Read Book Online : http://www.archive.org/stream/narrativesketche00londiala#page/n9/mode/2up

Download pdf Book : http://ia600301.us.archive.org/3/items/narrativesketche00londiala/narrativesketche00londiala.pdf

I'm fairly certain that I have posted the following letter at the RBSI on a previous occasion ~ but ~ I do so again because I believe that it helps to illustrate an important point that many people seem to entirely overlook. Napoleon Bonaparte to Tipu Sultan of Mysore (extract) ~ January 26, 1799 : "...You have already been informed of my arrival on the borders of the Red Sea with an innumerable and Invincible Army, full of the desire of delivering you from the Iron yoke of England. I eagerly embrace this opportunity of testifying to you the desire I have of being informed by you, by the way of Muscat and Mocha, as to your political situation. I would even wish that you could send some intelligent person to Suez or Cairo, possessing your confidence, with whom I may confer. May the Almighty increase your power and destroy your Enemies..." This letter was never recieved, for it was intercepted by the Royal Navy off Jeddah ~ but ~ its contents provided incontrovertible proof, long suspected by the British, of the liason between France and Mysore. By courting relations with the French , Tipu not only demonstrated enormous political naivety, he also assured his own destruction. It might not be very wise to put your faith in an "invincible" army several thousand miles and an ocean away while underestimating the intentions of the one camped outside of your own city walls... The British are often accused of a needless, aggressively 'expansionist' policy towards Mysore ~ along the lines of the tiresomly familiar, terribly cliched and largely inaccurate 'loot and plunder' theme ~ but the real truth of the matter is that , at the time, not even the sniff of a French resurgence on the sub-continent could be allowed ~ and certainly not during a time of war in Europe ... It is almost impossible ~ or so it seems to me ~ to try to understand Imperial history without also attempting to understand European history, for the two are intimately connected.

a worthy download indeed.Thanks R.B.S.I.

It is also necessary to understand the Indian situation then which compelled Tipoo to seek French assistance.

Thanks RBSI for posting these 5-6 pix of Tipoo.