Battle of Ambur

Last updated

Battle of Ambur
Part of the Second Carnatic War
Death of the Nabob of the Carnatic by Paul Philippoteaux.jpg
Engraving depicting the death of the Nawab of the Carnatic at Ambur (also note: the sharpshooter upon the elephants)
Date3 August 1749
Location
Result Allied victory
Territorial
changes
Chanda Sahib is declared the Nawab of the Carnatic
Belligerents

Mughal Empire

Royal Flag of France.svg Kingdom of France


Commanders and leaders
Flag of the principality of Carnatic.gif Anwaruddin Khan  

Royal Flag of France.svg Joseph François Dupleix
Royal Flag of France.svg De Bussy


Mughal Empire

Strength
20,000 total
100 war elephants
36,000 total
400 Frenchmen
Casualties and losses
4,000 1,500

The Battle of Ambur (3 August 1749) was the first major battle of the Second Carnatic War. [1]

Contents

The battle was initiated by Muzaffar Jung and supported by Joseph François Dupleix and led by Chanda Sahib, who sought to overthrow Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan, the Nawab of the Carnatic, for supporting Nasir Jung's claim to be Nizam of Hyderabad. French forces were decisive in giving the allies victory; Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan was killed in the battle and Chanda Sahib seized control of the Carnatic.

Background

Since the beginning of the Second Carnatic War Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan, the Nawab of the Carnatic, had warned the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah of an irreversible power struggle in the Carnatic and how he wanted his interests to be legitimized by Nizam-ul-Mulk, the Nizam of Hyderabad who had nominated him in the first place.

Nizam-ul-Mulk died in 1748 and was succeeded as Nizam by his grandson Muzaffar Jung. This decision was confirmed by the Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur but rejected by Nasir Jung, Nizam-ul-Mulk's son, who captured the city of Hyderabad after a coup.

Muzaffar Jung fled Hyderabad and tried to gain new allies. He received the support of the French Governor-General Joseph François Dupleix, who helped release Chanda Sahib the son-in-law of Dost Ali Khan, who was imprisoned after being overrun by the Marathas and after his father-in-law was killed in the fray. Chanda Sahib sought the investiture of the Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur by declaring himself Nawab of Tinnevelly and gathered his own army of 3500 men and even received 400 French infantry from Dupleix. Because Muzaffar Jung was the chosen successor of Nizam-ul-Mulk his loyalists exceed 30,000. Together they marched towards Arcot, the capital of the Carnatic and sought to eliminate Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan, who supported Nasir Jung's claim to the Hyderabadi throne.

Instead of entrenching himself in Arcot, Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan decided to advance towards the allied forces with his own 20,000 battle-strong army. [2]

Battle

On 3 August 1749, the allied forces of Dupleix, Chanda Sahib and Muzaffar Jung met those of Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan at Ambur. Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan's forces managed to create a formidable stance by gathering around their howdahs despite being outnumbered 3 to 1, but it was the disciplined French infantry forces led by De Bussy that completely reversed the course of the battle against Khan. [3]

Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan was shot and killed in a fierce confrontation while commanding his forces from a howdah. The next day Muzaffar Jang and Chanda Sahib victoriously entered Arcot and Chanda Sahib became the next Nawab of the Carnatic. Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan's son, Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah, fled south to Trichinopoly, where he hid and sought the assistance of the British.

Aftermath

French East India Company influence 1741-1754. French India 1741-1754.png
French East India Company influence 1741–1754.

The Battle of Ambur convincingly demonstrated the superiority of European arms and methods of discipline and infantry warfare.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I</span> 18th-century Nizam of Hyderabad

Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan Siddiqi also known as Chin Qilich Qamaruddin Khan, Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah and Nizam I, was the first Nizam of Hyderabad. He was married to the daughter of a Syed nobleman of Gulbarga. He began his career as a favourite of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who made him a general. Following the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, Asaf Jah refused to favour any one of Aurangzeb's warring sons and as such remained neutral. When Aurangzeb's third son Bahadur Shah ultimately emerged victorious, Asaf Jah was rotated as governor of multiple Mughal provinces until 1714, when he was created Viceroy of the Deccan with authority over six Mughal provinces in southern India from 1714 to 1719. From 1719 onwards he was involved in combating the intrigues of the Sayyid Brothers. From 1720 to 1722 he helped the new Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah eliminate the Sayyed brothers and was rewarded by being elevated to the grand viziership from 1722 to 1724. He also engaged in military conflict against Bajirao I in Battle of Palkhed and Battle of Bhopal in which he was severely defeated and had to sue for peace.

