Haidar ali and tipu sultan

CHAPTER V

CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE MARATHAS

TIPU’S next military operations were conducted against certain chiefs in the country between the Krishna and the Tungabhadra. These chiefs, having succumbed to Haidar, had evaded, paying the tribute due to him, knowing well that they would be supported in their contumacy by the Marathas, to which nation most of them belonged. The principal malcontent was the Deshai or Jagirdar of the strong hill fort of Nargund⁵⁸, who, with his cousin of Ramdrug, a neighbouring fort, relied upon aid from Poona, and refused to submit to Tipu. The Mysore army besieged both places, the latter falling speedily, notwithstanding Parasu Ram Bhao’s attempts to relieve it. Venkat Rao, the chief of Nargund, valiantly defended that town for some months, but was at last compelled to capitulate. The promise of personal safety given to him was however set at naught, and on his surrender he was sent in chains to die miserably at Kabaldrug.

This expedition, though professedly undertaken for the purpose of strengthening his weak northern frontier, implied extraordinary self-sufficiency and arrogance on the part of Tipu. He should have known that by provoking a collision with the warlike hosts of the Marathas, guided by the astute policy of Nana Farnavis and containing such leaders as Mahdaji Sindhia and Tukoji Holkar, he would bring down upon himself a cloud of enemies. Moreover, the peace with the English was but a hollow truce, and the Governor-General had shown a tendency to seek an alliance both with the Marathas and the Nizam. In the beginning of 1786 the two latter powers, having arranged all the preliminary conditions, despatched their conjoint forces to invade Mysore, the Marathas being commanded by Hari Panth, and the Nizam’s contingent by Tuhavvar Jang. Tipu, who had just returned from Coorg, advanced to encounter them, having first assumed the title of King (Padshah). After ordering his general, Burhan-ud-din, to stay the advance of the allies, who had captured Badami near Nargund, he himself proceeded to, besiege Adoni, then held by the Nizam’s troops. Muhabbat Jang, nephew of the Nizam, having vainly striven to buy off Tipu, owing to the town being the residence of many ladies of his uncle’s and his own family, defended it so gallantly, that Tipu, notwithstanding repeated assaults, was compelled to abandon the siege. As the rainy season was approaching, the Nizam’s youngest brother, Mughal Ali Khan, by feigning to attack the Mysore troops, succeeded in concentrating their attention upon himself, thus permitting of the evacuation of the place and the escape of the ladies across the Tungabhadra, before the river filled. When Tipu returned to resume the siege, he found the town deserted, and had to content himself with razing the fortifications.

He now commenced a series of operations which evince much skill and enterprise on his part. Having seized a small fort which commanded the passage of the Tungabhadra, Tipu, in spite of the opinions of his chief officers, succeeded in crossing his army over the swollen river. He then marched along the left blank in order to effect a junction with Burhan-ud-din, which he accomplished without much difficulty, and proceeded to meet the enemy in the vicinity of Savanur. After many desultory engagements, which led to no result, he at last dislodged them from their position, and captured the town, the Nawab having previously fled to the Maratha camp. The siege of several minor forts was then successfully undertaken, when Tipu, early in 1787, expressed his readiness to make peace, agreeing to pay at once thirty lacs of rupees on account of tribute due, and a further sum afterwards, Adoni, Nargund, and other strongholds were surrendered by him to the Marathas. The pacific overtures made by him on this occasion, when he had obtained many successes over a formidable foe, can only be explained by his anticipation of renewed hostilities with the English.

CHAPTER VI

TIPU’S REFORMS IN MALABAR – EMBASSIES TO EUROPE

ON returning to Seringapatam, Tipu directed the entire destruction of the old town of Mysore, in order to obliterate all associations with the deposed Rajas. He next proceeded to Calicut, which offered him a fine field for showing his zeal for Islam by reforming the pestilential customs of the province. He at once issued a proclamation, denouncing the practice of polyandry⁵⁹, and informing the people that if they did not desist from such a pernicious usage, they Would all be ‘honoured with Islam,’ and their herdmen deported to Seringapatam. With this object he appointed sundry religious teachers to supervise heir domestic morals and teach the true faith. Local officers were also nominated to collect the revenue. Having, as he imagined, put the people in the right path, and ensured their welfare in this world -and in that to come, he marched to Coimbatore and Dindigal, wasting the territories of such minor chiefs as had withheld their allegiance. He returned in triumph to his capital, where he occupied himself in reforming his troops, dividing them into brigades, according to their several tribes, sayyads in one battalion and shekhs in another. On leaving Malabar, he had made over the government to Mir Ibrahim, who, by his exactions and disregard of all written engagements, precipitated a rebellion of so serious a nature that Tipu, though surprised at the ill-success of the own benevolent measures, was compelled to proceed in person to suppress the revolt.

Marching through Coorg with a large army, he sent detachments about the country to hunt down the rebellious Nairs, while he himself proceeded to Kutipuram. Here, two thousand of their race defended themselves and their families with resolution, but were soon obliged to surrender. This gave an opportunity to Tipu to show his apostolic zeal. Orders were issued that the whole of these unfortunates should be offered the alternative of becoming good Musalmans, or, in case of non-compliance, that they should be banished to Seringapatam. They reluctantly acquiesced in the former alternative, knowing well what the deportation meant. The next day, accordingly, all the males were circumcised, while both sexes were compelled to cat beef, as a proof of their conversion. One of the principal victims of Tipu’s revenge was the Raja of Chirakkall⁶⁰, of ancient descent, who having been falsely accused of conspiring, was attacked and killed, and his body hung up after his death. In this raid the Mysore sovereign is said to have carried off large treasures plundered from the temples in Malabar. He crowned his achievements by compelling the princess of Cannanore to marry her daughter to his son, Abd-ul-Khalik.

On the conclusion of the treaty with the Madras Government at Mangalore in 1784, Tipu, inflated with notions of his own prowess, and inspired with hostile feelings against the English, was most anxious to unite himself closely with the French, by whose assistance he hoped to subvert the power he both feared and hated. With this object he sent an embassy, which was instructed, after sounding the views of the Sublime Porte, to repair to France to secure the co-operation of that Government. But the reception which his envoys met with at Constantinople, where Tipu’s name had probably never been heard of, was so unfavourable, that they returned in a rage. In 1787 a second embassy, headed by Muhammad Darvesh Khan, was despatched direct to Paris where the delegates were received most graciously by Louis XVI and hospitably entertained. Louis was himself however environed by domestic difficulties, and the cataclysm which shortly afterwards overwhelmed his country was rapidly approaching. He therefore contented himself with profuse promises of future support, and the ambassadors returned to India, discredited, to meet the wrath of their master.