Captivity of Mangalorean Catholics at Seringapatam
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The
Captivity of Mangalorean Catholics at Seringapatam (1784–1799) was a 15-year imprisonment of
Mangalorean Catholics and other Christians at
Seringapatam in the Indian region of
Canara by
Tipu Sultan, the
de facto ruler of the
Kingdom of Mysore. Estimates of the number of captives range from 30,000 to 80,000 but the generally accepted figure is 60,000, as stated by Tipu in the
Sultan-ul-Tawarikh. The captivity was the most disconsolate period in the community's history. Its cause is disputed, although most historians consider it happened for political rather than religious reasons, owing to the alliance between the Mangalorean Catholics and the
British during the
Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780–1784).
The Mangalorean Catholic community in Mangalore flourished during the regime of Tipu's father,
Hyder Ali. Soon after Tipu inherited the territory in January 1784, he issued orders to seize the Christians in Canara, confiscate their estates, and deport them to Seringapatam. His orders were carried out on 24 February 1784. Twenty thousand Christians died during the journey from
Mangalore to Seringapatam. During captivity they suffered extreme hardships, torture, death, and persecutions with many Christians forcibly converted to
Islam. Their captivity led to a near disintegration of the community
[1] and ended only when Tipu was killed by the British at the
Battle of Seringapatam on 4 May 1799, during the
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. Of the 60,000–80,000 Christians taken captive, only 15,000–20,000 both made it out alive and retained their original faith. The episode had a deep impact on the
Literature of Mangalorean Catholics.
On Tipu's orders, all estates and properties of the Christians were seized, and distributed among his soldiers. Churches and historical records were also destroyed. The seizures were so sudden that the Christians had no time to prepare for their departure or to dispose of what little property they possessed. The value of property confiscated is estimated by Fr. Angelus Francis Xavier Maffei, an Italian Jesuit, at Rs. 500,000.
Tipu then ordered the destruction of all 27 churches in Canara. According to oral tradition, the Idgah mosque in Mangalore was constructed with stones from the destroyed
Milagres Church. Other Christian establishments that were spared were converted to storehouses, offices, or homes for wealthy Muslims. A popular fortification in Mangalore, the
Sultan Battery, built in 1784 by Tipu Sultan to prevent English warships from entering the
Gurupura river, was constructed with stones taken from destroyed churches. The bells from the demolished churches eventually found their way into a number of temples in the area. After being informed of the impending roundup by a friend in Tipu's government, Fr. Joachim Miranda disbanded
St. Joseph's Seminary and sent the seminarians to
Verapoly, from where some proceeded to Goa while some joined the
Augustinian order.
just saying
