Podcast · History

The History Of Bangalore

by Ramjee Chandran · English · History

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New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 20 min
Latest: 6 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026 · 20 min

The French Connection, Part 2: France in Mysore

Despite being repeatedly abandoned by Paris due to European peace treaties, Tipu Sultan never relinquished his vision of a Franco-Mysore alliance to expel the British from India. This episode explores the pragmatic synergy between Mysore's land power and France's naval capabilities, the origin of Bengaluru's first European garrison in 1761, Admiral Suffren's 1782 naval campaign, and the deep cultural integration of French soldiers in Mysorean military life. Key Details from the Script: Pragmatic Synergy & Objectives: Mysore supplied standing armies, grain, bullocks, territory, land revenue,…

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S3 · E130 · 1 Oct 2026 · 19 min

The French Connection, Part 1: South India

Long before Britain consolidated its hold over the subcontinent, France came tantalizingly close to reshaping Indian history. In Part 1 of this mini-series, Ramjee Chandran traces the rise of La Compagnie des Indes Orientales, the kingmaking ambitions of Joseph François Dupleix, and the strategic innovations of the Marquis de Bussy—whose revenue-for-protection system provided the exact blueprint the British East India Company later used to conquer India. Key Details from the Script: French Expansion & Dupleix: Founded in 1664 by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, La Compagnie des Indes Orientales…
S3 · E129 · 22 Sep 2026 · 21 min

How Tipu Almost Destroyed Business in the Bengaluru Pete

While Tipu Sultan was driven to construct a modern, self-reliant industrial power, his domestic economic policies caused severe disruption for the merchant community of the Bengaluru Pete. Drawing from surveyor Francis Buchanan's 1800 records, this episode examines how trade bans, state monopolies under the Malik-ut-Tujjar, the abolition of private banking, forced state purchases, and an armed thorn hedge enclosure threatened the 250-year-old open marketplace. Key Details from the Script: Francis Buchanan’s 1800 Survey: Primary accounts of Tipu’s economic administration were documented by…
S3 · E128 · 16 Sep 2026 · 22 min

The Famous Mysore Silk: How it Happened

How did a kingdom stripped of its primary commercial ports transform itself into an industrial powerhouse? In this episode, Ramjee Chandran traces the origin of two defining Mysorean legacies: silk and lacquerware toys. From 12-year expeditions sent to China for silkworms to treadmill-pumped mulberry fields outside Bengaluru's old city gates, discover how Tipu Sultan built a closed-loop textile ecosystem and laid the foundation for modern Karnataka's sericulture industry Key Details from the Script: 1786 Sericulture Expeditions: Tipu Sultan dispatched diplomatic missions to China (lasting 12…
S3 · E127 · 8 Sep 2026 · 22 min

The Untold Story of the Mysore Navy

Did Mysore possess a high-seas navy capable of challenging the Royal Navy? In this episode, Ramjee Chandran uncovers the history of Tipu Sultan’s 1796 naval ordinance (Hukumnamah). Moving beyond coastal defense, Tipu sought to construct a blue-water fleet, establish a Board of Admiralty, and forge a maritime alliance with revolutionary France—a bold strategic shift that directly alarmed the British high command and hastened the fall of Mysore. Key Details from the Script: 1796 Political Context: Debt cleared and sons returned by 1794; Tipu abolished the puppet Maharaja position upon…
S3 · E126 · 1 Sep 2026 · 21 min

Tipu’s Options and the Birth of a New Mysore

Standing in the spring of 1792 with a halved kingdom and two sons held hostage in Madras, what choices remained for Tipu Sultan? In this episode, Ramjee Chandran explores the state of mind of the Mysorean monarch. Refusing to become a British vassal or bow to foreign oversight, Tipu paid his massive debt ahead of schedule and pivoted his state toward rapid industrialization, scientific innovation, and global naval ambitions. Key Details from the Script: The Immediate Aftermath (Spring 1792): Allied armies departed, leaving Srirangapatna intact but Tipu surrounded on all sides by enemies…
S3 · E125 · 25 Aug 2026 · 23 min

Why Did Cornwallis Not Annex Mysore in 1792?

