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| Two Obelisks: Cap.James Hislop & Lt.Col.George Brown Battle of Pollilur 1781 |
After the visit to the historical Mahendravadi rock cut cave temple, we proceeded on our journey to our next destination - Pullalur, the historical Battlefield. Pullalur is also known for its ruined brick sanctum sanctum and 60 feet shikara of Sri Varadharaja Perumal temple, new Sri Varadaraja Perumal temple and the Kailasanathar temple built during Narasimha Pallava Period with inscriptions.
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| Obelisks Amidst Paddy fields |
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| Seedling Trays used in Paddy Nursery |
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| Kombai S Anvar Explains |
Pullalur or Pollilur (புள்ளலூர் அல்லது பொள்ளிலூர்), a historical urban village (Latitude 12.970 and 79.705 Longitude) located in Kanchipuram taluk (காஞ்சிபுரம் வட்டம்), Kanchpuram district (காஞ்சிபுரம் மாவட்டம்), Tamil Nadu Pin Code 631553, has been the site of three historic battles - 1. the Battle of Pullalur (611-12 A.D.) - Pallava king Mahendravarman I vs the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II, 2. the Battle of Pollilur (1780) and 3. Battle of Pollilur (1781) as part of the Second Anglo-Mysore War between Hyder Ali and the East India Company. Lush, tropical vegetation flanked both sides of the muddy road. Carts loaded with fodder bales and the flocks of buffaloes and cows blocked the traffic. The vast stretches around this non descriptive villages are filled with green patches of agricultural fields, grazing lands, bushes, shady trees, hay stacks, manure heaps and cattle sheds. The village is part of Pullalur Village Panchayat and as per census 2011 it has a population of 2,843 and 72.86 % literacy rate. People in this village make their living through agriculture. Kancheepuram is nearest town to Pullalur village.
Battle of Pullalur (611 or 612 A.D.)
Pulakeshin II (இரண்டாம் புலிகேசி) (610 - 642 A.D.) the most celebrated swayer of the Chalukya dynasty (சாளுக்கிய வம்சம்) secured his northern border, then moved south against his great rival Mahendravaran I (முதலாம் மகேந்திரவர்மன்) (600–630 A.D.) the first well known among the long line of the great Pallava rulers (பல்லவர்கள்). Durvinita
(துர்வினிதா) (529–579 A.D.) of the Gangas dynasty (கங்க வம்சம்) from the West and the Pandyan king Jatavarman
(ஜடவர்மன்) from the South aided the Chalukya king. In the pitched battle of Pullalur in 611 or 612 A.D. (date of this battle is in dispute) Mahendravarman I and his General Paranjothi (பரஞ்சோதி) were decisively defeated and Chalukya army laid siege to
the Pallava capital at Kanchipuram, but failed to conquer the capital. Though Mahedravarman I saved his capital, he lost the northern provinces to Pulakeshi II.
The battle of Pullalur initiated an enduring line of conflict between Chalukya and Pallava in the South India. The defeat was avenged by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I son of Mahendravarman I when he defeated and killed the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II at his capital Badami (வாதாபி - Vatapi). The chapter 24 of the Tamil novel 'Sivakamiyin Sabhatham' (சிவகாமியின் சபதம்) by Kalki R. Krishnamurthy narrates the Battle of Pullalur (click here for English Translation of the Chapter).
The four military confrontations (First Anglo-Mysore War 1767–69 A.D.; Second Anglo-Mysore War 1780–84 A.D.; Third Anglo-Mysore War 1790–92 A.D.; and Fourth Anglo-Mysore War 1799 A.D.) between the British East India Company and the Mysore rulers were known as Anglo-Mysore Wars.
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| Hyder Ali (1761–1782) |
1761 - Hyder Ali, the commander-in-chief, known for his administrative acumen and military skills, made himself ruler of state of Mysore and determined in expanding his territory.
First Mysore War (1767–69)
1766 - The British East India Company aligned with the Nizam of Hyderabad. This was against Hyder Ali for which the East India Company was offered the Northern Sarkars as cession.
1768 - However the Nizam of Hyderabad kept himself aloof and the East India Company faced Hyder Ali alone.
1769 - Hyder Ali stormed the Company's Government in Madras and dictated 'peace treaty of Madras' on the basis of the status quo.
Second Mysore War (1780–84)
1780 - The army of Hyder Ali was one of the largest armies in India. Hyder Ali made a treaty with the Marathas and Nizam of Hyderabad and convinced both of them not to fight against British or Hyder Ali.
