Siege of Vellore facts for kids

The Siege of Vellore was a long fight that happened during the Second Anglo-Mysore War. It was a series of attacks and blockades by the Kingdom of Mysore against a British army group. This group was protecting the fortress in Vellore, which is now in India.

The fort was first attacked in 1780. The ruler of Mysore, Hyder Ali, later changed his strategy from a full siege to a blockade. This was because he needed his soldiers for other battles. The blockade continued until 1782 but was not very effective. The British managed to send supplies to their soldiers inside the fort four times.

What Was the Siege of Vellore?

A siege is when an army surrounds a place, like a fort or city, to cut off its supplies. The goal is to make the people inside surrender because they run out of food, water, or weapons. The Siege of Vellore was a long period where the Mysore army tried to capture the Vellore Fort from the British.

Why Was Vellore Fort Important?

The Vellore Fort was a very strong and important fortress. It was located in a key area, making it valuable for controlling the surrounding land. Both the British and the Kingdom of Mysore wanted to control it during the war.

The Second Anglo-Mysore War

The Siege of Vellore was part of a bigger conflict called the Second Anglo-Mysore War. This war was fought between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore.

Who Were the Main Sides?

• The British East India Company was a powerful British trading company. It had its own army and was slowly gaining control over parts of India.
• The Kingdom of Mysore was a strong Indian kingdom. It was led by its powerful ruler, Hyder Ali.

These two powers were fighting for control and influence in southern India.

The Start of the Siege in 1780

In 1780, Hyder Ali's army began to surround the Vellore Fort. They tried to stop anyone from going in or out. This was a full siege. They hoped to starve the British soldiers inside the fort and force them to give up.

From Siege to Blockade

After some time, Hyder Ali changed his plan. He turned the full siege into a blockade.

• A siege means actively attacking and trying to break into a fort.
• A blockade means surrounding a place to stop supplies from getting in. But it doesn't involve constant attacks.

Hyder Ali decided to change to a blockade because he needed his soldiers to fight in other important battles. He couldn't keep all his troops focused only on Vellore.

British Efforts to Resupply the Fort

Even with the blockade, the British did not give up. They sent groups of soldiers to carry food and supplies to the fort. These missions were very risky because they had to get past the Mysore army.

Successful Resupply Missions

The British were quite successful in their efforts. They managed to resupply the fort four times. This meant the soldiers inside, led by Colonel Ross Lang, had enough food and supplies to keep fighting. These resupply missions showed that the blockade was not fully effective.

The End of the Blockade in 1782

The blockade continued until 1782. However, it was not working well for the Mysore army. Because the British could still get supplies into the fort, the blockade was not achieving its goal of forcing a surrender. Eventually, the Mysore army abandoned the blockade. This meant the Siege of Vellore ended without the fort being captured by Mysore.