"As long as the sun and moon endure".

The Hindu has the following story today (link)

When Tipu Sultan lost the Third Anglo-Mysore War to the allied forces in 1792, the old Mysore region did not have a newspaper to report it. But, thousands of kilometres away, readers of the Philadelphia-based The Mail; or, Claypoole's Daily Advertiser read the details of the war and the treaty that was signed subsequently.

A copy of the four-page newspaper, having survived for nearly 220 years in different hands, reached Bangalore-based document collector Sunil Baboo. He bought it from a U.S. dealer last year.

The September 8, 1792 edition of The Mail… carries details of the treaty signed between Tipu and allied forces commander Lord Cornwallis. The war came ended on February 6, 1792, and the treaty was signed on February 22, 1792. It was notified in the July 5 issue of London Gazette.

The article doesn’t carry the text of the treaty and my curiosity led me to Google Books- which did not disappoint me.

“A Collection of treaties, engagements and Sunnuds relating to India and Neighbouring Countries” published in 1864 produces the text of the treaty (page 147-152)  signed between Lord Cornwallis and Tipu Sultan in 1792. Apparently, it was dictated by Lord Cornwallis at the gate of the Sultan’s palace and sent across to the latter for signature and acceptance. The treaty has this grand opening narration:

Definitive Treaty of perpetual friendship for the adjustment of affairs between the Honourable English East India Company, the Nawab Ausuph J Ah Bahadoor, and Rao Pundit Prudhan Bahadoor, and Tippoo Sultan, in virtue of the authority of the Right Honourable Charles Earl Cornwallis, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Governor General, invested with full powers to direct and control all the affairs of the said Company in the East Indies, dependent on the several Presidencies of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, and of the Nawab Azim-ool-Omrah Bahadoor possessing full powers on the part of the Nawab Ausuph Jah Bahadoor, and Hurry Ram Pundit Tantea Bahadoor possessing equal powers on the part of Rao Pundit Prudhan Bahadoor, settled the 17th day of March 1792, of the Christian era, answering to the 23rd day of the month Rajeb, 1206 of the Hegira; by Sir John Kennaway, Baronet, on the part of the Right Honourable Charles Earl Cornwallis, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, .; and Meer Aulum Bahadoor, on the part of the Nawab Azim-ool-Omrah Bahadoor; and Buckajee Pundit, on the part of Hurry Ram Pundit Tantea Bahadoor, on one part: and by Gholaum Ali Khan Bahadoor, and Ali Rheza Khan, on behalf of Tippoo Sultan, according to the undermentioned Articles, which by the blessing of God shall be binding on their heirs and successors as long as the sun and moon endure, and the conditions of them be invariably observed by the contracting parties.

The contract is valid till the ‘sun and the moon endure”!