Dictionary of Indian Biography/Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of
WELLINGTON, ARTHUR WELLESLEY, FIRST DUKE OF (1769–1852)
Commander-in-Chief and Prime Minister: fourth son of the first Earl of Mornington: born May 1, 1769: educated at Chelsea, Eton, and Angers in France: gazetted Ensign in March, 1787. and passing through several regiments, became Major and Lt-Colonel in the 33rd regt. in 1793. After some campaigning in the Netherlands, 1794–5, and starting for the W. Indies, he landed with his regiment at Calcutta on Feb. 17, 1797. His brother, the Earl of Mornington, assumed office as Governor-General at Calcutta, on May 18, 1798. Wellesley commanded, as far as Penang, the Bengal Division of an expedition to Manilla, but was recalled on account of Tippoo, who had been intriguing with the French and native courts to turn the English out of India. After negotiations, the war with Tippoo of Mysore broke out early in 1799: Wellesley commanded the Nizam's troops, invading Mysore: Tippoo's troops were routed at Malavilli, in March, 1799, by a Force under him: Tippoo was then besieged in Seringapatam by General Harris, Wellesley commanding the reserve during the attack. May 4, 1799. On its capture and the death of Tippoo, Wellesley was placed in command of Seringapatam, stopped the plundering, and restored order. He subsequently administered the lately conquered territory as Governor, with great ability: and hunted down "the freebooter of Mysore," Dhoondia Waugh, in Sep. 1800. In 1802–3, the Mahratta powers, Sindia, Holkar and the Raja of Berar, formed a confederacy against the English. General Wellesley, with the Madras Army, reached Poona in time to save it from destruction by Holkar. He was made Chief Political and Military Officer in the Dekkan and S. Mahratta country: after taking Admednagar on Aug. 12, he attacked, on Sep. 23, 1803, with about 8,000 men, including only about 1,500 Europeans, and defeated the whole Mahratta force of 50,000 men, near the village of Assaye. He was equally victorious in the battle of Argaum on Nov. 29, 1803, in which the Mahratta power was broken: he took Gawilghar on Dec. 15, 1803, and made peace by treaties which secured great cessions of territory to the E. I. Co. In 1804 he disbanded the Army of the Dekkan. At Bombay he was presented with a sword of honour, and before he left Madras for England, in March, 1805, was made K.C.B.: declined the Commander-in-Chiefship of Bombay. The remainder of his career is included in English and European history. He died at Walmer, Sep. 14, 1852.