The war was fought till 1784 with the initiative resting with the Mysore forces , when the portof Nagipatnamwas captured by the British fleet, denying Tipu access to the sea. War weary, both sides settled for a treaty and both sides agreed to restore the others lands to the status quo ante bellum. Warren Hasting called it a humiliating pacification, and appealed to the king and Parliament to punish the Madras Government for “the faith and honour of the British nation have been equally violated.”
David was lucky to have come out of the Second Anglo-Mysore war alive after having seen many battles. He now looked forward to the preparation and training to humble Tipu. He was disappointed that the promised bounties and riches at the time of recruitment in London did not materialize. On the other hand, theMadrasarmy was humiliated. The third Anglo-Mysore war was fought from 1789 to 1792. For the first time in history, Tipu Sultan used rockets in conjunction with artillery to surprise the British forces. The effect of the rockets was more psychological than material. William Congreve later made improvements to the design for adoption by the British forces. The third war ended with curtailment of Mysore kingdoms borders to the benefit of the Nizam, Marathas and the Madras Presidency.
William entered the teens when the third Anglo-Mysore war started in 1789. David advised him that the army was not the place for Anglo-Indians as Anglo-Indian’s leadership was suspect and he would be better of starting a horse drawn carriage business if he did not want to be a clerk. William could start by driving one himself and get a hang of it for which he would lend the capital for a horse and carriage.
A law was passed in 1792 debarring Anglo-Indians from the army, which dashed William’s hopes. David did not know how to face William. William was taught that Britain and notIndiawas home and now Britain did not trust him. David explained that the Mulattoes under the Spanish atHaitimutinied and hence the suspicion towards Anglo-Indians. William and his friends could not turn to the natives as they despised and distrusted them. The British disowned them and no other course was available but to bear the humiliation and continue to cling to the coattails of the British. They would now have to scramble for whatever jobs available. Singaram could not suppress his glee when he saw their red faces.
William was infatuated with Susan a light brown Anglo-Indian with blue eyes who was brought up in an orphanage. She was told that her father was a British soldier who could not be identified and her mother had left her with the orphanage. It was when she started attending school and mixing with children from normal homes, that she faced taunts. She was wary of the British soldiers’ advances and her survival instincts made her feel safe with William. She did not want her child to grow up in an orphanage. She wanted her children to look up to their father the way William did. When William told her that the Army had slammed the doors shut on him, she was relieved. She did not want him to go on long campaigns leaving her alone.
Gladys’ enjoyed a privileged position as her father could make an erring British soldier’s life difficult. Vimala coached Gladys to identify a moderately drinking British soldier who had the best background among the lot. The soldiers would pretend to pass by when school was over and strike a conversation with the girls by asking for directions to places of interest. She could identify one Richard Smith as being less coarse than the others, as his family members were an educated lot but had fallen on hard times, forcing Richard to sign up for the Army.
Richard could see that Gladys spoke English well as she copied her father’s accent. The group asked the girls out for a party and they consented knowing that the soldiers will behave well as long as Gladys was with them. When David was on duty one day, Gladys invited Richard home for dinner to meet her mother. Incense was burnt not only for the fragrance but also to keep away the mosquitoes. Richard’s boots were removed by a servant and feet washed before entering the house. A servant fanned Richard, as the heat even in the evenings was oppressive.
Vimala noticed Richard’s tobacco stained fingers and assumed that he smoked cheroots. She persuaded him to try a hookah, which is less harmful then cheroots as the smoke is bubbled through water, which removes the tar. Sherbet laced with rum brought out a “oooooh”. Fish curry and pulav (rice steamed with mutton, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and cashew nuts) made a sumptuous dinner. It ended with Payasam the sweet dish. Vimala fussed over him encouraging him to take more helpings and was all admiration, which flattered him. She asked him if he missed home very much and not to hesitate to visit them when ever he felt lonely. Richard can never expect to be pampered by a British girl the way he would be by an Indian. After dinner while Vimala cleaned up, they went for a stroll where he proposed to Gladys.
In 1799, Tipu Sultan was defeated and killed and Seringapatam looted. By 1800, European women started trickling into India, who offered competition to the likes of Gladys. The Church’s influence was increasing and it frowned upon unlicensed liaison between Britons and Indians. The Khaki race had to go forth and multiply with decreasing infusion of fresh British blood. The Britons held them in suspicion for 60 years until 1857 when the “War of Independence” as termed by the Indians and “The Mutiny” by Britons ended in Britain’s favor. The Anglo-Indians were mute spectators of the war, which helped in lifting the veil of suspicion. The industrial revolution, opening of the Suez Canaland spread of the railways led the Britons to reserve jobs for the Anglo-Indians in the Railways and police force. The next watershed was in 1947 when India gained independence and they started to feel insecure. Many migrated toAustraliaand a few to UK,Canadaand theUSA. Those remaining inIndiahad no reserved jobs and had to compete with the Indians.
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