Battle of Sultanpet Tope facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Sultanpet Tope |
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 Mysore |
 English East India Company |
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The Battle of Sultanpet Tope was a small but important fight that happened on April 5 and 6, 1799. It was part of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. In this battle, soldiers from the British East India Company fought against the army of the Kingdom of Mysore. Even though the British faced some challenges at first, they eventually won.
Setting the Scene for Battle
On April 3, 1799, the British army arrived near Seringapatam. This was a very strong fortress city that the British planned to surround and attack.
Since a previous attack on Seringapatam in 1792, the ruler of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, had made the fort even stronger. He added new defenses, especially on the south and east sides. However, the west side, which was near the Kaveri River, was not as strong, even though it had two walls and a ditch.
In front of the British army, the ground was uneven with deep ditches. There were also some empty villages and many groves of palm trees. These groves, especially one called the Sultanpet Tope, were perfect hiding spots. Tipu Sultan's soldiers used them to hide and fire rockets at the British. These rockets were a big problem for the British soldiers guarding their camps.
General Baird was told to clear out this grove. He went to check it on the night of April 4, but found it empty.
The Fight for the Grove
The next day, the Mysore troops moved back into the Sultanpet Tope. It was very important to get them out of there. So, at sunset on April 5, two groups of British soldiers were sent to attack.
One group, led by Colonel Shawe, successfully took control of a ruined village nearby. The second group, led by Colonel Wellesley, moved into the grove. But in the darkness of night, they were suddenly attacked with a huge amount of gunfire and rockets. The soldiers struggled in the trees and water channels. They eventually broke apart and fell back in confusion. Some were killed, and a few were captured. During this chaos, Colonel Wellesley was hit on the knee by a rocket that had lost most of its power. He was very lucky not to be captured by the enemy.
The British tried again on the morning of April 6. This time, Colonel Wellesley led four regiments. This second attack was successful, and they took control of the grove.
After the Battle
Taking the Sultanpet Tope was a big step for the British. It allowed their forces to move closer to Seringapatam, within about 1,800 yards (1,600 meters). This meant General Harris could continue with his plans to surround and attack the fortress. The British army took its final position on April 7.
The military historian Richard Holmes later said that the difficult night attack taught Wellesley two important lessons. First, he learned how important it is to check an area carefully before attacking. Second, he learned how bad it feels to lose a battle.