However the Mysore army swept down the Eastern Ghats and burnt the villages. The British could not sense the attack for lack military intelligence. In addition to this 1. Hyder laid the siege of Arcot (near Vellore) and 2. Dispatched his son Karim to Porto Novo (near Chidambaram).
To lift the siege of Arcot, the British Government also marched the force from Madras under the command of Maj. Gen. Sir Hector Munro. Of course Hyder Ali expected this move and moved to deal with the British troop. His intelligence also alerted about the reinforcement or the additional troop comprising 4,000 - 7,000 men, under Colonel William Baillie, marching from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh to Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu (475 km). Col.William Baille had intention to join with Lt. Gen. Sir Hector Munro (1778-1782) in Kanchipuram and Baille's force reached Pollilur (18 km
from Gen Munro's position) on 06th September 1780.
Hyder Ali on the one side deputed his son Tipu Sultan with 2,000 - 3,000 men, cavalry and rocket corps and 18 guns to intercept Colonel Baillie who was on his way to join Sir Hector Munro and on the other side led another force by himself to intercept Col. Braithwaite.
The army, comprising 5209 men including most of the native troops, one battalion of the company's European troops, and the grenadiers of another, and 800 highlanders, reported to Maj. Gen Sir Hector Munro at St.Thomas Mount and marched towards Kanchipuram.
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| Tipu Sultan (1782 – 1799) |
Hyder Ali on the one side deputed his son Tipu Sultan with 2,000 - 3,000 men, cavalry and rocket corps and 18 guns to intercept Colonel Baillie who was on his way to join Sir Hector Munro and on the other side led another force by himself to intercept Col. Braithwaite.
The army, comprising 5209 men including most of the native troops, one battalion of the company's European troops, and the grenadiers of another, and 800 highlanders, reported to Maj. Gen Sir Hector Munro at St.Thomas Mount and marched towards Kanchipuram.
Battle of Pollilur (1780)
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| Mural of the Battle of Pollilur on the walls of Tipu's summer palace (Wikipedia) |
The Battle of Pollilur (Pullalur) took place on 10 September 1780 at Pollilur, Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, India as part of the Second Anglo-Mysore War. In the battle of Pollilur the Baillie's force faced the worst defeat in the hands of Tipu's force and suffered a high number of casualties. The forces of Munro and Baillie, though closer to each
other, made no effort to unite. Two days after the battle Col. Baillie
sent a note to Gen. Munro to push forward with the main force since he was unable to advance in the face
of an enemy..
After three days (poor strategy and logistics) Gen. Munro dispatched the flank companies of the 73rd Highlanders under Captains David Baird and the Honorable John Lindsay, 2 companies of European grenadiers, and 11 companies of sepoys, all under the command of Col Fletcher. The reinforcement troops arrived late by taking circuitous route and strengthened the detachment of Col. Baillie. The combined force advanced further on the evening of 09th September 1780 to join with Gen. Munro. Not even a mile passed and the force fell in with the picket of Hyder Ali's army.
The Rocket Corps of Mysore Army used the 'Mysore rockets' (sword and blade thrust rockets) against Col.William Baillie's force and against ammunition stores. By the hit of Tipu's rocket would have detonated the ammunition store of Baillie.
These 'missiles' were fitted with swords (like fin stabilizer) and cruied several meters through the the flight path before coming down with edges facing the enemy target. The components of Mysore Rocket included the soft hammered iron tube, closed at one end, measuring about 8 inches (20 cm) in length and 1.5 to 3 in (3.8 to 7.6 cm) in diameter. The iron case was strapped to a 4 ft (1 m) long bamboo shaft. The iron case filled with black powder or solid propellant provided the adequate combustion power and ballistics for the rocket to cruise and hit the terminal end or target. The iron cased rocket and the solid propellant provided higher thrust and long range for the rockets i.e, up to 2 km range. The Mysore iron rockets served as the base model for the Congreve rocket of the British rocket development project.
