this episode, Ramjee Chandran dives into the grim fiscal reality facing Tipu Sultan. Beyond losing half its geographical territory, Mysore lost its most profitable economic engines—the lucrative spice coast of Malabar, the strategic mountain passes of Coorg, and the seamless trade routes that sustained Bangalore. Discover how the allies stripped Mysore of its revenue-generating commercial centers while leaving Tipu with a dry, expensive interior and a single, shallow military port to finance a massive war ransom.

Key Details from the Script:

Clarifying "Landlocked": While Mysore was not strictly landlocked in a purely geographical sense (it retained a small strip of coast), it was effectively landlocked from commerce. The treaty stripped away all of its high-revenue, commercial trading ports, leaving Mysore economically isolated.

An Unequal Division of Spoils: The territorial loss was far more than "half a kingdom". The allied coalition selectively annexed the most lucrative and strategically vital regions along their respective borders:

The British: Seized Malabar (the spice coast), Coorg, Baramahal, Dindigul, and Salem.

The Marathas: Took the fertile and centuries-contested Raichur Doab between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers.

Hyderabad (The Nizam): Took Cumbum, Cuddapah, and Ganjikota.

What Mysore Retained: The dry, inland plateau—including Srirangapatna, Bangalore, Bidanur (Nagara), Chitradurga, Gooty, and the Canara coast. While defensible, this residual state was far poorer per square mile.

The Strategic Loss of Malabar and Coorg:

Malabar: Represented Mysore's richest asset due to its historic pepper and cardamom trade with Europe, the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea.

Coorg: While earning less direct revenue, Coorg controlled the key mountain passes through the Western Ghats. Losing Coorg meant losing the physical corridors required to transport plateau goods to coastal markets.

The Impact on Bangalore: Bangalore was returned to Tipu intact, but its commercial viability was severely crippled. Formerly an interior market with protective geographic depth, Bangalore became a vulnerable frontier city. Its ancient trade routes west to the coast and south through Baramahal were now intersected by hostile British-controlled territory and new feudal checkpoints.

Commercial Ports vs. Naval Bases:

Commercial ports (like Calicut and Cannanore, now lost to the British) generate state income.

Naval bases (like Mangalore, Honnavar, and Kundapur, which Mysore kept) consume state income.

Built originally by Hyder Ali for timber access and shallow-draft warships (gallivats and grabs), Mangalore’s harbour had a shallow sandbar entrance. The treaty forced this single military harbour to double as the sole bulk export outlet for the entire kingdom’s state enterprises.

The Fiscal Trap: Mysore was left with a halved territory, a disproportionately gutted revenue base, a single bottlenecked port, and an exorbitant bill of 3 crore 30 lakh rupees owed to the victors—all while two young princes remained hostages in Madras.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Prestige Group, that makes this podcast possible.

Follow The History Of Bangalore on social, here:

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Follow Ramjee Chandran on Instagram and Twitter: @ramjeechandran

The theme music for the show was composed by German-Indian Koln based percussionist, Ramesh Shotham. Ramjee Chandran's photos by Asha Thadani.

RESEARCH AND SOURCES: All our episodes are based on published research and archive records. To request information about our sources, write to hob@explocity.com. Let us know if you are a researcher (either institutional or independent) and also provide some information about why you need this information. Researchers will get priority. We only have time to engage serious, academic queries so please understand if we do not respond to casual requests.

Description:
Behind the ink of formal treaties lies the poignant reality of human collateral. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran details the emotional exchange that saw two of Tipu Sultan’s young sons handed over as political hostages to guarantee a massive war indemnity. Uncover the behind-the-scenes political maneuvering by Mysorean vakeels to protect key heirs, the grand 21-gun procession to the British lines, and how Lord Cornwallis transformed a solemn surrender into a personal, career-defining moment of redemption following his loss at Yorktown.

