Unpaid troops in the account of Tipu Sultan's fall

In the account recalled here, roughly two-thirds of Tipu Sultan's army stop serving on the walls after going unpaid and receiving a British offer of payment. They withdraw to their generals' properties and positions within the city. The sudden reduction in the garrison leaves too few men to guard the same perimeter. The example supports a wider argument that military pay can alter loyalties during a siege. A further caution concerns rulers whose religion differs from that of most of their soldiers: dependable pay and good living conditions are treated as especially important to retaining their service.