Table Of ContentROUTLEDGE LIBRARY EDITIONS:
COLONIALISM AND IMPERIALISM
Volume 4
BRITAIN’S ARMY IN INDIA
BRITAIN’S ARMY IN INDIA
From its Origins to the
Conquest of Bengal
JAMES P. LAWFORD
First published in 1978 by George Allen & Unwin
This edition first published in 2023
by Routledge
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© 1978 George Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd
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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-032-41054-8 (Set)
ISBN: 978-1-032-41068-5 (Volume 4) (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-41070-8 (Volume 4) (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-35610-3 (Volume 4) (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003356103
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Britain's Army
in India
From its Origins to the
Conquest of Bengal
James P.Lawford
London
GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN
Boston Sydney
First published in Great Britain in 1978
This book is copyright under the Berne Convention. All
rights are reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the
purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as
permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photo-
copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission
of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to
the publishers.
© Copyright George Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd, 1978
ISBN o 04 954020 3
Printed in Great Britain
in 11 on 12 pt Imprint
by the Alden Press, Oxford
Contents
Chapter i. Origins page n
Moghul India. The Portuguese. The founding of the East India Company,
31 December 1600. Founding of Madras, 20 February 1640. Akbar's
Reforms. Captain Martin as Garrison Commander, 1651.
Chapter 2. The Company Expands 31
Sir Edward Winter's coup, 1665. Bombay ceded, 1665. Keigwin's revolt,
1683. The war with Aurangzib, 1686-90. The founding of Calcutta,
August 1690.
Chapter 3. Peaceful Traders, i6go-ij45 50
The rise of the Mahrattas. Disintegration of the Moghul Empire.
Mahrattas invade Carnatic and Bengal. Military organisations.
Chapter 4. Anglo-French Rivalry in the Carnatic 68
3 September 1746, La Bourdonnais moves against Madras. 10 September,
Madras capitulates. Paradis at the Adyar River, 24 October. French
attacks on Fort St David beaten off. Boscawen attacks Pondicherry.
Chapter 5. Dupleix's Great Design 86
British capture Devicotta, 12 June 1750. Reasons for European military
supremacy. Struggle for the succession in the Deccan, 1748-50. Triumph
of Salabat Jang and Chunda Sahib.
Chapter 6. The War in the Carnatic - the
Opening Stages 103
British support Mohammed Ali. Action at Volconda, 20 June 1751.
Skirmish at Utatoor, 11 July. De Gingins retreats to Trichinopoly. Clive
marches on Arcot; siege, 23 September to 15 November 1751. Action near
Ami, 15 December 1751.
Chapter 7. The First Battle for Trichinopoly 124
The country around Trichinopoly. Battle of Kauveripauk, 24 February
1752. Lawrence relieves Trichinopoly, 27 March 1752. Law retires to
Sriringham Island, 3 April. Action at Samiaverum, 16/17 April.
Pitchunda Pogada surrenders, 10 May. D'Auteuil surrenders at Volconda,
29 May. Chunda Sahib murdered, Law capitulates, 3 June 1752.
6 Britairis Army in India
Chapter 8. The Alliance Breaks Up page 140
Disagreements on strategy. Kinnear defeated at Vikravandi, June 1752.
Lawrence triumphs at Bahur, 26 August. Mahrattas join French. Dalton
repulsed on Sriringham Island, 24 December.
Chapter 9. The Second Battle for Trichinopoly 150
Lawrence marches to save Trichinopoly, 22 April 1753. Repulsed on
Sriringham Island, 10 May. First action at Golden Rock, 26 June. Second
action, 9 August. Third action, 21 September. French escalade Dalton's
Battery, 27/28 November. Manoji disgraced, January 1754. British
convoy annihilated, February 1754. Conspiracy against Yusuf Khan.
Action of 12 May. Morari Rao abandons Nanj Raj, Provisional Treaty, 1
January 1755.
Chapter 10. Peace and a Catastrophe in Bengal 172
39th Foot arrives in Madras. Heron's expedition to Madura and Tinnevelly,
February 1755. Clive and Watson at Gheria, 11 February 1756. The fall
of Calcutta, 20 June 1756.
Chapter n. The Recovery of Calcutta 186
Action at Budge Budge, 29 December 1756. Calcutta recaptured, 2 January
1757. Attack on Hooghly, 10 January. The action outside Calcutta,
5 February.
Chapter 12. The Destruction of Siraj-ud-daula 201
The capture of Chandernagore, 23 March 1757. The conspiracy against
Siraj-ud-daula. The Battle of Plassey, 23 June.
Chapter 13. The French Strike in the Carnatic 217
The aftermath of Plassey. The second siege of Madura. Loss of Fort
St David, 2 June 1758. Lally falls before Tanjore, 10 August. Second
siege of Madras, 13 December 1758-17 February 1759.
Chapter 14. The Conquest of the Northern drears 237
Clive Governor of Bengal. Organises effective sepoy army. Sends Forde
to Vizagapatam. Battle of Condore, 7 December 1758. Masulipatam
falls, 8 April 1759.
Chapter 15. The Campaign in the Carnatic,
1759-60 , and the Battle of Wandewash 253
Brereton takes Conjeeveram, 18 April 1759. A naval action, 10 September.
D'Ache sails away, 1 October. Brereton defeated at Wandewash, 1 October.
Contents 7
Wandewash Fort surrenders 30 November. Lally moves to retake Wande-
wash. Battle of Wandewash, 22 January 1760.
Chapter 16. The Second Siege of Pondicherry 266
Coote isolates Pondicherry, 17 June 1760. Coote besieges Villanore Fort,
17 June. Lally's counterattack fails, 4 September. Monson breaks
through Boundary Hedge, 10 September. Pondicherry surrenders, 16
January 1761.
Chapter 17. The Rebellion in the South 277
Reorganisation of Madras Army, 1759. Yusuf Khan appointed Governor
of Madura and Tinnevelly. Rebels. First siege of Madura, 28 August—12
November 1763. Second siege of Madura, 9 March 1764. Storm fails,
26 June, and Madura blockaded. Madura surrenders and Yusuf Khan
hanged, 11 October 1764.
Chapter 18. Bombay; The Consolidation of
British Power in Bengal; The
Battle of Buxar 291
Role of Bombay Presidency. Dutch defeated at Bedarra, 25 November
I759- Caillaud at Seerpore, 22 February 1760. Deposition of Mir Jafar,
October 1760. Battle of Suan, 19 January 1761. Break with Mir Kassim,
17 July 1763. Action at Cutwa, 19 July. Battle of Sooty, 2 August.
Attack on Oodanulla, 5 September. Monghyr captured and Mir Kassim
executes his hostages, October. Patna falls, 6 November. Mutiny of
Bengal Army, February 1764. Suja-ud-daula repulsed at Patna, 3 May.
Mutiny of 9th Sepoy Battalion, September. Battle of Buxar, 23 October.
Appendices
1 Order of Battle of European Troops at the Siege
of Madras 321
2 The Bengal Army as on 14 February 1763 322
3 Order of Battle of the British Army at the
Battle of Buxar, 23 October 1764 326
4 Glossary of Anglo-Indian Terms 328
Bibliography 332
Index 335
