The History Of Bangalore The Fourth Battle of Bangalore: The First Anglo-Mysore War, Part 1
The inevitable collision has arrived. Ramjee Chandran details the opening gambit of the First Anglo-Mysore War, where the strategic preparations of the previous years are finally tested on the battlefield. As a British-Nizam coalition marches with the explicit goal of reducing the Fort of Bangalore, Hyder Ali chooses not to wait behind his walls. Instead, he descends from the plateau to force a confrontation at Chengam. This episode explores the harsh reality of 18th-century warfare: a world where victory isn't just about musketry and maneuvers, but about the brutal, grinding logic of logistics and endurance.
Key Details from the Script:
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The Target - Bangalore: The 1766 Treaty of Hyderabad between the British and the Nizam included a specific operational plan to reduce the fort of Bangalore.
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The Strategy of Movement: Rather than waiting for a siege, Hyder Ali moved first, descending into the low coastal plains of the Carnatic to cut British supply lines and choose the terms of the engagement.
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The Battle of Chengam (September 3, 1767): A British force of 6,000, led by Colonel Joseph Smith, faced a massive combined army of nearly 70,000 under Hyder Ali and the Nizam.
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Tactical vs. Strategic Results: While the British held their formation against overwhelming numbers, they were forced into a harrowing 27-hour retreat to Tiruvannamalai due to a critical lack of food and supplies.
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The Lesson of Chengam: The battle proved that while British discipline made them hard to break in a frontal fight, Hyder’s superior cavalry and "scorched earth" tactics made conventional British movement and supply extremely dangerous.
- A War of Endurance: The conflict shifted from a search for a single decisive battle to a war of logistics and the ability to keep an army fed and functional in the field.
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The theme music for the show was composed by German-Indian Koln based percussionist, Ramesh Shotham. Ramjee Chandran's photos by Asha Thadani.
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