Battle of the Nedumkotta
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the Nedumkotta took place on 29 or 28 December 1789, and was the opening of hostilities in the Third Anglo-Mysore War
and was also a part of the Travancore-Mysore War. Forces of Tipu Sultan
, the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore
, attacked the fortified line known as the Nedumkotta
that protected the Kingdom of Travancore, an ally of the British East India Company
.
's forces. The death of the Dutch military leader Eustachius De Lannoy
in 1777 further diminished the morale of the soldiers. The death of Makayiram Thirunal and Asvati Thirunal in 1786 forced the Travancore royal family to adopt two princesses from Kolathunad. As the threat of an invasion by Tipu Sultan loomed in the horizon, Travancore's Maharajah Dharma Raja
tried to rebuild his army by appointing Chempakaraman Pillai as the Dalawa and Kesava Pillai as the Sarvadhikaryakkar.
and attacked the Nedumkotta. His Mysorean Army were joined by some 500 local Muslims. Tipu's army consisted of 20,000 infantry, 10,000 spearmen and match-lockmen, 5,000 cavalry and 20 field guns.
Travancore purchased the strategic forts of Cranganore
and Ayacottah from the Dutch to improve the country's defenses. The deal was finalized by Dewan Kesava Pillai and Dutch merchants David Rabbi and Ephraim Cohen under the observation of Maharajah Dharma Raja and Dutch East India Company Governor John Gerard van Anglebeck. Travancore also held a treaty with the British East India Company
, under whose terms two battalions of the Company army were stationed at the Travancore-Cochin frontier. Tipu Sultan objected to these purchases because the forts, even though they had long been in Dutch hands, were in a territory that paid him tribute.
Kesava Pillai was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Travancore Army. To boost the strength of the armed forces, several thousand Nair
militiamen were called up from Kalari
s all over the kingdom. The forts of Cranganore and Ayacottah were repaired and garrisoned.
ambushed their enemies half-way. A few dozen Mysorean soldiers died of direct gun-fire, and the commanding officer was killed. Many more panicked and in the ensuing chaos fell in to the ditch and died. The reinforcements sent by the Mysoreans were prevented from merging with the main contingent by a batch of the Travancore regular army. Tipu himself fell from his palanquin and was nearly stampeded. He was seriously wounded and went permanently lame.
After his defeat at Nedumkotta, Tipu regrouped, and captured the Nedumkotta line several months later. His forces were once again defeated by the Travancoreans near the Alwaye river in 1790. Faced with epidemics of cholera and malaria, increasing resistance from the Travancoreans, and the looming threat of war with the British in eastern Mysore, Tipu retreated. Tipu was forced to concentrate on simultaneous attacks of English on Mysore and the damp weather.
Third Anglo-Mysore War
The Third Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company and its allies, including the Mahratta Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad...
and was also a part of the Travancore-Mysore War. Forces of Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
, the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom of southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire...
, attacked the fortified line known as the Nedumkotta
Nedumkotta
Nedumkotta or Travancore lines was a wall built as a protection against consistent invasion and threats from northern kingdoms mainly Zamorins of Kozhikode...
that protected the Kingdom of Travancore, an ally of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
.
Situation in Travancore
The strength of Travancore Nair Army was greatly reduced after several earlier battles with Hyder AliHyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...
's forces. The death of the Dutch military leader Eustachius De Lannoy
Eustachius De Lannoy
Eustachius Benedictus de Lannoy was a Flemish naval commander of the Dutch East India Company, who was sent by the company to help establish a trading post at Colachel, Southern India, but was defeated at the Battle of Colachel by...
in 1777 further diminished the morale of the soldiers. The death of Makayiram Thirunal and Asvati Thirunal in 1786 forced the Travancore royal family to adopt two princesses from Kolathunad. As the threat of an invasion by Tipu Sultan loomed in the horizon, Travancore's Maharajah Dharma Raja
Dharma Raja
Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma was the Maharajah of Travancore from 1758 until his death in 1798. He succeeded his uncle Marthanda Varma, who is credited with the title of "maker of modern Travancore"...
tried to rebuild his army by appointing Chempakaraman Pillai as the Dalawa and Kesava Pillai as the Sarvadhikaryakkar.
