Beginning of the Captivity of Mangalorean Catholics

Background. Mangalorean Catholics are an ethno-religious community of Latin Christians from the Diocese of Mangalore and the erstwhile South Canara area on the southern coast of present-day Karnataka. They descend mainly from New Christians of Portuguese Goa who migrated to the Keladi Kingdom between 1560 and 1763, and had come to be identified with Portuguese interests.

Conflict Context. During the Second Anglo-Mysore War, Hyder Ali died on 7 December 1782, after which the British captured the Mangalore fort again. Tipu Sultan laid several assaults on the fort until January 1784, all unsuccessful, until the British capitulated on 30 January 1784. Tipu received highly exaggerated reports about the Mangalorean Catholics' help to the British in the war.

Deportation to Seringapatam. Soon after the Treaty of Mangalore in 1784, Tipu gained control of Canara. In a secret and well-planned move on Ash Wednesday, 24 February 1784, he deported the Mangalorean Catholics to Srirangapatna, beginning a captivity that lasted until 4 May 1799, during which many died, were killed, or were converted to Sunni Islam.