Execution of Orders
Soon after Tipu gained possession of Mangalore in January 1784, he issued orders for the seizure of the Christians in Canara, confiscation of their estates, and their subsequent deportation to his capital at Seringapatam along the Jamalabad fort route. Tipu expelled the 13 Goan priests from his kingdom. They were issued with orders of expulsion to Goa, fined Rs. 2 lakhs, and threatened with death by hanging if they ever returned. He also banished Fr. Joachim Miranda, a close friend of his father Hyder Ali. In a letter to the Portuguese Government, Tipu wrote that he had commuted the priests' sentences of capital punishment and ordered a fine of 3 crore rupees instead. According to a report of 1784, Tipu had driven 26 missionaries out of his state, three of whom secretly went to join the captives. Two died en route and one was killed by a soldier. The missionaries were warned that they faced the death penalty if they re-entered Tipu's kingdom.
On 24 February 1784, (Ash Wednesday), in a secret and well planned move, Tipu arrested a large number of Christians across the province of Canara and other parts of his kingdom. Accounts of the number of captives range from 30,000 to 80,000. According to historian Kranti Farias, all arrests may not have been made on a single day, but instead carried out in stages.
When Tipu issued his orders to seize the Christians, the British, who had entered into a treaty with him on 11 March 1784, were helpless. Captives also included Malayali Christians, and Tamil Christians from the Tamil-countries. The Portuguese, guardians of the Christian faith in Canara, intervened and requested Tipu not to imprison the priests. They suggested that he let the Christians live peacefully as his father Hyder Ali had done. But Tipu paid no heed to their request. Estimates suggest that about 7,000 people remained in hiding. Many were actively assisted by the Hindus whilst the few Christians in Canara who escaped Tipu's initial captivity fled to Coorg and Malabar, where they were protected by the native rulers.
| Account of the number of captives | ||||
| Source | Number | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British officer James Scurry | 30,000 | |||
| Tipu Sultan | 60,000 | |||
| Scottish officer Thomas Munro | 60,000 | |||
| Scottish physician Francis Buchanan | 80,000 | |||
| British general Kirkpatrick | 70,000 | |||
| Asiatic Register of 1799 | 70,000 | |||
| The Memorial of 15 May 1860 | 60,000 | |||
| The Memorial of Rosario Parishioners | 80,000 | |||
| Barcoor Manuscript | 80,000 (60,000 from South Canara and 20,000 from North Canara) | |||
| Goan priest Joachim Miranda | 40,000 | |||
| French priest Abbe Dubois | 60,000 | |||
| British Colonel Mark Wilks | 60,000 | |||
| British general James Bristow | 40,000 | |||
| Mangalorean Historian S.N. Saldanha | 80,000 (60,000 from South Canara and 20,000 from North Canara) | |||
Read more about this topic: Captivity Of Mangalorean Catholics At Seringapatam
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