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Rustum Jung (Chevalier de Lalée)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Extract

The identity of the Chevalier de Lalée, known to Indians as Rustum Jung, has given rise to much speculation. Owing to its fancied similarity with that of Count Lally, he had been called “the younger Lally” till the late Sir Evan Cotton pointed out that he had no connection with that ill-fated general, though a nephew of the General, Michel de Lally, Brigadier des armées du Roi, came to India in the “Regiment de Lally”, but he never made any figure in the history of the French in India.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1956

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References

page 125 note 1 Malleson, like Mr. Xavier Raymond, calls him “M. de Lally, nephew of the famous French general”. Wilks' History of Mysore refers to him as M. Lally.

page 125 note 2 The Statesman, Calcutta, 12th 03, 1933: “The Younger Lally.”Google Scholar

page 125 note 3 A military grade under the old regime, equivalent to Brigadier-General. Abolished in 1788.

page 125 note 4 De Motz papers, Rumilly.

page 126 note 1 Mémoires et Documents de la Société Savoisienne d'Histoire et d'Archéologie, vol. 26, pp. xxv (Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris)Google Scholar.

page 126 note 2 Revue d'Histoire des Colonies, Paris, 05, 1934Google Scholar.

page 127 note 1 After the fall of Pondichéry he was conducted a prisoner of war to Madras and subjected to studied indignity due to the animosity of Pigot—his baggage seized, his cases opened and ransacked (for concealed treasure); and he himself, in spite of ill-health, carried by force on board a merchant ship where he had not even a cabin and was reduced to feed on the sailors' salted meat for three months, until the vessel touched St. Helena, . (La Fin d'un Empire Français aux Index, Tibulle Hamont, 1887.)Google Scholar

page 127 note 2 Colonial Archives, Paris: “Inde: Correspondance Générale, 1774–1783. 141.C,” quoted by Gaudart in his translation of Mallison's Final French Struggles. Note.

page 127 note 3 Archives Nationales, Paris, Colon. E.250.

page 128 note 1 Their affairs were not liquidated till 1771. The military establishment of Pondichéry was not reorganized till 1773, under Law de Lauriston.

page 128 note 2 Journal de Bussy.

page 128 note 3 Manual of the Kistna district.

page 129 note 1 The title must have been conferred by Bassalât Jung. It occurs again in The History of the Reign of Tipú, Sultan, by Kirmani, (Miles' tranalation), p. 93Google Scholar, where Lalúe is referred to as “Roastum Jung the French Officer, that is Mr. Lally”.

page 130 note 1 The Mughals went to battle accompanied by their harem.

page 130 note 2 Later Administrator of Chandernagore during the mimic “Revolution”.

page 131 note 1 Report by Lescallier to the National Convention, Paris (15th October, 1794), Pondichery Archives.

page 131 note 2 De Motz family papers, Rumilly.

page 131 note 3 Under Bellecombe in 1778.

page 131 note 4 His cousin Chevalier de Venillet (Vigy), in a letter from Pondichery to his brother, Chevalier d'Asnières, of 6th October, 1785, says Lalée's fortune was “at least three millions” (De Motz family papers, Rumilly).

page 132 note 1 The Royalist flag, which was a white field sown with fleur-de-lys.

page 133 note 1 This was Mr. Escapat de St. Martin, an officer under Bussy.

page 133 note 2 He had died in May, 1782.

page 133 note 3 His mother survived till 1790.

page 133 note 4 The Changama Pass.

page 133 note 5 Changama.

page 133 note 6 Pollur, a town in North Arcot, forty miles south-west of Conjeveram.

page 133 note 7 Trinamalai?

page 133 note 8 Chittapet?

page 134 note 1 Colonel Baillie had just taken over the command of Colonel Harper's detachment at Guntur. From Guntur he marched southward with 150 Europeans and 2,000 sepoys.

page 134 note 2 Conjeveram.