Col. Baillie was compelled to stay on the spot for the whole night without disturbance. Next day Baillie continued his march for two miles further and entered into a jungle. Hyder Ali had concentrated his army of 3 batteries around this spot (one in the centre of the grove, and one on each flank). Soon a field artillery of 57 cannons commenced the covering fire. Baillie's English column, marching in the form of square with the sick, and the baggage, and ammunition in the centre, was assaulted with huge force. After a despairing conflict of three hours duration, the brave English column was set to drive back at every point. "Hyder determined to retreat; and a rapid movement which Baillie made from the centre appeared to have decided the day. Orders were given to Col. Lally, a French officer in the service of the sultan, to draw off his men, and to the cavalry to cover the retreat, when in that instant two explosions were perceived in the English line, which laid open one entire face of their column, destroyed their artillery, and threw the whole into irreparable confusion!" Encouraged by this attack, Hyder engaged his cavalry squadron and infantry armed with muskets and Baillie's column managed to repel the attack. Baillie's force was reduced to 400 men. Further rounds of fire killed or disabled Baillie's men and reduced them further. Still the sworded officers and bayoneted soldiers were able to repulse 13 rounds of fire. Soon cavalry of Hyder joined the attack. Col. Baillie wanted to save few brave men and therefore showed the flag truce. Thus Col.William Baillie was compelled to surrender. On hearing the defeat, Sir Hector Munro retreated back to Madras, after dumping his baggage and Cannons in a Water Tank in Kanchipuram.
Colonel Baillie's Dungeon
Baillie and few of his surviving officers and soldiers were captured and taken as a
war hostage to Srirangapattana. There the hostages were thrown into a dungeon by Hyder Ali, and were treated with such barbarity. The dungeons at the underground can be found even today at the north of Ranganatha
Swamy temple, close to Lal Mahal Palace about 15 kms from
Srirangapattana. The dungeons, built using brick and lime mortar, measures 30.5 mts in length and 12.2 mts
in width. Tipu Sultan used these dungeons to imprison the war prisoners. The prisoners were chained to the stone slab attached to the east, west, and north sides
of the wall and it was then filled half-way with water. The dungeon's were surrounded by a deep moat to prevent escape. The dungeon prison was named after Colonel Baillie's Dungeon, since the brave officer died here on May 13th 1782.
Reaction by British Government in India
After three days (poor strategy and logistics) Gen. Munro dispatched the flank companies of the 73rd Highlanders under Captains David Baird and the Honorable John Lindsay, 2 companies of European grenadiers, and 11 companies of sepoys, all under the command of Col Fletcher. The reinforcement troops arrived late by taking circuitous route and strengthened the detachment of Col. Baillie. The combined force advanced further on the evening of 09th September 1780 to join with Gen. Munro. Not even a mile passed and the force fell in with the picket of Hyder Ali's army.
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| Mysore Rockets (Tipu Sultan) PC: Indiandefence.Wiki |
These 'missiles' were fitted with swords (like fin stabilizer) and cruied several meters through the the flight path before coming down with edges facing the enemy target. The components of Mysore Rocket included the soft hammered iron tube, closed at one end, measuring about 8 inches (20 cm) in length and 1.5 to 3 in (3.8 to 7.6 cm) in diameter. The iron case was strapped to a 4 ft (1 m) long bamboo shaft. The iron case filled with black powder or solid propellant provided the adequate combustion power and ballistics for the rocket to cruise and hit the terminal end or target. The iron cased rocket and the solid propellant provided higher thrust and long range for the rockets i.e, up to 2 km range. The Mysore iron rockets served as the base model for the Congreve rocket of the British rocket development project.
Col. Baillie was compelled to stay on the spot for the whole night without disturbance. Next day Baillie continued his march for two miles further and entered into a jungle. Hyder Ali had concentrated his army of 3 batteries around this spot (one in the centre of the grove, and one on each flank). Soon a field artillery of 57 cannons commenced the covering fire. Baillie's English column, marching in the form of square with the sick, and the baggage, and ammunition in the centre, was assaulted with huge force. After a despairing conflict of three hours duration, the brave English column was set to drive back at every point. "Hyder determined to retreat; and a rapid movement which Baillie made from the centre appeared to have decided the day. Orders were given to Col. Lally, a French officer in the service of the sultan, to draw off his men, and to the cavalry to cover the retreat, when in that instant two explosions were perceived in the English line, which laid open one entire face of their column, destroyed their artillery, and threw the whole into irreparable confusion!" Encouraged by this attack, Hyder engaged his cavalry squadron and infantry armed with muskets and Baillie's column managed to repel the attack. Baillie's force was reduced to 400 men. Further rounds of fire killed or disabled Baillie's men and reduced them further. Still the sworded officers and bayoneted soldiers were able to repulse 13 rounds of fire. Soon cavalry of Hyder joined the attack. Col. Baillie wanted to save few brave men and therefore showed the flag truce. Thus Col.William Baillie was compelled to surrender. On hearing the defeat, Sir Hector Munro retreated back to Madras, after dumping his baggage and Cannons in a Water Tank in Kanchipuram.