Description: Why did Lord Cornwallis leave Tipu Sultan on the throne of Mysore in 1792 after bringing him to his knees? In this episode, Ramjee Chandran debunks the notion that the British lacked administrative capability, proving instead that the decision to leave half a kingdom intact was a calculated move driven by strategic geography, coalition politics, and legal constraints. Discover how Cornwallis secured British interests by shutting off key military passes into the Carnatic while carefully balancing the Maratha Confederacy and operating within strict parliamentary limits. Key…
S3 · E124 · 18 Aug 2026 · 23 min

How Tipu Paid the Ransom. The Aftermath of Seringapatam: Part 2

How does a nation crippled by territorial losses clear a war debt worth a fraction of a global empire's annual output within two years? In this episode, Ramjee Chandran analyzes the true economic weight of the 3-crore-and-30-lakh-rupee ransom imposed on Tipu Sultan after the Treaty of Seringapatam. Uncover how Tipu avoided borrowing a single rupee by combining personal treasury reserves, severe military wage cuts, and sophisticated revenue extractions from his subjects to bring his hostage sons back from Madras Key Details from the Script: Evaluating the True Value of 3 Crore 30 Lakh Rupees:…
S3 · E123 · 11 Aug 2026 · 17 min

The Aftermath of Seringapatam, Part 1: The Ledger

Description: What remained of the legendary kingdom of Mysore after the Treaty of Seringapatam in 1792? In this episode, Ramjee Chandran dives into the grim fiscal reality facing Tipu Sultan. Beyond losing half its geographical territory, Mysore lost its most profitable economic engines—the lucrative spice coast of Malabar, the strategic mountain passes of Coorg, and the seamless trade routes that sustained Bangalore. Discover how the allies stripped Mysore of its revenue-generating commercial centers while leaving Tipu with a dry, expensive interior and a single, shallow military port to…
S3 · E122 · 3 Aug 2026 · 21 min

Tipu’s Sons. The Treaty of Seringapatam, Part 2

Description: Behind the ink of formal treaties lies the poignant reality of human collateral. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran details the emotional exchange that saw two of Tipu Sultan’s young sons handed over as political hostages to guarantee a massive war indemnity. Uncover the behind-the-scenes political maneuvering by Mysorean vakeels to protect key heirs, the grand 21-gun procession to the British lines, and how Lord Cornwallis transformed a solemn surrender into a personal, career-defining moment of redemption following his loss at Yorktown. Key Details from the Script: Human…
S3 · E121 · 28 Jul 2026 · 17 min

The Treaty of Seringapatam, Part 1

Following the successful encirclement of Srirangapatna, fighting gives way to intense, high-stakes diplomacy in a negotiation tent pitched near the Eedgah. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran details the rigorous process behind the Treaty of Seringapatam in March 1792, where Lord Cornwallis, the Maratha Confederacy, and the Nizam of Hyderabad met with Tipu Sultan’s envoys to dismantle the formidable power of Mysore. Discover how the harsh loss of coastal gateways like Malabar, massive monetary indemnities, and unique cultural clashes during drafting permanently crippled Tipu's empire—leaving it…
S3 · E120 · 24 Jul 2026 · 19 min

The Fall of Seringapatam, 1792

Nine months after a grueling retreat, Lord Cornwallis returns to the gates of Srirangapatna with the full weight of the Triple Alliance. Rather than initiating a slow, conventional siege, Cornwallis strikes under the cover of darkness, launching an aggressive infantry assault that shatters Tipu Sultan's formidable river defenses. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran details the pivotal turning point where the geopolitical fate of Mysore was truly sealed. Witness the completion of a flawless pincer movement as General Abercromby’s Bombay division arrives from the west, pinning the Sultan inside…
S3 · E119 · 23 Jul 2026 · 24 min

The Road to Seringapatam, Part 2

Following a devastating logistical collapse and a painful retreat from Srirangapatna, Lord Cornwallis discovers he is not as isolated as he feared. Just as hunger begins to dismantle his forces, an unheralded vanguard appears on the horizon, signaling a profound turn of fortune. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran charts the dramatic resurgence of the Triple Alliance. From the miraculous eleventh-hour arrival of 40,000 Maratha horsemen to the systematic dismantling of Tipu Sultan’s "impregnable" granite hill fortresses (navadurgas), follow the allied forces as they return to the gates of the…
S3 · E118 · 6 Jul 2026 · 22 min

