| Geriah was a stronghold of the notorious and formidable
Maratha pirate (called pirate by english traders)Tulagee Angria. One of a family of Indian pirates
plundering the trade carried in East India Company ships, he operated
off India’s Malabar coast between Bombay and Goa, known as the Pirate
Coast. Angria had strongholds on the little island of Severndroog, which
had been captured by Commodore James in 1755, south of Bankote, or Fort
Victoria, and at Geriah, south of Ratnagiri. Late in 1755 an expedition
consisting of Royal, Company and Mahrattan ships was organised to
destroy it, together with a contingent of Company troops under
Lieutenant Colonel Clive. The expedition was commanded by Rear-Admiral
Watson with Rear-Admiral Pocock as his second in command. In
anticipation of an attack, Angria made a deal with the Mahrattans to
give them Geriah, if the attack was called off. Although they agreed,
Watson was determined to destroy it, and carried out a bombardment on 12
February 1756. Although he silenced the defence batteries, it was
necessary to open fire again on 13 February before the final surrender
the next day. Apart from the destruction of Angria’s arsenal and fleet,
£130,000 of spices and valuables were found. Angria’s wife and family
were spared and Angira himself escaped and fled.
In the foreground are moored four Company gallivants or small armed
vessels with sails or oars used on the Malabar coast, while on the right
are two Indian dinghies under sail. Beyond these, centre to the right,
five bombs are moored, to gain maximum shelter from the hulls of the big
ships moored between them and the walls of Geriah. Watson’s flagship
the ‘Kent’ is in the centre, with Pocock’s ‘Cumberland’ to the right of
her as the only ship shown facing the opposite direction. To the right
of the flagships are two more King’s ships with another on the left. The
firing has ceased and boats and troops can be seen going ashore. To the
left of the picture is a Company coastal vessel, called a grab, and
astern of her are the bows of a moored ship, which may be that of
Commodore James. In the left background are the blazing craft of
Angria’s fleet. The NMM also has a pair of engraved plans by T.
Jeffreys, 1761 and engravings by W. Tringham after M. Hore and P. Canot
after T. Jeffreys, relating to this subject. The painting is signed and
dated ‘D.Serres.1771’ |
