Writer’s Corner: This British soldier’s account of Third Anglo-Mysore War allows us a glimpse into 1790s’ Bengaluru and beyond

Mackenzie himself is something of a cipher—both volumes of the book give very few clues as to who he was as a person, and the only thing that can be said about him for certain is that in 1792, he served as a lieutenant in the 52nd Oxfordshire Regiment of Foot. Some portions of the text do highlight British colonial attitudes typical of the time, such as stereotypical and racist attitudes towards both Hindus and Muslims.

Others give us fascinating clues into the history of Karnataka and Bengaluru at the time. For example, one passage highlights how “native grains” could be kept for up to five years in proper storage conditions, giving us a clue to the importance of preserving food grains at a time when farmers were completely at the mercy of the monsoon without modern technology to aid them.

One is also left with a precise picture of the manner in which the East India Company waged war in Karnataka, down to matters of logistics, tactical decisions in certain military engagements, and the operation of artillery in battles such as the Siege of Bangalore. The work also gives us an idea as to how Bangalore itself was perceived at the time, from the fact that after its fall in 1792, resistance in strongholds such as Dharwar also began to falter, while minor polygars (feudal chieftains) began to switch sides to the British, anticipating their victory.

On Bangalore’s ‘salubrious climate’, ‘fruitful soil’

Even then, the city of Bangalore gave an impression of the climate that would lead to the tag of “pensioners’ paradise”. As Mackenzie wrote, “The climate of Bangalore is extremely temperate and salubrious. Situated nearly in the centre of the peninsula, and abounding with reservoirs of water, the lands benefit by the monsoons…without being deluged by the weight of their fall; the soil is fruitful, and produces the necessaries of life in great plenty; cabbages, lettuce, and other European culinary wares, planted by British officers, throve in the gardens all around without any extraordinary attention; and cypress, plantain, guava, with trees and shrubberies of various descriptions, rising in clumps in all directions, afforded abundance of shade.”

Supply was a matter of key concern. Mackenzie includes detailed tables of supplies per man, the number of bullocks required to transport them, and even the supplies that the bullocks in turn will require, not to mention details such as the amount of ammunition to be carried by a single animal, or the number of men of certain ranks to be accommodated in a single tent. Also contained are details such as the initial conclusion of negotiations at the end of the war, including the specific clauses imposed on Tipu Sultan, which effectively took away half of his territory.

Interested readers can find open-access online copies of the book on portals such as the Internet Archive.