Nawab, also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, is a royal title indicating a sovereign ruler, often of a South Asian state, in many ways comparable to the western title of Prince. The relationship of a Nawab to the Emperor of India has been compared to that of the Kings of Saxony to the German Emperor. In earlier times the title was ratified and bestowed by the reigning Mughal emperor to semi-autonomous Muslim rulers of subdivisions or princely states in the Indian subcontinent loyal to the Mughal Empire, for example the Nawabs of Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Shah</span> Mughal emperor from 1719 to 1748

Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad Shah was the thirteenth Mughal emperor from 1719 to 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. After being chosen by the Sayyid Brothers of Barha, he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, under their strict supervision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nizam of Hyderabad</span> Historic monarch of the Hyderabad State of India

Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State. Nizam is a shortened form of Niẓām ul-Mulk, which means Administrator of the Realm, and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I when he was appointed Viceroy of the Deccan by the Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar. In addition to being the Mughal Viceroy (Naib) of the Deccan, Asaf Jah I was also the premier courtier of the Mughal Empire until 1724, when he established the independent monarchy of Hyderabad and adopted the title "Nizam of Hyderabad".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alamgir II</span> Mughal emperor from 1754 to 1759

Mirza Aziz-ud-Din Muhammad, better known by his regnal name Alamgir II, was the fifteenth Mughal emperor from 1754 to 1759. He was the son of Jahandar Shah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmad Shah Bahadur</span> Mughal emperor from 1748 to 1754

Ahmad Shah Bahadur, also known as Mirza Ahmad Shah or Mujahid-ud-Din Ahmad Shah Ghazi, was the fourteenth Mughal emperor, born to Emperor Muhammad Shah. He succeeded his father to the throne in 1748, at the age of 22. When Ahmed Shah Bahadur came to power, the Mughal Empire started to decline. Furthermore, his administrative weakness eventually led to the rise of the usurping Imad-ul-Mulk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muzaffar Jang Hidayat</span> The ruler of Hyderabad briefly, from 1750 to his death in battle in 1751

Muhyi ad-Din Muzaffar Jang Hidayat was the ruler of Hyderabad from 1750 until his death in 1751. He was also given a very pompous title like his predecessor and rival Nasir Jung; it was Nawab Khan Bahadur, Muzaffar Jung, Nawab Subadar of the Deccan. He became famously known as Muzaffar Jung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Paigah</span> Noble family in the senior aristocracy of Hyderabad State

Paigah family was a noble family from the former Hyderabad State. The family maintained their own court, individual palaces, and a standing army of about fourteen thousand infantry and cavalry troops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnatic wars</span> 18th century wars between the French and the British

The Carnatic wars were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century in India's coastal Carnatic region, a dependency of Hyderabad State, India. The first Carnatic wars were fought between 1740 and 1748.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasir Jung</span> 18th-century ruler of Hyderabad

Mir Ahmad Ali Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi, Nasir Jung, was the son of Nizam-ul-Mulk by his wife Saeed-un-nisa Begum. He was born 26 February 1712. He succeeded his father as the Nizam of Hyderabad State in 1748. He had taken up a title of Humayun Jah, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Ahmad Ali Khan Siddiqi Bahadur, Nasir Jung, Nawab Subadar of the Deccan. However, he is most famously known as Nasir Jung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salabat Jung</span> 18th-century Nizam of Hyderabad, India

Salabat Jung, born as Mir Sa'id Muhammad Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi on 24 November 1718, was the 3rd son of Nizam-ul-Mulk. He was appointed as Naib Subahdar to his elder brother, Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung II, the Prime Minister of Mughal Empire, with the title Salabat Jung. He was invested by Imperial firman, at Aurangabad, Maharashtra, 12 September 1749. He was granted the titles of Khan Bahadur and Salabat Jung during his father's lifetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnatic Sultanate</span> State in southern India from 1692 to 1855