The Road to Seringapatam, Part 1

With Bangalore secured, Lord Cornwallis turns his sights west toward the ultimate prize: Tipu Sultan’s island capital of Srirangapatna. But a secondary fortress stocked for a year's siege serves as a stark warning that Mysore’s resources remain deeply formidable. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran chronicles the grueling, circuitous march against two ticking clocks—the impending southwest monsoon and a looming European war in London. Discover how Tipu’s devastating scorched-earth strategy transformed the landscape into a lethal weapon, breaking the British logistics spine and forcing a deeply…
S3 · E117 · 29 Jun 2026 · 21 min

In The Aftermath of the Fall of Bangalore, 1791

History moves quickly to the next battle, but it rarely stops to examine the morning after. Following the harrowing midnight breach of March 21, 1791, Bangalore awoke to a transformed reality. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran takes us inside the captured fort and pete to explore the immediate, human cost of victory. From the contrasting grief of two mothers on opposite sides of the ocean to the systematic plunder of Tipu Sultan’s grand palaces, the rapid establishing of British colonial bureaucracy, and a dark act of vengeful retaliation that sealed the fate of nineteen captive Highlanders,…
S3 · E116 · 22 Jun 2026 · 19 min

The Fall of Bangalore, Part 2: The Breach

The high-stakes gamble of Cornwallis's ghost camp pays off at dawn, exposing a hidden web of espionage and bribery run by William Read and Thomas Munro within the Mysorean ranks. But as the siege pushes toward its absolute limit, the fate of Bangalore comes down to a desperate midnight assault on March 21, 1791. In the conclusion of this two-part special, Ramjee Chandran chronicles the harrowing final hours of the campaign: the elite "Forlorn Hope" navigating a two-foot-wide causeway under a sky illuminated by Mysorean fireballs, the tragic collapse of an exhausted garrison, and the heroic…
S3 · E115 · 22 Jun 2026 · 19 min

The Fall of Bangalore, Part 1: The Siege

Following the lightning-fast two-hour fall of the pete, Lord Cornwallis found himself trapped in a gruelling logistical nightmare against the strongest fortress in Mysore. From March 12 to 20, 1791, the siege of Bangalore Fort became a high-stakes chess match of engineering versus endurance. In the first of this two-part special, Ramjee Chandran details the tactical brilliance of the Madras Sappers, the devastating psychological warfare of Tipu Sultan’s advanced iron rocket corps, and the elegant, high-stakes piece of midnight battlefield theatre that set a trap under the noses of the Mysore…
S3 · E114 · 15 Jun 2026 · 16 min

The Sixth Battle of Bangalore: The Fall of the Pete, 1791

While history books fixate on the dramatic midnight breach of the Bangalore Fort, the entire Mysore campaign was actually decided two weeks earlier in the blood-soaked streets of the commercial city. On March 7, 1791, Lord Cornwallis launched a brutal, house-to-house assault on the Bangalore pete—a fortified manufacturing powerhouse of over a hundred thousand citizens. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran uncovers the terrifying reality of 18th-century urban combat, the tactical genius of the pete's defenses, and the tragic fall of Colonel Moorhouse, whose legendary death at the Yelahanka Gate…
S3 · E113 · 8 Jun 2026 · 23 min

The British March Upon Bangalore, 1791

In February 1791, Charles Cornwallis marched out of Fort St. George with a singular obsession: total redemption for his humiliating defeat at Yorktown. His target was Bangalore, the heavily fortified, stone-hewn "gatekeeper" of the Mysore plateau. But moving a massive army of twenty-one thousand troops, sixty-seven war elephants, and an unyielding battering train required an astronomical forty thousand bullocks—all racing against a strict four-month window before the monsoons turned the roads to impassable mud. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran details Cornwallis’s brilliant flanking…
S3 · E112 · 1 Jun 2026 · 20 min

