nam, which he blockaded, cutting off all supplies from the country. Konderao had fled hither immediately after the action. Hyder not only deceived Nunderauze and the sirdars, with respect to his intentions, but the Rajah himself, whom he so far imposed upon by professions during the month that he lay before the capital, as to induce him to open the gates to receive him as Duan, and deliver Konderao into his hands, upon his assurances that he had no other views, nor any against the Rajah, but so far from keeping his word, that, directly on entering the town, he placed his own guards over the gates, the inagazines and the palace, made the Rajah his prisoner, seized his treasure, and had a cage made for Konderao, his old competitor, in which he kept him exposed to public view; but afterwards sent him to Bangalore, where he remained a year in the same disagreeable situation.

Hyder continued at Seringapatam six months, establishing himself, settling the country, and regulating the government.

Firmamood Khawn, the Nabob of Sirpy, died about the year 1740; the Mahrattas immediately posessed themselves of the country, and Delarkhawn,the succeeding Nabob, rather than continue besieged, gave up the capital to them, upon their ceding to him an inconsiderable place near Colar.

In the year 1761 the Soubahdar sent his brother, Bazalet Jung, with an army to recover Sirpy and its dependencies from the Mahrattas; the first place he came before was Ooscotta, on the frontiers of the Mysore country; this fort was garrisoned by 700 matchlock Peons, and had stood a siege of two months, without any shew of surrendering,

when Hyder Ally dispatched Meer Phazulla Khawn with proposals, offering to pay five lacks of rupees for the title of Sirpy, and the country belonging it, but required to be assisted in the reduction of the capital, being able to reduce the rest himself; which articles being agreed to, Hyder marched to Ooscotta, which soon after fell: he garrisoned the place, and the two armies proceeded to besiege Sirpy, which also surrendered after a month's siege, and Bazalet Jung immediately after returned to Adony. Hyder found little difficulty in settling this country, the Polygar of Chingabalaporam excepted, who, in the course of three months, killed 1000 of his people, and convinced him this conquest would cost him dear if he persisted in it; he therefore determined to make peace, and settled with the Polygar Chinnapyah for five lacks of pagodas, received a lack and a half in hand, and swore to the performance of his agree ment; Hyder, in consequence of his agreement, raised the siege, and returned to Devonapelly, three coss on his route homeward.

Chinnapyah, not suspecting his new master, took 500 Mahrattas into the place, and dismissed the rest, amounting to 400 horse, which had come with Morari Rao to his assistance, who accordingly began their march to their country, and he himself went to Nundeguddy, the usual place of his residence. Hyder hearing of these steps, returned instantly, invested the place anew, and, as he expected, reduced it in ten days, when he cut some of the peoples' tongues out, and the noses of others; and having garrisoned the place, followed Morari Rao without loss of time, and came up with him at Padyacundah. The Mahirattas had attacked him twice,

when

when before Chinnabalaporam, but were repulsed he now engaged and defeated them; a number of them were killed, and some of the principal officers taken prisoners. Morari Rao returned to Gooty, his capital; Hyder then turned his arms to Morari Rao's country, and conquered to the amount of three lacks of pagodas yearly. He afterwards marched against the Chitraculldurgum Polygar, belonging to Sirpy, and obliged him to pay three lacks of rupees, and assist him with 1500 horse, and 1000 foot. The Rajah of Biddenore had adopted Chinnavasuppah as his son, and appointed him to succeed to the government, in consequence of which, this boy, but nine years old at the Rajah's death, was put in possession, and his name made use of in all matters relating to the state, but his friends thought it necessary to remove him out of the queen's power, who had formed a design against his life, in favour of her brother. They put him under the protection of the Chitraculldurgum Polygar, where he had remained in safety nine years when Hyder appeared before the place, when a plan was then formed for restoring this young man to the possession of the Biddenore country; and Hyder, for his assistance therein, was to have 40 lacks of rupees, and he swore to the faithful performance of his part of the agreement. The armies marched for Biddenore, and the country all came in with great joy to receive their young Rajah; the forts surrendered and acknowledged him, all but Biddenore, which held out a month; it is inaccessible but by some bye roads, and situated in a wood, eight cosses round, encompassed by rocks, and impossible to be reduced but by

treachery or famine; but the people, attached to their young king, delivered it up. Mira, the queen, and her brother, were shut up; but finding the populace averse to them, they escaped to Derryabattungur, twelve coss distant, a very strong fort, on a rock, surrounded with water, having the sea on one side, and a river on the other. Hyder, after securing Biddenore, followed them, and took possession of the country as he went along, which the people willingly gave up. He sent inessengers to the garrison of Derryabattungur, telling them their master was there, and requiring them to surrender to him. They immediately gave up the place, and delivered the queen and her brother into his hands. Hyder had taken care to garrison Biddenore, and all the strong holds in the country, with Mysore troops, and had bestowed on the young king all the marks of royalty, who rode in great state on his elephant, and was treated with great attention; but this being now no longer necessary to his views, Hyder sent some of his people for a woman to whom the Rajah was greatly attached, which being communicated to him, he dimissed them with great contempt. Pretending to take offence at the refusal, Hyder ordered the Rajah to be made prisoner, and sent him, the old queen, and her brother, prisoners to Mudgerry, a strong rock, 16 coss from Bangalore. He became so generally hated after this infamous action, that a number of conspiracies were formed against him, for which he put upwards of 1000 persons to death. He afterwards conquered the Soonda country, near Goa, worth ten lacks of pagodas yearly. The Rajah fled from it, and with many of the § B 2 princi

principal people in the Biddenore country, applied for succour to Mahadrao, the chief of the Mahrattas, who marched 60,000 horse and 15,000 foot, in the year 1763, against Hyder, in Biddenore,worsted him in three different actions, and obliged him to take shelter in the woods, and entrench himself there.

