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| 1791 Capture of Bangalore fort by the English Co.past-india.com |
In 1791, during the Third Angelo-Mysore War of 1790–1792, Lord Charles Earl Cornwallis, the Governor-General of India, was keen to weaken the powerful Mysore ruler, Tipu Sultan Both Tipu and his father Hyder Ali, after illegal take over of the Mysore Kingdom from the Wadiyar Royal family, became an arch enemy of the English company and their aspirations to control fertile kingdom. Both Hyder Ali and Tipu had powerful artillery power and the newly invented short range rockets with heat resistance pipes to store gunpowder had an edge over the company's army. For the British, it was a daunting task.
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| Lord Cornwallis. .news9live.com |
Cornwallis focussed on many Tipu's some strong strategic strongholds. The most important one being Bangalore closer to Srirangapatna. It was a well-planned strategic move to capture the fortified city essential to Mysore’s defense and governance. The city was the main supply line and its capture or attack would disrupt Tipu Sultan’s supply lines and would provide the British a base for logistical operations and weaken Tipu Sultan's ability to wage war effectively against the English Army.
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| Capture of Bangalore fort. India. slideshare.com |
In association with the Marathas and Hyderabad Nizam's army on February 5, 1791 Cornwallis began his move and led the EIC's army mainly drawn from the Madras presidency to siege to the Bangalore fort. A strong masonry fort and a surrounding Pettah (settlement), the fort spanned about a mile in perimeter, featuring 26 defensive towers and a deep moat, making it a formidable structure for the enemies. British engineers, including Captain Kyd and the Madras Pioneers, carefully constructed batteries, trenches, and parallels to weaken the fort’s defenses.
Facing the siege marked by logistical and tactical challenges Tipu Sultan resorted to adopt a guerilla-like approach, constantly harassing Cornwallis’s troops and cutting off their supply lines, placing the British in a precarious situation. Cornwallis was aware that prolonged exposure to Mysore's defenses could weaken his forces and morale.
Though on 7 February, 1791 British forces breached the outer defenses and captured the pettah.the heavily fortified inner fort posed a greater challenge to the British army. In the midst of heavy resistance from Tipu, after six weeks of relentless bombardment, British forces created a breach in the fort walls.
Not to continue the stalemate, Cornwallis now planned an unexpected attack at night on March 21, 1791. The night time assault meant catching the enemy unawares.The British forces stormed the fort, overcoming its defenses after a fierce battle. The Madras Pioneers, led by Lieutenant Colin Mackenzie, crossed the moat with scaling ladders, stormed the breach, and engaged in intense hand-to-hand combat. After hours of fierce resistance, the British secured the fort. Tipu's army lost about 1,000 Mysorean defender
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| partly surviving gate Delhi Gate, Bangalore Fort. |
Above image; Only surviving delhi gate inside, other gates of Bangalore fot are damaged. Photo Credit: James Hunter (1792).Henri Merke / After James Hunter
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| British plaque,Bangalore fort en.wikipedia.org Credit;west coast musketeer. |
The successful capture of Bangalore gave Cornwallis a strategic advantage, allowing the British to establish a base of operations deeper within Mysore territory.
Several factors contributed to Cornwallis's success. First, his forces were better equipped and well-trained compared to Mysore's defenders. Second, Tipu Sultan’s army, while formidable, struggled to defend multiple fronts effectively. Third, Cornwallis’s alliances with the Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad provided additional manpower and resources, tipping the balance in the British's favor.
The fall of Bangalore marked a turning point in the Third Anglo-Mysore War. Although the fort was returned to Mysore after a treaty in 1792, the siege demonstrated Cornwallis’s strategic acumen and signaled the declining power of Mysore under Tipu Sultan. This event was part of the larger geopolitical struggle that ultimately culminated in the fall of Tipu Sultan in the final Fourth Anglo-Mysore war of 1799 at Srirangapatna.
The British permanently took control of Bangalore only in 1799 after Tipu’s defeat in the final Anglo-Mysore Today, only a few vestiges of the fort remin there including a plaque marking the breach through which Cornwallis’s forces achieved their victory.
The siege showcased the British military’s persistence and engineering ingenuity against a well-fortified adversary.
https://www.past-india.com/photos-items/storming-taking-bangalore-by-marquis-cornwallis-1800-print/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Bangalore
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