The British commander, Brigadier-General Richard Matthews, formed a small garrison of 1,600 men at Bednore and split the remainder of the force into detachments to plunder the surrounding region.

Tipu Sultan brought his army of more than 100,000 men west and managed to approach within 6 kilometres (4 mi) of Bednore undetected by 9 April.

It was a traditional stronghold of the Nayakas of Keladi until they were defeated by Hyder Ali in 1763 and the territory incorporated into the Kingdom of Mysore.

The area was afterwards peaceful until the Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84) between Ali (and his son Tipu Sultan) and the British (and the East India Company).

[2][3] Tipu Sultan decided to cut short his campaign in the Carnatic and return to the Malabar Coast with his army.

Tipu Sultan's army, consisting of 2,000 French regulars and 100,000 Indian troops, was not spotted until 9 April when it was at Fattiput, just 6 kilometres (4 mi) from Bednore.

[2][4] Matthews was unable to bring his detachments together in time but chose to face Tipu Sultan in the field at an open plain in front of Bednore.

[5] Matthews' army, some 600 European troops and 1,000 Indian sepoys, suffered 500 casualties within minutes and, abandoning the town, he retreated to the fort.

[9] The 34 junior British officers (subalterns) were chained and fettered and marched to confinement at Chittledroog (modern day Chitradurga).