3043) Did You Know Series (86): The story of the three cannon placed in front of the College building at La Martiniere College, Lucknow:
When I was studying in La Martiniere College, Lucknow (1970-75) I had always wondered as to what were the three cannon from Seringapatnam in Karnataka doing in the open space above the steps.
These three cannon have featured in almost all the movies on the First War of Indian Independence fought in 1857 and almost every student at the College has one or more photo taken in front of the main cannon.
Later on, I learnt that these were the "spoils of war" given to the founder of the Martiniere institutions at Calcutta, Lucknow and Lyon, France - Major General Claude Martin (then made Honorary Colonel by Marquis Cornwallis the Commander-n-Chief of all East India Company forces of the then British India for takng part in the Third Anglo-Mysore War fought at Seringapatnam in 1792 against the forces of Tipu Sultan).
When we were travelling to Coorg in 2019, we made it a point to visit Seringapatnam, when we were passing through Mysore. Seringapatnam is located some 20 kilometres away from Mysore.
Enroute, we first visited Tipu's dungeons (also called "Colonel Bailey's" dungeon) built in the 18th century by Tipu Sultan in which he used to imprison all British officers, particularly of the higher ranks, who were taken prisoner in the Anglo-Mysore Wars, fought by him and his father Hyder Ali.
It seems that the British prisoners were tied to fixtures in the stone slabs of the dungeon and subjected to immersion upto their necks in water every day. Bailey was the only prisoner to have died here, hence the British named the dungeons after him.
We also visited an ancient temple, where the locals told me that every idol in this temple has been disfigured during Tipu's time as he was intolerant of other religions, which was quite strange.
Marquis Cornwallis and Tipu Sultan were old adversaries from Hyder Ali's time. He was the Governor-General who led the army which besieged Seringapatam in 1792 during the Third Mysore War (1790-92).
Cornwallis was keen to decisively defeat Tipu Sultan. He had heard stories of Tipu's dungeon.
The usual component of the Bengal, Bombay and Madras East India Company armies was 50,000 European officers and 150,000 Indian soldiers. Cornwallis summoned Claude Martin from Lucknow to join his forces, so as to keep the French in control of Pondicherry away from the battle, who in any case were still finding a foothold in India.
Claude Martin was appointed as the ADC to Cornwallis in the siege/battle of Seringapatnam in 1792 against Tipu Sultan.
Some 40-50,000 Mysorean soldiers were pitted against and equal number of British soldiers.
Fierce battles were fought between Tipu's Army and the British, with neither side recording a decisive victory. Nevertheless, both Tipu and the British negotiated to end hostilities in 03/1792 through the Treaty of Seringapatnam.
Through the terms of the Treaty, Cornwallis received Tipu's sons as surety on the peace treaty that ended that war. These three cannons were given by Cornwallis to Claude Martin as "trophies of war".
Said Claude Martin after returning from the Third Anglo-Mysore War (1792) that - for a few ribbons on his uniform he had fought against his old friend Tipu Sultan, whom he knew personally, while he was employed under Governor General Dupleix of the French Colony at Pondicherry.
Later to repossess his sons, Tipu fought the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799, where Tipu was described as a "fat general" leading his troops from the front. He fell in battle surrounded by some 40 of the Mysorean soldiers who fought bravely by his side.
The British partitioned the territory restoring control of Mysore to the Wadiyars.
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DeleteKochin Wu has commented:
ReplyDelete"Thank you, Rajeev, for your enlightening post."
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