Key Details from the Script:

Human Collateral as Guarantee: The preliminary peace articles required Tipu Sultan to yield two of his sons to the British until his three-crore-rupee indemnity (plus 30 lakh rupees in durbar expenses) was paid in full.

The Diplomatic Gamesmanship: Tipu’s envoys (vakeels Ghulam Ali Khan and Ali Reza Khan) artfully engineered the handover:

Fateh Hyder (The Eldest): The vakeels claimed he was "obnoxious" (disliked) by Tipu. In reality, officers like Alexander Baillie noted he was an active 19-year-old military commander leading troops, making his capture an intolerable military loss.

Abdul Khaliq (Middle Son): Claimed to be too sickly to leave the women's quarters; the British rejected this plea, and the 10-year-old was sent regardless.

Muiz-ud-din (Youngest of the three): Framed as Tipu's "favourite" and heir apparent to project sincerity. Historians like Denys Forrest suspect the vakeels swapped Muiz-ud-din for Muhi-ud-din—Tipu's only fully legitimate son born of Ruqiya Banu Begum—fooling the British with the phonetic similarity of the names.

The Grand Procession: On February 26, 1792, the two young princes (Abdul Khaliq, 10, and Muiz-ud-din, 8) departed Srirangapatna on silver howdahs atop elephants. Escorted by camel couriers, standard-bearers, 100 silver-speared pikemen, and sepoys, they were saluted by both the fortress guns and a 21-gun salute from the British camp.

The Meeting with Cornwallis: Lord Cornwallis personally met the boys at his tent door, embracing them and taking each by the hand. Head vakeel Ghulam Ali declared that Cornwallis must now be their father. Cornwallis assured them of equal care to his own son, exchanging gifts of a gold watch for a Persian sword.

Publicity, Medals, and Aftermath:

News of the handover triggered massive public celebration in London. Matthew Boulton’s Soho Mint struck a commemorative medal featuring Cornwallis with the Latin motto fas sit parcere hosti ("let it be right to spare the enemy").

Artist Robert Home sketched the famous scene, and Cornwallis was elevated from Earl to Marquess.

Ghulam Ali Khan remained with the princes in Madras during their two-year captivity until Tipu fully paid the debt in March 1794.

Historical Echoes & Cornwallis's Karma: This hostage event echoed theHoysala King Veera Ballala III, whose son Virupaksha was taken as a hostage to Delhi in 1311 and held for two years. For Cornwallis, receiving Tipu's sons and sword provided personal closure after his humiliating 1781 surrender at Yorktown during the American Revolution.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Prestige Group, that makes this podcast possible.

Follow The History Of Bangalore on social, here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofbangalore/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryOfBangalore

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoryOfBLR

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@HistoryOfBangalore?si=mnH3BsYfI4BUU234

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-the-history-of-bangalore-163453722/

Follow Ramjee Chandran on Instagram and Twitter: @ramjeechandran

The theme music for the show was composed by German-Indian Koln based percussionist, Ramesh Shotham. Ramjee Chandran's photos by Asha Thadani.

RESEARCH AND SOURCES: All our episodes are based on published research and archive records. To request information about our sources, write to hob@explocity.com. Let us know if you are a researcher (either institutional or independent) and also provide some information about why you need this information. Researchers will get priority. We only have time to engage serious, academic queries so please understand if we do not respond to casual requests.

Following the successful encirclement of Srirangapatna, fighting gives way to intense, high-stakes diplomacy in a negotiation tent pitched near the Eedgah. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran details the rigorous process behind the Treaty of Seringapatam in March 1792, where Lord Cornwallis, the Maratha Confederacy, and the Nizam of Hyderabad met with Tipu Sultan’s envoys to dismantle the formidable power of Mysore. Discover how the harsh loss of coastal gateways like Malabar, massive monetary indemnities, and unique cultural clashes during drafting permanently crippled Tipu's empire—leaving it landlocked and reduced by half.