The Carnatic Sultanate was a kingdom in South India between about 1690 and 1855, and was under the legal purview of the Nizam of Hyderabad, until their demise. They initially had their capital at Arcot in the present-day Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Their rule is an important period in the history of the Carnatic and Coromandel Coast regions, in which the Mughal Empire gave way to the rising influence of the Maratha Empire, and later the emergence of the British Raj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah</span> Nawab of Carnatic and Arcort

Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah, or Muhammed Ali, Wallajah, was the Nawab of the Carnatic from 1749 until his death in 1795. He declared himself Nawab in 1749. This position was disputed between Wallajah and Chanda Sahib. In 1752, after several clashes, Chanda Sahib's forces and his French allies were expelled from Arcot, officially declaring Wallajah as Nawab on 26 August 1765. His reign was recognised by Mughal emperor Shah Alam II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chanda Sahib</span>

Chanda Sahib was a subject of the Carnatic Sultanate between 1749 and 1752. Initially he was supported by the French during the Carnatic Wars. After his defeat at Arcot in 1751, he was captured by the Marathas of Thanjavur and executed.

Sa'adatullah Khan II a.k.a. Muhammad Sayyid was Nawab of Arcot, who was a younger son of Safdar Ali Khan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anwaruddin Khan</span>

Anwaruddin Khan, also known as Muhammad Anwaruddin, was the 1st Nawab of Arcot. He belonged to a family of Qannauji Sheikhs. He was a major figure during the first two Carnatic Wars. He was also Subedar of Thatta from 1721-1733.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III</span> Grand vizier of the Mughal Empire allied with the Maratha Empire

Feroze Jung III or Nizam Shahabuddin Muhammad Feroz Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi also known by his sobriquet Imad-ul-Mulk, was the grand vizier of the Mughal Empire when it was under Maratha suzerainty, making them the de facto rulers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Trichinopoly (1743)</span> 1743 siege and capture of Trichinopoly by Nizam of Hyderabad

The siege of Trichinopoly was part of an extended series of conflicts between the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Maratha Empire for control of the Carnatic region. On 29 August 1743, after a six-month siege, Murari Rao surrendered, giving Nizam ul Mulk (Nizam) the suzerainty of Trichinopoly. By the end of 1743, the Nizam had regained full control of Deccan. This stopped the Maratha interference in the region and ended their hegemony over the Carnatic. The Nizam resolved the internal conflicts among the regional hereditary nobles (Nawabs) for the seat of governor (Subedar) of Arcot State, and monitored the activities of the British East India company and French East India Company by limiting their access to ports and trading.

The siege of Trichinopoly (1751–1752) was conducted by Chanda Sahib, who had been recognized as the Nawab of the Carnatic by representatives of the French East India Company, against the fortress town of Tiruchirappalli, held by Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maratha–Nizam wars</span> Military conflicts between the Maratha empire and Nizam of Hyderabad in India

The Maratha-Nizam wars (1720–1819) was a series of military conflicts between the Maratha Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad, spanning nearly a century. These conflicts arose primarily from the Marathas' imposition of Chauth, a form of tribute, on the Nizam's dominions, leading to tensions and subsequent hostilities between the two powers. The Nizam's response to the Maratha demands sparked a series of clashes and wars aimed at resisting Maratha encroachment and asserting territorial sovereignty.

References

  1. Naravane, M.S. (2014). Battles of the Honorourable East India Company. A.P.H. Publishing Corporation. p. 155. ISBN   9788131300343.
  2. Rose, J.H.; Newton, A.P.; Benians, E.A.; Dodwell, H. (1929). The Cambridge History of the British Empire. Vol. 1. Macmillan. p. 126. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  3. Tucker, S.C. (2009). A Global Chronology of Conflict: From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East [6 volumes]: From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East. ABC-CLIO. p. 756. ISBN   9781851096725 . Retrieved 26 November 2014.