Preparations for the battle
Tipu Sultan planned the invasion of Travancore for many years, and he was especially concerned with the Nedumkotta fortifications, which had prevented his father Hyder Ali from annexing the kingdom. On December 29, 1789, Tipu Sultan marched his troops from CoimbatoreCoimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
and attacked the Nedumkotta. His Mysorean Army were joined by some 500 local Muslims. Tipu's army consisted of 20,000 infantry, 10,000 spearmen and match-lockmen, 5,000 cavalry and 20 field guns.
Travancore purchased the strategic forts of Cranganore
Cranganore Fort
Cranganore Fort, otherwise known as Kodungallur Fort, was built by the Portuguese in 1523 A.D. and was called Fortaleza da Sao Tome. The Dutch took possession of it in 1661 and later it came under the control of Tipu Sultan. The Dutch wrested it back from Tipu Sultan, but the fort eventually came...
and Ayacottah from the Dutch to improve the country's defenses. The deal was finalized by Dewan Kesava Pillai and Dutch merchants David Rabbi and Ephraim Cohen under the observation of Maharajah Dharma Raja and Dutch East India Company Governor John Gerard van Anglebeck. Travancore also held a treaty with the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, under whose terms two battalions of the Company army were stationed at the Travancore-Cochin frontier. Tipu Sultan objected to these purchases because the forts, even though they had long been in Dutch hands, were in a territory that paid him tribute.
Kesava Pillai was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Travancore Army. To boost the strength of the armed forces, several thousand Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
militiamen were called up from Kalari
Kalari
The word Kalari means battle ground in Tamil and translates as "threshing floor" or "battlefield" in Malayalam. Training for Kalarippayattu, a martial art of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, is traditionally done inside the Kalari....
s all over the kingdom. The forts of Cranganore and Ayacottah were repaired and garrisoned.
The battle
Tipu reached Nedumkotta on 28 December 1789. Out of his army numbering several tens of thousands, about 14,000 along with 500 local Muslims marched towards the fortification. By 29 December, a large portion of the right flank of Nedumkotta was under the control of Mysore Army. Now only a lengthy ditch (16 foot wide and 20 foot deep) separated the Kingdom of Travancore from the Mysorean forces. Tipu commanded his soldiers to level up the ditch, so that his army can move forward. The retreating soldiers and militiamen from Travancore regrouped on the other side of the ditch. Unable to fill the ditch under heavy fire from the Travancoreans, Tipu ordered his soldiers to march forward through a very narrow passage. This ill advised move backfired on the Mysoreans, as a group of two dozen Nair militiamen from the Nandyat kalari under Vaikom Padmanabha PillaiVaikom Padmanabha Pillai
Vaikom Padmanabha Pillai was a militia leader and military officer of the Kingdom of Travancore . In 1808 he led an uprising against British control in Travancore...
ambushed their enemies half-way. A few dozen Mysorean soldiers died of direct gun-fire, and the commanding officer was killed. Many more panicked and in the ensuing chaos fell in to the ditch and died. The reinforcements sent by the Mysoreans were prevented from merging with the main contingent by a batch of the Travancore regular army. Tipu himself fell from his palanquin and was nearly stampeded. He was seriously wounded and went permanently lame.
Aftermath
The Nairs of Travancore recovered the sword, the pallanquin, the dagger, the ring and many other personal effects of Tipu from the ditches of the Nedumkotta and presented them to the Maharajah of Travancore. Some of them were sent to the Nawab of Arcot (one of Tipu's arch rivals) on his request. The Mysorean army suffered 2,000 deaths and many thousands were injured. Several high ranking Mysorean officers were taken prisoner, including 5 Europeans and one Maratha.After his defeat at Nedumkotta, Tipu regrouped, and captured the Nedumkotta line several months later. His forces were once again defeated by the Travancoreans near the Alwaye river in 1790. Faced with epidemics of cholera and malaria, increasing resistance from the Travancoreans, and the looming threat of war with the British in eastern Mysore, Tipu retreated. Tipu was forced to concentrate on simultaneous attacks of English on Mysore and the damp weather.