Key Details from the Script:

The Preliminary Articles and Hostage Clause: Just a day after Tipu Sultan’s final failed breakout attempt, the preliminary peace terms were sealed on the night of February 23, 1792. The preliminary agreement stipulated that Mysore surrender vast territories, pay a massive financial indemnity, and hand over two of Tipu’s young sons as security hostages until the payment was settled.

The Triple Alliance at the Table: While popular history frames the conflict primarily as British versus Tipu Sultan, the Maratha Peshwa and the Nizam of Hyderabad were co-signatories who played an essential role in Tipu's defeat. The Marathas fought to secure the fertile Doab territory in northern Mysore, while Nizam Ali Khan (Asaf Jah II) aimed to neutralize the persistent southern threat on his borders and collect his share of land.

The High Price of Defeat: Formally negotiated by Sir John Kennaway for the British alongside Tipu's chief vakeels (Ali Reza Khan and Ghoolam Ali), the treaty stripped Mysore of approximately half its territory. The British claimed Calicut, Coorg, Baramahal, Dindigul, and Salem; Hyderabad took Cuddapah and part of the Doab; and the Marathas annexed the districts along their southern frontier. Additionally, Tipu was forced to pay 3 crore rupees in coin and bullion, plus 30 lakh rupees in "durbar expenses".

The Fatal Loss of Malabar: The surrender of Calicut was the single most crippling blow to the Mysore State. As Mysore's primary gateway to the Arabian Sea, losing the Malabar coast permanently cut Tipu off from foreign trade in pepper and cardamom, direct arms imports, and maritime contact with the French. The kingdom was rendered landlocked, destroying the economic engine that funded its military.

Heated Disputes and Human Diplomacy: The negotiations saw intense legal sparring—the British successfully insisted on protecting the Rajah of Coorg despite Mysore's objections, while Tipu's envoys successfully negotiated to retain Gooty. Despite the grim circumstances, a remarkably respectful, courtly relationship developed between Kennaway and Ali Reza Khan, who softened their harsh diplomatic demands with genuine personal regret.

Cultural Clashes in Contract Language: A stark cultural divergence arose over standard legal phrasing. The British inserted the common legal term "successors, heirs and assigns," which the Marathas rejected as feeling finite. Instead, drawing on traditional Deccan inscription language, the Marathas insisted the agreement should hold "as long as the sun, moon, and stars endure".

Permanent Dismantling: Finalized between March 17 and 18, 1792, the treaty irrevocably altered the geopolitical landscape. None of the surrendered territories were ever recovered by Mysore, ensuring that despite Tipu's subsequent rebuilding efforts, his empire would never again operate as an invincible, equal sovereign power in India.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Prestige Group, that makes this podcast possible.

Follow The History Of Bangalore on social, here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofbangalore/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryOfBangalore

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoryOfBLR

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@HistoryOfBangalore?si=mnH3BsYfI4BUU234

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-the-history-of-bangalore-163453722/

Follow Ramjee Chandran on Instagram and Twitter: @ramjeechandran

The theme music for the show was composed by German-Indian Koln based percussionist, Ramesh Shotham. Ramjee Chandran's photos by Asha Thadani.

RESEARCH AND SOURCES: All our episodes are based on published research and archive records. To request information about our sources, write to hob@explocity.com. Let us know if you are a researcher (either institutional or independent) and also provide some information about why you need this information. Researchers will get priority. We only have time to engage serious, academic queries so please understand if we do not respond to casual requests.

Nine months after a grueling retreat, Lord Cornwallis returns to the gates of Srirangapatna with the full weight of the Triple Alliance. Rather than initiating a slow, conventional siege, Cornwallis strikes under the cover of darkness, launching an aggressive infantry assault that shatters Tipu Sultan's formidable river defenses. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran details the pivotal turning point where the geopolitical fate of Mysore was truly sealed. Witness the completion of a flawless pincer movement as General Abercromby’s Bombay division arrives from the west, pinning the Sultan inside his island fortress and forcing a proud ruler into an unprecedented plea for terms.

