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Rh CHAPTER X.

Religious Zeal of Tippoo Sultan – He assumes an Imperial Title – Confederacy against him – Hostilities succeeded by Peace – Tippoo pursues his proselyting Mania in Malabar – Resolves to seize on Travancore – Interference of the British – Tippoo attacks the Lines of Travancore – His Failure and frightful Loss of Life – His final Success – Confederacy against Tippoo between the English, the Nizam, and the Mahrattas – The Anglo-Indian Army takes the field under General Meadows – Its successful Operations – Gallant Retreat of Colonel Floyd's Detachment – Tippoo suddenly invades and ravages the Carnatic – Lord Cornwallis assumes the Command of the Army – By a skilful Movement he invades Mysore – Siege of Bangalore – Gallant Cavalry Affair under Colonel Floyd – Storming of the Pettah of Bangalore – Death of Colonel Moorhouse – Capture of the Pettah – The Fort breached and stormed – Brave Defence by Bahander Khan – Capture of Bangalore and Consternation of Tippoo – Junction of the Nizam's Contingent – Singular Appearance of the Hyderabad Troops – Their Inefficiency – Advance of the Anglo-Indian Army on the Enemy's Capital – Defeat of Tippoo before Seringapatam.

After the conclusion of this treaty, Tippoo became the most prominent personage in the political world of India, and took every means of evincing the idea he himself entertained of his own unlimited power and authority. He was particularly inspired with a furious zeal in the cause of Islamism; and, collecting sixty thousand of those Christians on the coast of Canara who had been converted by the Portuguese, he forcibly inflicted upon them the rite of circumcision. He invaded the rude and mountainous territory of Coorg, and, carrying off seventy thousand of its inhabitants, he served them in the same manner. Elated by these cruel triumphs, the Sultan hesitated not to assume the title of Padsha, which had hitherto been appropriated exclusively to the Great Mogul, whose supremacy had till that period been acknowledged in Mysore; but no sooner did the conqueror invest himself with this high distinction than public prayers were offered up for him instead of Shah Alum.