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| Baille surrenders to Hyder Ali. PC Wikipedia |
Colonel Baillie's Dungeon
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| Col. Baillie's Dungeon & Memorial @ Srirangapatna (Near Mysore) |
Reaction by British Government in India
After the Battle of Pullalur (1780), Hyder Ali renewed the siege of Arcot with full strength. The utter defeat of the British forces in the encounters with the Mysore Army rocked Warren Hastings, the first Governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal) and thereby the first de facto Governor-General of India from 1773 to 1785. Hastings arrived in Madras shortly after the end of the First Anglo-Mysore War. A fresh troop under the command of General Eyre Coote left from Bengal to engage Hyder along with the existing British troop. Eyre Coote came to Madras and took command from Hector Munro. Eyre Coot marched the troop into the Carnatic and occupied Cuddalore. Both the troops engaged in a war at Porto Novo and the British marched as victorious. Further reinforcement troops also marched to Cranatic. Hyder made futile attempts to stop the troops.
Battle of Pollilur (1781)
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| Lt.Gen.Eyre Coote (Wikipedia) |
The British East India Company led by Lt. General Eyre Coote (1745–1783) and the Mysore Army engaged in another battle in Pollilur 27th August 1781. The venue was the same Pollilur in which a Col. Baillie's force was almost completely killed or captured. Gen. Eyre Coote's army engaged the troops of Tipu on one side and the troops of Hyder on the other side. The battle lasted for eight hours on August 27, 1781. Hyder's army faced severe casualties and drawn back to Kanchipuram. Shortage of provision made Lt.Gen. Coote to move his forces towards Thirupachur. Though Hyder got defeated the battle remained in decisive.
Two Obelisks were built by the British in Pullalur in memory of two British Officers who died in the Battle on 1781. The first one for Captain JAMES HISLOP, an officer of much promise and another for Lieutenant Colonel GEORGE BROWN, an officer of merit and experience. It is learned that Brigadier-General James Stuart and Colonel George Brown lost one leg each from the same cannon ball, and the latter succumbed to the injury. The local villagers called these Obelisks as Ghori.
The first obelisk, in memory of Captain James Hislop, displays the following text:
Two Obelisks were built by the British in Pullalur in memory of two British Officers who died in the Battle on 1781. The first one for Captain JAMES HISLOP, an officer of much promise and another for Lieutenant Colonel GEORGE BROWN, an officer of merit and experience. It is learned that Brigadier-General James Stuart and Colonel George Brown lost one leg each from the same cannon ball, and the latter succumbed to the injury. The local villagers called these Obelisks as Ghori.
The first obelisk, in memory of Captain James Hislop, displays the following text:
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| Plaque of Cap.James Hislop |
The second obelisk dedicated to Lieutenant Colonel George Brown bears the following text:
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| Plaque of Lt.Col.George Brown |
This prolonged Second Anglo Mysore war was hotly contested, for the aged Sir
Eyre Coote had lost his energy, and the Mysore army was not only well
disciplined and equipped, but skillfully handled by Hyder and his son
Tipu. All of a sudden, Hyder died in 1782, the battle remained
indecisive and peace was finally concluded with Tipu on 28 June 1784, on
the basis of a mutual restitution of all conquests. This is called the
“Treaty of Mangalore“.
How to Get There:
Pullalur village is located in Kancheepuram taluk of Kancheepuram
district in Tamil Nadu, India.
It is located 14 KM towards North from District head quarters Kanchipuram.
23 KM from Walajabad.
67 KM from State capital Chennai. Pullalur Pin code is 631553 and postal head office is Edayarpakkam. Tirumalpur Rail Way Station,
Takkolam Rail Way Station
are the very nearby railway stations to Pullalur.
Reference
- Battle of Pollilur (1781) (Wikipedia)
- Colonel Baillie's Dungeon -- Srirangapattana. Casey. diksoochi blogspot 13 January, 2008.
- In a forgotten land. Pradeep Chakravarthy. The Hindu February 27, 20115
- Pullalur (Wikipedia)
- The Battle of Pullalur and the Naturalization of the British on the Subcontinent. UC Press E-book collection, 1982 - 2004. University of California.
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