Key Details from the Script:

The True Fall of Mysore: While history books heavily emphasize the bloody 1799 storming where Tipu Sultan lost his life, the geopolitical fate of the Kingdom of Mysore was effectively sealed in February 1792. Following this campaign, Tipu retained his throne for seven more years but was permanently stripped of his status as an equal sovereign among regional powers.

The Midnight River Crossing: Srirangapatna was protected naturally by two deep channels of the Kaveri River, fortified with stone ramparts and heavy artillery covering every crossing. Abandoning his usual methodical caution, Cornwallis launched a surprise night assault on Tipu’s heavily fortified camp on the north bank. In chaotic, hand-to-hand combat, British sepoys and Hyderabad troops pushed across the river, establishing a vital allied foothold right on Srirangapatna island. Cornwallis himself sustained a minor wound during the close-quarters fighting.

The Pincer Closes: The assault was only the first jaw of a larger strategic trap. General Robert Abercromby successfully marched the Bombay division east from the Malabar coast, navigating the treacherous, steep, and heavily forested passes of Coorg. By mid-February 1792, Abercromby entrenched his forces southwest of the island fortress, working in perfect logistical synchronization with Cornwallis to the north to completely encircle the capital.

The Limits of the Cavalry: Tipu Sultan's elite irregular light cavalry, known as looties, remained the finest in India—even earning a private tribute from Cornwallis, who noted that any single lootie was a better soldier than the three British generals previously commanding against them. However, while these swift horsemen excelled at wars of attrition against supply lines, they were entirely unequipped to break a fixed, multi-directional pincer siege.

Tipu's Final Assault: On February 22, 1792, Tipu launched a desperate, direct counter-attack against Abercromby's southwestern position, gambling that the newly arrived Bombay division would be vulnerable after their mountain march. Abercromby’s men successfully held their ground, breaking the assault and expending the last independent military momentum Tipu possessed.

An Unprecedented Plea for Peace: Realizing that no external allies were coming to his rescue and that allied siege guns were close enough to systematically reduce the fort's walls, Tipu Sultan officially sued for peace. Distinct from an unconditional surrender, this request to negotiate was made from a position of profound weakness while the walls still stood, contrasting sharply with the 1784 Treaty of Mangalore where Tipu had dictated terms as a military equal.

Cornwallis's Personal Redemption: For Cornwallis, this victory offered profound personal redemption. A decade prior, he had carried the crushing stigma of losing America after his historic surrender to George Washington's allies at Yorktown, Virginia. By breaking Tipu Sultan on the banks of the Kaveri River, Cornwallis successfully rewrote his own legacy, transforming from the general who lost America into the commander who broke Mysore.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Prestige Group, that makes this podcast possible.

Follow The History Of Bangalore on social, here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofbangalore/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryOfBangalore

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoryOfBLR

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@HistoryOfBangalore?si=mnH3BsYfI4BUU234

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-the-history-of-bangalore-163453722/

Follow Ramjee Chandran on Instagram and Twitter: @ramjeechandran

The theme music for the show was composed by German-Indian Koln based percussionist, Ramesh Shotham. Ramjee Chandran's photos by Asha Thadani.

RESEARCH AND SOURCES: All our episodes are based on published research and archive records. To request information about our sources, write to hob@explocity.com. Let us know if you are a researcher (either institutional or independent) and also provide some information about why you need this information. Researchers will get priority. We only have time to engage serious, academic queries so please understand if we do not respond to casual requests.

