A History of the Mahrattas v2.c42.23

Language: English

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Before the fall of Dharwar the British army had been some time in the field. Its first campaign against Tippoo in this war terminated, as we have already briefly mentioned, on the 27th January. On the 29th of the same month Lord Cornwallis assumed the command of the army and marched on the 5th February towards Vellore, where he concentrated his forces and advanced to Bangalore, which he invested on the 5th March, and carried it by assault on the night of the 21st of that month. This success tended to discourage the enemy and stimulate the allies to exertion. The fall of Bangalore had some share in influencing the surrender of Dharwar and also of Kopaul, besieged by the Moghuls, which was shortly afterwards given up, as was Buhadur Benda. The Moghuls, according to the treaty, were supported by two battalions of Madras native infantry, in the same manner as the Mahrattas were aided from Bombay. An army of thirty thousand Mahrattas, of which 25,000 were horse, marched from Poona on the 1st January, under the command of Hurry Punt Phurkay; advanced by Punderpoor and Sorapoor, forded the Kistna, where it is joined by the Beema, and proceeded to Geddawal, whence Hurry Punt directed the main body of his army to continue its route to Kurnoul, whilst he proceeded to Paungul with an escort of two thousand cavalry, for the purpose of conferring personally with Nizam Ally, whose court was then held at that frontier position, whence he affected to direct the operations of his field army.

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At this conference it was agreed by Nizam Ally and by Hurry Punt, on the part of his master the Peishwa, that they should abide by the terms of the treaty with the English, but only so far as might humble Tippoo, without absolutely annihilating his power. After the interview Hurry Punt joined his army at Kurnoul, where he remained some time, until hearing of the capture of Bangalore he sent forward 10,000 horse with orders to endeavour to join Lord Cornwallis, in which he had been anticipated by the Moghuls; a body of that strength having effected a junction with the English army on the 13th of April, after routing the party of Kootub-ud-deen, which we had occasion to mention, before the siege of Dharwar. But the Mahrattas, on arriving some days afterwards at Anuntpoor, found that Lord Cornwallis had advanced towards Seringapatam. They therefore halted until joined by Hurry Punt with the main army, when the whole moved on to Sera. It having occurred to the Mahratta commander to try the effect of summoning the place, Sera was most unexpectedly surrendered, and found full of stores and in high order. This success induced Hurry Punt to detach a party under Bulwunt Soob Rao to besiege Mudgeery, situated twenty miles to the east of Sera;

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after which, leaving a strong garrison in his new acquisition, he proceeded to join the army at Seringapatam.¹ The other Mahratta army, acting on the north-western quarter of Tippoo’s territory, whose operations before Dharwar have been detailed, was now also advancing by orders from Hurry Punt towards Seringapatam. After the termination of the siege of Dharwar, a part of the British detachment was recalled to Bombay, and Captain Little with three native battalions, the two with which he entered on the campaign having been much weakened by casualties, continued with Pureshram Bhow: The possession of Dharwar and the forts taken by the Moghuls gave the allies a strong hold on the country situated between the Kistna and Toongbuddra; Kooshgul and several other places of less note surrendered to Pureshram Bhow at the first summons; and the occupation of the country, with the consequent realization of revenue, became so inviting to the Mahratta general that he soon evinced a greater care of his own interests, than those of the confederacy. It was recommended that he should join the Bombay army under General Abercromby, then on its march from Malabar towards the capital of Mysore, through the territory of a friendly chieftain, the Raja of Koorg. The Mahratta army under Pureshram Bhow had been greatly increased during the siege of Dharwar; he crossed the Toongbuddra on the 22d April, and arrived within twenty-four miles of Chittledroog on the 29th of that month.

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Several fortified towns surrendered without resistance, and Mycondah was besieged by a detachment from his army; but when urged by Captain Little to advance in the direction by which General Abercromby was expected, or send on a part of his troops, he objected to it as unsafe and continued his system of collecting from the surrounding country, until summoned by Hurry Punt to accompany him to Seringapatam.² Whilst Hurry Punt marched south-west, Pureshram Bhow moved south-east. Their armies were united at Nagmungulum on the 24th of May, and on the ensuing day they advanced to Mailgotta. But although thus near the capital, where they knew their allies were encamped, they had not been able to convey any intimation of their approach to Lord Cornwallis, as every letter was intercepted by the admirable activity of Tippoo’s mounted Beruds. This circumstance is considered very discreditable to Hurry Punt and Pureshram Bhow by their own countrymen; and it was matter of most serious regret to Lord Cornwallis that he had remained ignorant of their approach.