Siege of Trichinopoly (1751–1752) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Trichinopoly |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Second Carnatic War | |||||
|
|||||
| Belligerents | |||||
 Nawab of Arcot |
Rival claimants:
|
||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
|
Rival claimants:
|
||||
The Siege of Trichinopoly was an important battle that happened between 1751 and 1752. It was part of a bigger conflict called the Second Carnatic War. This battle was about who would control the important fortress town of Trichinopoly (which is now called Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu). Chanda Sahib, supported by the French East India Company, tried to capture the town from Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah.
Contents
Why the Siege Happened
The siege began after a battle in 1749 called the Battle of Ambur. In that battle, Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah's father, Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan, was killed. After his father's death, Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah escaped to Trichinopoly.
Chanda Sahib, with help from a French leader named Joseph François Dupleix, wanted to attack Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah in Trichinopoly. However, they needed money and supplies. So, Chanda Sahib first decided to attack Tanjore. But then, his enemies, the Marathas, started moving, so he had to stop the attack on Tanjore and go north to face them.
While this was happening, Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah talked to both the French and the British. He wanted their help. The British then sent several hundred European soldiers to Trichinopoly to support him.
The Siege Begins
In March 1751, Chanda Sahib started moving south again from Arcot, which was the capital of the Carnatic region. He still had French support. His army was very large. Because of this, the British in Madras sent more troops towards Trichinopoly. Their goal was to stop Chanda Sahib.
In July, there was a short fight near Valikondapuram. The British were outnumbered, so they went back to Trichinopoly. Chanda Sahib followed them with his main army. He then began to surround and attack the fortress town. The French soldiers, first led by D'Auteuil and later by Law, were mainly in charge of the siege operations.
Clive's Bold Move
To try and help the people inside Trichinopoly, the British in Madras came up with a plan. They sent Captain Robert Clive with a small group of soldiers to take over Arcot. Chanda Sahib had not left many soldiers to defend Arcot.
When Chanda Sahib found out, he sent 4,000 of his soldiers from the siege force to get Arcot back. However, this attempt failed. This famous event made Robert Clive a much more important leader in India.
The Siege Ends
The siege of Trichinopoly finally ended in April 1752. This happened when British reinforcements arrived. These new troops were led by Stringer Lawrence and included Robert Clive.
On April 9, Lawrence joined forces with soldiers who came out of Trichinopoly. They managed to get inside the fortress lines. Two days later, on April 11, Lawrence led a surprise attack, called a sortie, against the soldiers who were surrounding the town. This attack made Law, the French commander, lift the siege. He and his troops retreated to an island called Srirangam.
What Happened Next
After the siege was lifted, the British quickly acted. They then surrounded the French soldiers on the island of Srirangam. Chanda Sahib decided to surrender to the forces from Tanjore who had come to help the British. He thought this would be better than surrendering to the British.
However, the Tanjoreans did not keep their promise to help him escape. They executed him on June 14. Law surrendered the French troops on the very same day.
See also
- Fort St George
- Fort St David
- Tiruchirappalli Fort
