print
- Museum number
- 1851,0901.1354
- Title
- Object: Marquis Cornwallis receiving the royal hostages at Seringapatam
- Description
-
Two young sons of Tipu Sultan, Abdul Khalik Sultan and his younger brother Mu'izz Ud-Din Sultan, being handed over by their grief-stricken father Tipu Sultan to Lord Cornwallis in a tent, followed by suite of attendants paying homage on their knees; scroll with treaty on the floor; banners, weapons and bags of coins in the foreground, elephant at left; British soldiers and tents seen against palm-trees and mountains in the background, after Northcote. 1794
Etching and stipple
- Production date
- 1794
- Dimensions
-
Height: 486 millimetres
-
Width: 600 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- This is the final Gillray print published by Wilkinson. The events relate to the 3rd Mysore War (1790-1792), when a British force under Lieutenant-General Lord Cornwallis, Governor-General of India, besieged Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore, in his capital of Seringapatam. Tipu eventually made peace by ceding a large part of his dominions and a substantial financial settlement to the British. Cornwallis also demanded two of Tipu's sons as hostages to ensure that the Treaty was fulfilled.The young Princes Abdul Khaliq (aged ten) and Mohin-ud-din (aged eight), were received by Cornwallis in February 1792 with a 21-gun salute, and were each presented with a gold watch. In return, they gave him a fine Persian sword. In March 1794, on the fulfilment of his promises, the hostages were returned to their father.The publisher paid Northcote 20 guineas for the painting which by September 1792 could be seen in Wilkinson's shop, Gillray's print was his last serious one dedicated to contemporary events, see T. Clayton, 'James Gillray, a revolution in satire', New Haven and London, 2022, p. 196.
Two other impressions in the BM: 1867,1012.640 and 1891,0511.197. Jon Smart Senior made pencil portraits of each of the two boys in 1794, see 1888,0309.4 and 5.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1851
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1851,0901.1354