On the 22d of January 1792, the Bombay army, having passed the Ghauts, joined Lord Cornwallis. They con sisted of 8400 men, and as soon as the armies of the Mah rattas and of the Nizam had also joined, Lord Cornwallis made preparations for besieging Seringapatam. On the 5th of February, the city was seen by the whole army from the heights which they had mounted, lying six miles to the north-east of it. The Sultan's army was encamped under the walls of his capital. Scringapatam is placed at the up per end of an island surrounded by the Cavery, which is here a large and rapid river, having a very extensive chan nel, impeded by rocks and fragments of granite. fort occupies about a mile at the west end of the island, and is an immense and unfinished building. In fortifying the town, Tippoo retained the long strait walls and square bas tions of the Hindoos, and his glacis was in many places so high and steep as to shelter the assailants.
The 'camp of the allies was pitched on the north side of the island. The British formed the front line, the reserve was placed a mile in the rear, and the Nizam and Mahrat tas were stationed still farther in the rear. Tippoo's forti fied camp was under the walls of Seringapatam, within a bound hedge strengthened by redoubts. In this line there were 100 pieces of artillery ; and in the fort and island, which formed his second line, there were upwards of 300 pieces. The whole of his army amounted to 40,000 infan try, besides a large body of cavalry.
On the night of the 6th of February 1792, Lord Cornwal lis resolved to attack Tippoo's camp. For this service he selected 2800 Ein opeans, and 5900 native infantry, but with out artillery. The attack was completely successful. It was made in three columns. The centre column under Lord Cornwallis attacked the Sultan's redoubt, and hav ing carried it, forced their way into the town ; and, by the other columns, the enemy's positions on the north side of the river, and almost the whole of the island, were carried. Eighty guns were taken, and the loss of the Sultan in the battle is said to have been 4000 ; but the desertion was so great after the overthrow, that his army was reduced in number at least 20,000. The loss of the British was 535.
The British army having thus obtained possession of the island and town of Seringapatam, were immediately employed in making preparations for the siege of the fortress. But Tippoo, after several unsuccessful efforts to retrieve his fortune, at length, on the 24th of Februa ry, agreed to terms of peace, by which he agreed to pay 3 crores and SO lacks of rupees, about 31 millions ster relinquish half his dominions—and to give up three of his eldest sons for the due performance of the treaty. Lord Cornwallis gave up to the troops his whole
share of the prize money, amounting to L.47,244 ; and General Meadows, the next in command, his, amounting to L.14,997.
On this occasion, the force brought against Tippoo was one of the most formidable ever seen in Hindostan. On the 16th of March 1792, the British army above the Ghauts amounted in all to 11,000 Europeans, 31,600 na tives, and 190 pieces of cannon. The Alahrattas, the Ni zam's, the Rajah of Travancore, and the other auxiliary forces, amounted to about 40,000 men, of whom 30,000 were cavalry. Towards the conclusion of the siege, al lowing four camp followers to 'every soldier, the total number of persons attached to the camp of the confede rates exceeded 400,000.
After the termination of this war, the alliance between the British and the Nizam became more intimate ; but, on the other hand, a coolness arose between them and the Poonah Mahrattas, principally on account of the close connection between them and the Nizam. Scin diah was acknowledged an independent power by Lord Cornwallis, who did not think it proper to prevent that chief's aggrandizement. The consequence was, the com plete establishment of his power over the northern parts of Hindostan ; the possession of the person of thc Em peror of Delhi ; the formation of a large and formidable corps of regular infantry, chiefly under French officers ; the erection of founderics and arsenals ; and, in short, the accumulation of those vast military powers and resources, which enabled his .immediate successor to carry on a war, at the same moment, in the Decan and Hindostan, against the British government and its allies.
Lord Cornwallis had formed treaties with many of the Indian princes, the chief of whom were the Nabob of the Carnatic and the Vizier of Oude ; with the former it was stipulated, that, in the event of a war in that part of India, the British should charge themselves with its conduct, on condition that the Nabob applied a certain proportion of his revenue to its support. If he failed in this condition, the British were vested by the treaty with a right to ap point superintendants and receivers in his territory ; they were also to assume the management of the Carnatic, which was to remain in their possession during the conti nuance of hostilities. The treaty with the vizier of Oude related principally- to the regular payment of the sums which, by former treaties, he had engaged to pay to the British.