Chapter 343: The Indian Quagmire
The spy for the East India Company nodded with certainty. "It's highly likely. I've gathered the same information from multiple sources. Those men around Tipu Sultan, like Sheikh Khan and Shah, have been portraying us as a massive threat. Additionally, the sentiment against us among the Mysore populace is growing..."
Sheikh Khan and Shah, although successful in overthrowing Jahan Zeb, were keen to leverage the current anti-British wave to completely eliminate British influence in Mysore.
Half an hour later, the spy left Griffiths' office. The senior representative of the East India Company immediately ordered a servant to prepare his carriage so he could head to Ambavilas Palace to gauge Tipu Sultan's mood.
Lately, Tipu Sultan had been deeply troubled by the deaths of over 300 people, which were blamed on Jahan Zeb acting under British influence. So, naturally, he did not receive Griffiths warmly. Shah, seizing the opportunity, further steered the conversation towards British "atrocities," making Griffiths endure a harsh reprimand before being dismissed.
Leaving Ambavilas Palace, Griffiths wore a serious expression. Based on the spy's report and Tipu Sultan's attitude today, the situation seemed dire. He immediately returned to his residence and drafted a report to Lord Cornwallis, the Governor-General of India, outlining the deteriorating situation in Mysore and recommending the temporary withdrawal of East India Company personnel from the region.
After sending the report, Griffiths quickly began arranging the evacuation of British nationals—Mysore could declare war at any moment, and waiting for the Governor-General's response might be too late.
Meanwhile, Salah received news that the British were beginning to withdraw from Mysore, and a smile spread across his face. The intelligence that the British spy had gathered was precisely what Salah had fed them through Shah's orders. Salah had also paid off one of Tipu Sultan's close aides to hint that the Sultan was planning to launch a preemptive strike against the British. Given the recent surge in anti-British sentiment, it was likely that the British would choose to leave the volatile area temporarily.
Had Griffiths decided to stay, the French intelligence service was prepared to present him with further "surprises," such as staged looting of British merchants or even the kidnapping of British nationals. Salah doubted the British could withstand such pressure. However, he hadn't expected Griffiths to be so "cooperative," opting to leave immediately.
He quickly sought out Lafayette, and the next morning, they both went to meet with Tipu Sultan.
Inside Ambavilas Palace, Lafayette looked at Tipu Sultan with a face full of urgency. "Your Majesty, I've repeatedly warned you that the British will launch another invasion against Mysore. The situation is clear now—they're withdrawing from Mysore, obviously to prepare for a military strike."
Though he held some disdain for Salah's methods, Lafayette wasn't about to waste the opportunity that had been set up for him.
Tipu Sultan's face was also dark with anger. As Mysore's ruler, he was well aware of the East India Company's withdrawal.
Salah then stepped forward and began vividly describing the horrors of the previous two Mysore Wars, particularly the devastation of the second war on Mysore. In fact, if Joseph hadn't intervened in Indian affairs, the British would have likely instigated the Third Mysore War early next year, which would have been the most devastating for Mysore.
That war would have cost Mysore half its territory and 3 million pounds in reparations—a staggering sum equivalent to 75 million livres. After that, Tipu Sultan, known as the "Tiger of Mysore," would have been rendered powerless against the British, eventually dying in 1799 during the Fourth Mysore War while defending Srirangapatna.
However, there were still about six months before the British could fully prepare for war. The East India Company would need considerable time to transport weapons and supplies from Britain, over 10,000 miles away. If Mysore launched a preemptive strike before then, it could inflict heavy losses on the British.
Though it was unlikely that Mysore could completely defeat the British, given their vast resources, a preemptive strike would force the British to divert resources—possibly those intended for disrupting French interests in North Africa—to defend India. This could quickly alleviate the pressure on France in North Africa, and depending on the situation, France might even increase its support for Mysore, further raising the cost of Britain's colonial ambitions.
Of course, Joseph wasn't about to bleed France dry like Louis XVI did to support American independence. His approach was always to achieve maximum gain with minimal cost.
Finally, when Salah spoke of how Tipu's father, Hyder Ali, had died fighting the British, Tipu Sultan could no longer remain calm. He leaped from his ornate golden seat, fists clenched, and declared, "You're right! Rather than wait for the British to strike Mysore again, I should take the initiative and attack them first!"
He turned to his court steward and ordered, "Summon the ministers for an immediate meeting."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Mysore's "Ministerial Council" was modeled after the European cabinet system, consisting of ministers for finance, military, commerce, and religion, along with the Sultan's secretary (who was currently on pilgrimage and thus absent) and key military commanders. This council served as the core political power in the state.
Tipu Sultan then looked at Lafayette and said, "If possible, I would like you to join this meeting."
Lafayette bowed slightly, "It would be an honor, Your Majesty."
Around 5:00 PM, a visibly relieved Salah finally saw Lafayette emerging from Ambavilas Palace's outer hall. He hurried over to him and asked, "Marquis, what's the result?"
Lafayette, now relaxed, adjusted his coat and, with a rare smile since arriving in India, replied in a low voice, "They've decided to go to war with Britain. None of the ministers opposed it."
Salah nodded enthusiastically, "That's wonderful! I've done all I can. The rest is up to you, Marquis."
Lafayette confidently patted his shoulder, "I won't disappoint you, my old friend."
Leading inexperienced soldiers, especially those from a foreign land, was what Lafayette did best. After all, he had once led a group of inexperienced American Continental Army soldiers to defeat the mighty British expeditionary force.
He had previously inspected Mysore's army, and while it had undergone some European-style training and was somewhat less effective than the American militia, its soldiers were more disciplined—Mysore's officers could even command them to commit suicide on the spot.
Mysore's biggest advantage was its sheer number of soldiers. Even without mobilization, there were already over 58,000 troops. According to Tipu Sultan, the maximum number of soldiers they could mobilize was around 120,000. (End of Chapter)
Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10