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"The spoils of Empire: Bounty looted by Wellington's men" Topic


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Tango01 Supporting Member of TMP15 May 2019 10:03 p.m. PST

… from defeated Tiger of Mysore's Indian palace set to sell for £1.00 GBPmillion.

"They are the remnant of a bygone era, when Sultan's ruled one of the world's oldest empires, living in a forgotten age of opulence and extravagance in India's immense palace estates…."

Main page
link


Did the Duke loot?….


Amicalement
Armand

Major General Stanley16 May 2019 1:57 p.m. PST

to the victor go the spoils

Tango01 Supporting Member of TMP16 May 2019 4:00 p.m. PST

(smile)


Amicalement
Armand

ConnaughtRanger17 May 2019 1:08 p.m. PST

Wellesley had a subsidiary role in the final assault on Seringapatam. I suspect the good stuff was gone before he arrived? And I think HM The Queen has a bit of Tippoo Sultan's throne?

Tango01 Supporting Member of TMP17 May 2019 1:10 p.m. PST

I have my doubts…. any loot?… Humm!….

Amicalement
Armand

Musketballs17 May 2019 2:15 p.m. PST

link

A 'pagoda' was worth around 8 shillings – so Wellesley's share of the prize money would be around £4,000.00 GBP

For further information, Wellesley's despatches after the assault, when he was placed in command of the town:

link

Tango01 Supporting Member of TMP18 May 2019 11:51 a.m. PST

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

Personal logo 4th Cuirassier Supporting Member of TMP24 May 2019 1:11 a.m. PST

An interesting factoid that emerged from a recent visit to Apsley House. At Salamanca Wellington's army captured and pillaged the baggage train which was itself French pillage of Spanish treasures, notably art. Velazquez old masters had been cut out of their frames and were being used as horse blankets, and so on.

Wellington offered to return to Spain that which he had managed to preserve. Sportingly, they told him he could keep whatever Spanish property he had recaptured for the French.

One starts to apprehend why the Spanish gentleman was held in such high regard at this time.

Brechtel19824 May 2019 7:46 a.m. PST

so Wellesley's share of the prize money would be around £4,000.00 GBP GBP

That would be a tidy sum during that period.

A friend emailed my and told me that in today's currency that would be L176,313.64.

Musketballs25 May 2019 5:32 a.m. PST

Another way to look at it is that back then £4,000.00 GBP was roughly 10 years pay for a line infantry Colonel.

10 years pay for a modern British Army Colonel would be roughly £900,000.00 GBP, or getting on to $1.2 USD million.

Gazzola25 May 2019 6:09 a.m. PST

'to the victor go the spoils'

Really? From some of the posters I've read and debated with over the years, that rule only seems to apply to the British. The French or anyone connected to Napoleon usually gets heavily criticized for it. LOL

ConnaughtRanger25 May 2019 12:53 p.m. PST

"At Salamanca Wellington's army captured and pillaged the baggage train which was itself French pillage of Spanish treasures, notably art. Velazquez old masters had been cut out of their frames and were being used as horse blankets, and so on."
I think you'll find it was Vitoria?

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