Following a devastating logistical collapse and a painful retreat from Srirangapatna, Lord Cornwallis discovers he is not as isolated as he feared. Just as hunger begins to dismantle his forces, an unheralded vanguard appears on the horizon, signaling a profound turn of fortune. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran charts the dramatic resurgence of the Triple Alliance. From the miraculous eleventh-hour arrival of 40,000 Maratha horsemen to the systematic dismantling of Tipu Sultan’s "impregnable" granite hill fortresses (navadurgas), follow the allied forces as they return to the gates of the Mysorean capital—this time, leaving absolutely nothing to chance.

Key Details from the Script:

The One-Day Lifeline: As the British and Nizam’s forces retreated toward Bangalore amid a quiet famine, the vanguard of a 40,000-strong Maratha cavalry army suddenly materialized. Because Tipu’s light horsemen had intercepted all prior messengers, neither army knew the other was close until they blindly converged outside Srirangapatna on May 26, 1791. Had the Marathas arrived just one day earlier, Cornwallis would not have had to destroy his vital heavy siege guns.

The Bazaars of the Marathas: The Maratha camp traveled with heavily stocked commercial bazaars, instantly alleviating the British famine with grain and provisions. While the immediate starvation ended, the lack of heavy artillery meant a second siege that season was impossible, forcing the unified coalition to march back to Bangalore to regroup and wait out the monsoon.

The Vision of Mahadji Scindia: The coalition Cornwallis now relied upon was an ironic twist of history. Years earlier, the great Maratha statesman Mahadji Scindia of Gwalior had recognized that a divided India would be picked apart by the British and tried to unite Mysore, Hyderabad, and the Marathas. Tipu Sultan’s rigid suspicion and inflexibility alienated his neighbors, resulting in Scindia's envisioned grand alliance being deployed against Mysore instead of for it.

Cracking the Navadurgas: To secure his vital supply arteries connecting Bangalore to the Carnatic and Hyderabad, Cornwallis spent the monsoon months systematically reducing Tipu's strategic granite hill fortresses. Nandidurga fell in October 1791, followed by Savanadurga and Hutridurga by December. Capturing these heights permanently flipped control of the Deccan trade routes to the British and severely fractured the Mysorean morale, proving these centuries-old landmarks were no longer impregnable.

General Medows' Gold Mine: During the high-stakes assault on Savanadurga, a rumor swept through the advancing sepoy ranks that the breach was booby-trapped with explosives. The famously humorous General William Medows defused the paralyzing tension by dryly remarking that the only mine nearby was a "gold mine," prompting laughter that propelled the Madras Infantry regiments forward to secure victory.

The Second March Commences: Refusing to be distracted by Tipu’s 28-day diversionary siege and capture of Coimbatore to the south, Cornwallis turned his massive, fully refitted allied force back toward the capital on January 25, 1792. By February 5, the army set up an extensively supplied camp at French Rocks (modern Pandavapura), just six miles north of Srirangapatna.

Dismantling the Pleasure Gardens: In an industrial display of hand-labor, 1,200 allied soldiers manufactured thousands of gabions, fascines, and pickets in a single day to prepare for the siege. In a bitter twist of wartime irony, the raw brushwood and timber for these defensive earthworks were methodically chopped down from Tipu Sultan's famously beautiful, perennially blooming pleasure gardens situated right outside the fortress walls.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Prestige Group, that makes this podcast possible.

Follow The History Of Bangalore on social, here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofbangalore/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryOfBangalore

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoryOfBLR

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@HistoryOfBangalore?si=mnH3BsYfI4BUU234

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-the-history-of-bangalore-163453722/

Follow Ramjee Chandran on Instagram and Twitter: @ramjeechandran

The theme music for the show was composed by German-Indian Koln based percussionist, Ramesh Shotham. Ramjee Chandran's photos by Asha Thadani.

RESEARCH AND SOURCES: All our episodes are based on published research and archive records. To request information about our sources, write to hob@explocity.com. Let us know if you are a researcher (either institutional or independent) and also provide some information about why you need this information. Researchers will get priority. We only have time to engage serious, academic queries so please understand if we do not respond to casual requests.