Intrigues, Wars, and the Fight for Tamil Country

The Nawab of Arcot's intrigues with the Marathas and Nizam led to a costly war that pulled in the French and the English. To repay the English debt, the Nawab embarked on a punitive expeditiona against his subjects in the south of Tamil country. His general, the indomitable Chand Saheb, was a pretender to the throne of Arcot. The battlelines were drawn.

(Courtesy: ashokism)

The only remaining bastion of the Madura fort. The fort had 72 bastions for each of the 72 palayams in Tamil country. It was well defended by Yusuf Khan during the seiges of 1763-64 that the English decided to destroy the fort fearing that it may fall to Hyder Ali. This section of the bastion now houses a corporation office and a library.