The Diplomatic Duel at Pune 1790

Before Lord Cornwallis's army could ever march on the plateau, the outcome of the Third Anglo-Mysore War hung precariously on the decisions made inside a single room in Pune. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran takes us behind the scenes of a high-stakes diplomatic chess match. Two rival embassies—the British led by Charles Warre Malet, and Mysore led by Tipu Sultan’s top negotiators—competed fiercely for the ultimate prize: ten thousand elite Maratha cavalry riders. From nocturnal meetings with the "Maratha Machiavelli," Nana Phadnavis, to a public state humiliation and a sophisticated network…
S3 · E111 · 26 May 2026 · 20 min

The Resurrection of Charles Cornwallis

One line is all we need in history records that Charles Cornwallis invaded Bangalore in 1791. But behind that single line lies a sweeping story of defeat, humiliation, and a decades-long struggle for redemption. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran charts Cornwallis's journey from his agonizing, ghosted surrender to George Washington at Yorktown to his arrival in India as a powerful, dual-mandate ruler. When the initial British campaign of 1790 crumbles under the brilliant guerrilla tactics of Tipu Sultan, Cornwallis realizes he cannot run a war from a desk in Calcutta. Stepping into the field…
S3 · E110 · 18 May 2026 · 20 min

Tipu and the Travancore Trigger: 1789

The five-year peace between Mysore and the East India Company was never a truce; it was simply a race to rearm. Ramjee Chandran breaks down the high-stakes geopolitical chess match that shattered the Treaty of Mangalore. Enter Lord Charles Cornwallis, a general eager to erase the shame of his surrender to George Washington at Yorktown. When the small state of Travancore strategically provokes Tipu Sultan by purchasing two Dutch forts, the "Tiger of Mysore" is forced to defend his vital lifeline to the sea. Discover how a dispute over a thorn-filled ditch and a frantic farcical hiding game by…
S3 · E109 · 11 May 2026 · 20 min

The Darkest Chapter of Tipu Sultan: The Malabar Atrocities

How does a man transition from a "flogged prince" to a revolutionary sovereign? Ramjee Chandran explores the formative trauma and brilliant administrative mind of Tipu Sultan. Following the death of Hyder Ali, Tipu inherited a state designed for perpetual war and set about the impossible task of making it thrive in peace. From the public humiliation that defined his sense of discipline to the creation of a "modern" bureaucracy that even the British would eventually copy, this episode reveals Tipu as a "scientist-king" operating in a feudal world—a ruler who demanded absolute obedience…
S3 · E108 · 4 May 2026 · 21 min

When Tipu Sultan was Flogged in Public: Lessons from a Father

How does a man transition from a "flogged prince" to a revolutionary sovereign? Ramjee Chandran explores the formative trauma and brilliant administrative mind of Tipu Sultan. Following the death of Hyder Ali, Tipu inherited a state designed for perpetual war and set about the impossible task of making it thrive in peace. From the public humiliation that defined his sense of discipline to the creation of a "modern" bureaucracy that even the British would eventually copy, this episode reveals Tipu as a "scientist-king" operating in a feudal world—a ruler who demanded absolute obedience…
S3 · E107 · 28 Apr 2026 · 20 min

The Loneliness of Tipu Sultan: No Friends, Only Followers

In this deeply personal episode, Ramjee Chandran looks past the battlefield to the man on the throne. Tipu Sultan was perhaps the most forward-thinking ruler of his age—a man of strong contrasts—yet he remained fundamentally alone. Discover Tipu's desperate, decade-long diplomatic quest to find allies in Versailles, Istanbul, and Cairo. From the "citoyen" who looked to Revolutionary France to the tragic intercepted letter from Napoleon Bonaparte, this episode explores the structural isolation that defined Tipu’s reign and the bitter truth that while he had many followers, he had no true…
S3 · E106 · 19 Apr 2026 · 23 min