page 134 note 3 Folkol [Pacol, Facol], actually Pullalúr, near Pallúr of the Wéléjé Taluq, where Baillie was attacked (Manual of North Arcot district). Colonel Baillie's fatal error was to have halted and not marched on another eight miles, when he would probably have effected a junction with Monro. He also neglected to seize the village of Pullalúr. It was the explosion of his two tumbrils that precipitated the disaster, after he had made a most gallant stand. Kirmani gives credit to M. de Lalće for the incident: “Lalli the Frenchman discovering with the telescope of his intellect and science the position of the enemy's ammunition, fired a shot from a heavy gun at the Colonel's tumbrils, all of which had been collected in one place. By accident the ammunition blew up...seven-eighths of the whole were put to the sword, and but for the humane interposition of the French commanders Lally and Pimoran (the Chevalier de Puymorin), who implored and insisted with the conqueror to show mercy, the gallant remains of our little army must have fallen a sacrifice to that savage thirst of blood with which the tyrant disgraced his victory” (narrative of an officer of Colonel Baillie's detachment).

page 134 note 4 Chingleput.

page 134 note 5 Arcot.

page 134 note 5a Santghar(?)

page 134 note 6 Amboor?

page 134 note 7 Sir Eyre Coote.

page 134 note 8 Le Chevalier d'Orvès, who was in command before the arrival of Suffren.

page 135 note 1 Cuddalore.

page 135 note 2 Tanjore.

page 135 note 3 Porto-Novo (Port.), called by Indians “Farangi-pettai” or European town: Kirmani calls it “Mahmood Bunder”, the Mysoreans called it Mootypolliam.

page 135 note 3a Chilambaram.

page 135 note 4 Chingleput.

page 136 note 1 The Battle of Porto-Novo was signalized by a great cavalry charge led by Haïder in person, which was repulsed. Kirmani calls it “a great defeat and dispersion of the victorious troops”.

page 136 note 2 Malleson says he retired to Tripasur.

page 136 note 3 The Pollams?

page 136 note 3a Fregapatam

page 136 note 4 Sholingur.

page 136 note 5 The three western poligars involved in this affair were Karvetnagar, also called Bombraz (Chittore), Kalasti (Chittore), and Venkatagiri (Nellore).

page 137 note 1 Chillumbrum (Chidambaram).

page 137 note 2 Delalée's conduct on this occasion, as on the surrender of Colonel Baillie's detachment, merits the highest praise. Tipús Mémoires state:—

“Dès que le carnage eut cessé le som des blessés et des prisonniers fut confié à Lally qui les traita avec la generosité compagne du vrai courage et se montra aussi humain dans le camp qu'il avait paru intrépide au milieu du feu. Ainsi les meilleurs et les plus braves soldats furent toujours les plus compatissants envers leurs ennemis désarmés.

“Mémoires de Typoo-Zaeb Sultan de Maissour ecrits par lui même; publiés par Antoine Fantin-Desodoards citoyen français, 2 vol., Paris, Bridel, 1796. Bibl. Nat. O2K 357.”

The interest attaching to these memoirs lies in the fact that the translation made about 1784 is attributed to de Lalée. It was badly done and revised by no less a person than Mirabeau.

page 137 note 3 Perumukkal.

page 137 note 4 Arni.

page 138 note 1 Mayaveram.

page 138 note 2 Srirangam.

page 138 note 2a Palghat.

page 138 note 2b Ponnani.

page 138 note 3 Wandewash.

page 138 note 4 Stuart.

page 138 note 5 Bednore.

page 138 note 6 Nagar or Haidar Nagar nr. Bednore.

page 139 note 1 Mangalore.

page 139 note 2 Histoire des Missions de L'Inde, Launay, Adrien, 1898, vol. i, v, 136Google Scholar.

page 141 note 1 It may be mentioned to Tipú's credit—not by any means a heavy score—that he spared the garrison of 150 Europeans and about 400 sepoys.

page 141 note 2 I am indebted for these particulars to the late Mrs. Alice Wilkinson, to Mr. Cyril Woodhouse, Collector of Coimbatore, and to the Executive Engineer of the District. Also to His Lordship the Catholic Bishop of Coimbatore, Rev. R. Boyls, the Procurator, and Fr. S. J. Arpudam, parish priest of Dharapuram.