Meticulously researched, authoritative and unputdownable, Tipu Sultan: The Saga of Mysore’s Interregnum (1760–1799) opens a window to the life and times of one of the most debated figures from India’s history.
There was hardly any respite for a battle-weary Haidar. Despite his commanding position in the final stages of the First Anglo–Mysore War and his ability to dictate the terms of peace to the British at the very gates of their power in Madras, he hardly got a chance to even savour this hard-won victory. The Marathas were knocking at the door yet again. Under Mahimaji Sindhia, the Maratha foujdar of Chikkaballapura, a force of 400 horses and an alliance of neighbouring palegars, the Marathas had invaded the southern country and attempted to capture Gurramkonda. Haidar dispatched a strong force of 5000 horse, 4000 foot and 4000 irregulars to combat them under Berki Srinivasa Rao and Mir Ali Raza Khan. The two sides clashed in July 1769, when the Maratha army was so comprehensively routed that Mahimaji retreated in despair. The secret treaty between Haidar and Nizam Ali in 1767 had brought Cudappah, Kurnool and other places that lay between the Tungabhadra River and the northern borders of Mysore into the nominal control of Haidar. To consolidate his hold over these regions, Haidar began a swift tour to levy tributes on the chieftains in Kotikonda, Kupgal and other places. Talpul, which was held by Rakhmaji Bhonsle, was taken over by Haidar. He invited Rakhmaji for talks but treacherously seized him and his men and put them to death. However, in Bellary, Haidar was pushed back with considerable loss.
Gopal Rao Patwardhan protested against this aggression of Haidar and the latter replied: ‘It was agreed between us that within four months Sira, Hoskote and Ballapur taluk would be returned to me, but even after the lapse of two years with a man of your worth as the go-between this has not been done. Please request the Peshwa to right this wrong. Mahimaji Sindhia, qiladar of Ballapur, was taking into his service some of our dissatisfied men and was fomenting trouble in our own territory. Hence, I drove him out.’ Haidar similarly spread his wings across the entire frontier, exacting tributes from Chitradurga, Harpanahalli, Harihar, Savanur and Gutti. The territories of his old foe Murar Rao were all taken over with just the fort of Gutti left for him. Haidar even summoned him to his camp like a subordinate, causing much consternation for the Maratha side. Murar Rao was directed to pay Rs 50,000 as an annual indemnity to Srirangapatna.
That Haidar had come so menacingly close to the very borders of the Maratha Empire, and his newly acquired stature after the Treaty of Madras, sent obvious alarm bells ringing in the Peshwa court in Poona. Madhav Rao could simply not digest the fact that his previous two campaigns to subjugate Haidar totally had been abortive, despite his bravery and statesmanship—once due to the intrigues of his uncle Raghunath Rao who had a secret understanding with Haidar and the second time, due to the vacillations of his treacherous ally, Nizam Ali. That Haidar was quietly instigating the Peshwa’s opponents, be it his secret dalliance with Raghunath Rao or by stirring up Janoji Bhonsle against the Peshwa in 1769, even after their rapprochement, was added reason for Madhav Rao’s irritation. Principally, questioning Haidar’s right to levy contributions on the palegars who, he claimed, came under his suzerainty, Madhav Rao used that as a ruse to make his third invasion of Mysore in December 1769 with an army of nearly 75,000. Haidar marked a quick retreat from the northern borders near the Maratha territories on his favourite elephant, Imam Baksh, towards the forest of Udagani. About 25,000 troops were kept under Tipu, Mir Raza, Berki Venkata Rao and Makhdoom Ali in the borders of Bidanur. About 20,000 troops were scattered across the kingdom and nearly 35,000 were with him at all times. He had fortified Bangalore and Srirangapatna where he was hopeful of being able to hold out for four to six months till the monsoons arrived.
But Madhav Rao, who was determined to fight to the finish this time, hotly pursued him, along with the palegar of Chitradurga, Madakari Nayaka, who had an old axe to grind with Haidar, and the long-standing foe, Murar Rao. They marched towards Srirangapatna, by the way of Penukonda, overrunning all the Mysorean territories on the way, till Nagamangala. They virtually encircled Haidar—the Peshwa encamping near Srirangapatna and Gopal Rao Patwardhan near Savanur. The Maratha forces under Gopal Rao Patwardhan, his cousins Parshuram Bhau Patwardhan and Nilkanth Rao Patwardhan and another force under Anand Rao Raste kept a close watch on Haidar’s movements. They planned a twofold attack on Haidar if he emerged from the forest. In trying to stop the Peshwa’s advance, Haidar ordered ‘all straw and wood that could be gathered, to be set on fire, to fill up wells and ponds and send word to people in the villages to retire into the capital city.’
***
Get your copy of Tipu Sultan by Vikram Sampath on Amazon or anywhere books are sold.
