Storming of the Citadel and Death of Tipu Sultan

At 11:00 a.m. on 4 May 1799, the British troops were briefed and whisky and a biscuit issued to the European soldiers before the signal to attack was given. The leader of the British troops was Major General David Baird, an implacable enemy of Tipu Sultan who had been held captive by him for 44 months twenty years earlier. The British breached the fortress walls and stormed the citadel, achieving a decisive victory with their allies, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Maratha Empire. The war ended with the defeat and death of Tipu Sultan in the battle.