Mahadarao continued his ravages for a year, when seeing no appearance of being able to restore the young Rajah, he agreed to retire, and leave Hyder in quiet possession of his conquest, for 40 lacks of rupees to himself, and 20 to his ministers. Having settled himself securely in the Biddenore country, Hyder left Tippoo Saheb his son to be Duan, at the place, and Salla Mecan at a fort near it. He sent Meer Saheb (whose sister he had married) to Sirpy, Meer Phazulla Khawn was left in command of Mysore, Mukton Saheb he sent to Seringapatam, his uncle, Abram Saheb, continued in Bangalore, and Amcean Saheb, his cousin, in charge of the valley. He himself, with an army, marched to the Malabar coast, where he entered into a friendly treaty with Ally Rajah, and with his children, attacked and took Callicut, which surrended upon conditions, after a siege of three months. About this time, Meer Saheb took the Polygar Chinna prisoner, gave him terms, and swore he would give him his liberty; but which afterwards was paid no regard to, nor would it have been proper to trust him. He had been obliged to capitulate, being starved to it on the Nundeguddy rock. He was sent to Bangalore, where he died of a broken heart. Hyder, to secure himself against Chinnapah's son, had him circumcised, obliged him to change

his cast, eat beef, and become a Mussulman.

The Zamorins, or Kings of Callicut, were ascertained to entertain 1200 Bramins in their household, and until they had first been served with victuals, he never began to eat himself: it was an etiquette also, that he never spoke to, or suffered a Mahomedan to come into his presence. Hyder, after taking the place, sent his compliments, and desired to see the Zamorin, but was refused; but the Zamorin admitted Hyder's head Bramin to speak to him, and carry his answer back to his master, who was to be at some distance from them. After this interview was over, Hyder sent them rice for only 500 men the first day; this they dispensed with; the second day he sent enough for 300, and the third day, for only 100; after which, all further supplies were refused, nor any notice taken of the Zamorin's complaints and applications. After fasting three days, and finding all remonstrances vain, he set fire to his own palace, and was burned, with some of his women and three

Bramins, the rest having left him. Hyder, after the Zamorin's death, garrisoned the place with 2000 foot and 500 horse, and marched with the remainder of his army to Coimbetore, 40 coss on his route to his own country. About two months after Hyder left Callicut, the late Zamorin's brother appeared before the place with 20,000 men, got possession of it, and put every soul to death but about 300, who fled to a church for safety. As soon as the news reached Hyder, he detached Assut Khawn with an army of 5000 foot and 1000 horse to retake the place, who, after beating his enemy twice, forced them to

abandon

disposers, even of their lives. He sent a large army, well provided, under his relation, Narsimma Rayaloo, to conquer the Coorma Rajahs, and to take possession of their country. Narsimma Rayaloo, having with his forces besieged and taken Veejanagur, captured the king and his evil counsellors, and by consent of Booka Rayaloo, himself assumed the powers of this government, and extended his conquests in the course of his reign as far as Satoova. Two of his descendants, Cristna Rayaloo, and Achuta Rayaloo, in the course of their reigns conquered the Gajaputty, and other Rajahs, and they received tributes from the principal chiefs and rulers of all the countries between the Nurbuda and Satoo; thus acquiring in their time, the honourable name and reputation of sovereign lords of that extensive domain. Cristna Rayaloo, having no sons to keep up the succession, appointed his son-in-law, Rama Rayaloo, a descendant of Booka Rayaloo, of the Naraputty race, to succeed to the royal throne. Rama Rayaloo appointed his four brothers to considerable command in the following places :-Conomaraja, at Chendrageery, as governor of the districts attached to that capital. Venkatadree Rayaroo, with sovereign power at Cannoul; Timmaraja had his residence at Panoogonda and Tirmal Rayaloo remained at Veejanagur, to assist his brother in the duties of the state. Timmaraja, who resided at Panoogonda, had no children by his own cast wife; by his two concubines he had sons, to the sons of the first, à Ilindû woman he gave Mysore; and Royadroog to his children, by a dancing girl; hence the succestion of the Rajals of Royadroog

and Mysore, to this time, is descended of this line.

After Rama Rayaloo was acknowledged in the government, he conquered all the countries from the Nurbuda river to Satoova, and assumed the title of Lord, or Sovereign of all other Kings, even of the Mussulman Bad-shahs. Contentions arising between him and the Mussulman Bad-shahs of the Deccan, he was slain in battle by them near the Kristna river; upon which his son Cristna Rayaloo went to Cannoul, under protection of his relations, whence he brought forces, as many as were requisite, and drove out his enemies from Veejanagur, and taking possession of Anagoondy, he ruled there for some time, and appointed his brother Tirmal Rayaloo to succeed, as he had no sons himself. Afterwards Rada Venkataraja and Chinna Venkataraja, managed the Raaje for a considerable time: Chinna Venkataraja had three sons, by names Timma Raja, Nenkataputty Raja, and Strecrunga Raja; this Streerunga Raja went from Anagoondy, and conquered the Mysore dominion, and there departed this life. There being no sons left of the Rajahs of Veejanagur, the queen brought one of their cousins, named Venkataputty Rayaloo, from Chendrageery, and set him on the throne. His descendants successively ruled down to this time; namely, Tirmal Kayaloo, Chinna Roy, Pedda Dasa Rayaloo, Chilka Dasa Rayaloo, Rama Rao, and Venkataputty Roiaroo, Roiaroo, to the present Rajah Timmapa.

When Allum Geer came into the Deccan, he reduced Anagsondy, Panoogonda,and Chendrageery,and incorporating the rest of these countries into the royal domains, he

granted