British capture of Cannanore secured East India Company control over the Malabar Coast during the Third Anglo-Mysore War.
Key Facts
- Date of surrender
- 17 December 1790
- Siege began
- 14 December 1790
- British commander
- General Robert Abercromby
- Defenders
- Mysore troops and Sultan Ali Raja of Cannanore forces
- Concurrent action
- Capture of Calicut by a separate British force
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Third Anglo-Mysore War, the British East India Company sought to break Mysore's hold on the Malabar Coast. Cannanore, garrisoned by Mysorean troops and forces loyal to the Sultan Ali Raja of Cannanore, represented a key strategic position that the Company needed to neutralize in order to dominate the region.
General Robert Abercromby led Company forces in a siege of Cannanore beginning 14 December 1790. After several days of operations, British troops seized the high ground commanding the city's main fort, depriving the defenders of a tenable position. The garrison surrendered on 17 December 1790.
The fall of Cannanore, combined with the near-simultaneous capture of Calicut by a separate British force, gave the East India Company effective control over the Malabar Coast. This materially weakened Mysore's western flank and contributed to the broader British strategic position in the Third Anglo-Mysore War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
General Robert Abercromby.
Side B
2 belligerents
Ali Raja of Cannanore.