Draft:Battle of Srirangam (1753)

Battle of Srirangam
Part of Carnatic Wars
Date January 3, 1753 Location Srirangam, near Trichinopoly, India Result French-Allied Victory
Belligerents
Great Britain  • East India Company Nawab of Arcot	France  • French East India Company Maratha Confederacy Kingdom of Mysore
Commanders and leaders
Captain Dalton Lieutenant Wilkey † Lieutenant Crow † Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah	Joseph François Dupleix Murari Rao Nanja Raj
Strength
200 Europeans 1500 Sepoys
Casualties and losses
2 British Officers 70 Europeans 300 Sepoys

The Battle of Srirangam was fought between the British forces led by Dalton and the French-allied army under the command of Joseph François Dupleix. This battle was part of the ongoing struggle for control of Trichinopoly during the Carnatic Wars. Despite Dalton’s earlier success, the British forces were outmatched by the larger French-allied army. The battle ended in a defeat for the British.

Background

Wallajah's position in Trichinopoly grew increasingly precarious following the surrender of Law, as his affairs began to unravel. Desperate to secure the support of Mysore, Muhammad Ali entered into a secret treaty, promising to hand over Trichinopoly to the Mysore Durbar, a commitment he never intended to honor. This was kept hidden from the English, his allies. At the same time, the Tanjore chief, wearied by the prolonged conflict, withdrew his support, leaving Muhammad Ali isolated, devoid of funds and supplies. His only remaining strength lay in the forces led by Dalton, who remained in Trichinopoly with 200 European soldiers and 1,500 Sepoys after Law’s surrender. The Mysore leader, intent on eliminating Dalton to weaken Muhammad Ali further, initiated a series of covert plots. These included an attempt to assassinate Dalton, which was foiled, and efforts to bribe his Sepoys into abandoning their loyalty, all of which failed. Two emissaries carrying secret papers from the Mysore regent were betrayed by a loyal native officer, leading to their execution by being blown from cannons. The Mysore Regent also tried to corrupt Poverio, a Neapolitan officer in the Nawab's service, but Poverio remained steadfast in his loyalty and revealed the plot against him. In retaliation, the Regent placed a bounty on Poverio’s head.

At a critical moment in the struggle for Trichinopoly, Stringer Lawrence, who had been kept apprised of the unfolding events, suggested a bold course of action to Dalton: to launch a surprise attack and capture the Mysore Regent and Murari Rao, the Maratha leader. However, this decisive plan was met with disapproval from the Madras Council, which chose not to act on Lawrence’s advice. Historian James Mill later criticized the Council for its hesitation. The Council’s failure to take Lawrence’s advice left Trichinopoly’s fate. Meanwhile, Murari Rao, the Maratha chieftain, who had his own ambitions to claim Trichinopoly, revealed his true intentions. Though he had been in secret correspondence with the French leader Joseph François Dupleix for some time, Morari Rao openly aligned himself with Muhammad Ali’s enemies.

the Mysoreans took a more aggressive stance by intercepting the supply routes, preventing provisions from reaching the besieged city. This blockade significantly worsened the situation for Muhammad Ali and his defenders, as the lack of supplies strained their already precarious hold on Trichinopoly. The inevitability of open conflict became clear, and in response to the worsening crisis, the Madras Council finally gave permission to treat the Mysoreans as enemies.

Battle

Initial Success

Dalton, determined to take the offensive against the Mysore army, set his sights on their encampment at Seringham Island, the very location where Law had previously surrendered. On the night of December 23rd, 1752, at 10 o'clock, Dalton launched a bold attack. Leading his forces across the river under the cover of darkness, he struck the Mysore camp with precision and force. The surprise assault was a success, catching the Mysoreans off guard and inflicting heavy casualties on their ranks. Dalton’s forces managed to kill a significant number of the enemy while suffering minimal losses themselves—only twenty men were killed or wounded in the engagement. This victory allowed Dalton to regain control of the city.

Defeat

In his efforts to completely drive the Mysoreans off Seringham Island, Dalton pressed on Wita renewed attack, successfully seizing a small temple that the enemy had fortified. His forces managed to repel an assault by Maratha horsemen, and for a time, the operation seemed to be going Accordingly. However, a sudden panic erupted among the men when their officer left the front lines to communicate with Dalton. In the chaos, the troops, overcome with fear, made a rush to recross the river. This disorganized retreat proved disastrous, as the Maratha horsemen seized the opportunity to charge into the fleeing soldiers, cutting them down with their sabres. The situation was only prevented from becoming a total catastrophe by the discipline and resolve of the troops who had remained with Dalton on the other side of the river. Despite this, the losses were severe: two English Lieutenants Wilkey and Crow, seventy Europeans, and 300 of the Sepoys were killed. The disaster left Dalton's small force significantly weakened.

Aftermath

Following this setback, the siege of Trichinopoly tightened as the Mysore forces, under the command of their general, positioned 8,000 men at the Fakeer's Tope, located south of the city. The situation inside the city grew increasingly dire as supplies dwindled, placing tremendous pressure on Dalton and his forces. Ever resourceful, Dalton leveraged the Mysore general's fears compelled him to withdraw from the Fakeer's Tope and retreat to Seringham. the critical shortage of provisions within the city. Facing the starvation Dalton had no choice but to send an urgent plea for help to Lawrence.

see also

• French East India Company
• British East India Company
• Stringer Lawrence
• Joseph François Dupleix