Key Facts
- Siege start
- May 1791
- Garrison surrender date
- 2 November 1791
- Storm repulsed
- 11 June 1791
- Garrison commander
- Lieutenant John Chalmers
- Conflict context
- Third Anglo-Mysore War
Strategic Narrative Overview
Mysorean forces began the siege in May 1791, investing the fortress held by Lieutenant John Chalmers and his garrison. An attempt to storm the fort on 11 June 1791 was repulsed. Following this setback, the garrison received reinforcements, but a larger Mysorean force was also brought to bear. The prolonged siege wore down the defenders over several months, shifting the balance in Mysore's favor.
01 / The Origins
The Siege of Coimbatore took place within the broader context of the Third Anglo-Mysore War, a conflict between the expansionist Kingdom of Mysore under Tipu Sultan and the British East India Company and its allied Indian states. Coimbatore, held by a joint British and Travancorean garrison, was a strategic fortress in southern India that Mysorean forces sought to capture as part of their regional military campaign.
03 / The Outcome
The garrison ultimately surrendered on 2 November 1791. However, Tipu Sultan violated the terms of the capitulation, taking the garrison's commanding officers prisoner rather than granting them the honors or freedoms agreed upon. This breach of surrender terms marked the immediate aftermath of the siege and reflected the contentious nature of the broader Anglo-Mysore conflict.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Tipu Sultan.
Side B
2 belligerents
Lieutenant John Chalmers.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.