The End of the Second Anglo-Mysore War

The Second Anglo-Mysore War did not end only with a British loss, but with a scene that the East India Company would spend decades trying to erase from history. Ramjee Chandran explores the final months of the conflict, where Tipu Sultan—now the sovereign of Mysore—forced the British to their knees on the coast of Mangalore. Discover the internal power struggle between the Madras and Bengal Presidencies, the "unqualified surrender" of British prestige, and the dying warning Hyder Ali left for his son: that the British were an enemy that could not be negotiated with, only endured. This…
S3 · E105 · 16 Apr 2026 · 17 min

The Death of Hyder Ali

Season 3 begins with a heartbeat that has stopped, but a war that refuses to pause. Ramjee Chandran reveals the high-stakes drama following the death of Hyder Ali in December 1782. While his body lay cold, his inner circle—led by the brilliant minister Purniah—staged an elaborate deception to keep the army from fragmenting. Follow the 400-mile desperate ride of Tipu Sultan as he races to claim his inheritance before the British, or his own rivals, can seize the moment. This is the story of how a kingdom held its breath for days, and how the "Military Capital" of Bangalore prepared for its…
S2 · E104 · 30 Mar 2026 · 17 min

The Coveted City - A Recap 1537 - 1780: Season 2 Finale

In the grand Season 2 finale, Ramjee Chandran takes a step back from the smoke of the Carnatic wars to look at the 243-year journey of Bangalore itself. From a quiet granite plateau granted to a minor chieftain named Kempe Gowda in 1537, to the formidable "military capital" of 1780, discover why this city became the ultimate prize in Southern India. This episode bridges the gap between the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire and the rise of the Mysorean military machine, setting the stage for the dramatic death of Hyder Ali and the high-stakes inheritance of Tipu Sultan. Key Details from the…
S2 · E103 · 29 Mar 2026 · 15 min

The War That Shook an Empire: The Second Anglo-Mysore War, Part 2

At sixty years old, Hyder Ali was no longer just a soldier; he was a force of nature. In this episode, Ramjee Chandran tracks the devastating opening of the Second Anglo-Mysore War. From the massive descent of 90,000 men from the Bangalore plateau to the absolute shattering of British prestige at the Battle of Pollilur, Mysore reached the zenith of its military power. But as the "scorched earth" of the Carnatic glowed with the fires of war, a deadlier enemy was emerging from within. Discover the tactical brilliance of the Mysore rocket corps and the high-stakes secret that Hyder’s inner…
S2 · E102 · 28 Mar 2026 · 17 min

The Maratha Invasion and the Build Up: The Second Anglo-Mysore War, Part 1

The Treaty of Madras was supposed to be Hyder Ali’s greatest diplomatic victory, turning his enemy into his guarantor. But as Ramjee Chandran reveals, the ink was barely dry before the British East India Company proved their promises were worthless. When a massive Maratha invasion led by Peshwa Madhav Rao pushed Hyder to the brink—forcing him to take refuge behind the walls of Seringapatam—the British watched from the sidelines, ignoring their treaty obligations. This episode tracks Hyder’s cold realization that the British could never be allies, leading him to forge a "Triple Alliance" of…

About The History Of Bangalore

"The History of Bangalore" explores Bangalore's evolution from its early beginnings in the 4th century AD, from the dynasties of the Kadambas and the Gangas, through the eras of princely rule, the rise of the British Raj, and ultimately, the dawn of Indian independence in 1947. Join us as we uncover the power struggles, alliances, and battles that shaped this dynamic city. Expect a captivating blend of scholarly research and engaging storytelling. We'll delve into the reigns of powerful kings, the rise and fall of empires, and the events that forged Bangalore into the prominent city it is today. Whether you're a history buff or simply curious about Bangalore's roots, this podcast is for you. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Prestige Group, that makes this podcast possible. Follow The History Of Bangalore on social, here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofbangalore/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryOfBangalore Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoryOfBLR YouTube: https://youtube.com/@HistoryOfBangalore?si=mnH3BsYfI4BUU234 You can follow Ramjee Chandran on Instagram and Twitter: @ramjeechandran The theme music for the show was composed by German-Indian Koln based percussionist, Ramesh Shotham. Ramjee Chandran's photographs: Asha Thadani

The History Of Bangalore is a English history podcast from Ramjee Chandran. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Ramjee Chandran
Language: English
Category: History
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 20 min
Latest episode: 6 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1738781616

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