Pierre Cuillier-Perron (1755-1834)
Pierre Cuillier-Perron was a French soldier of Fortune in India. He was born as the son of a
merchant with the name Pierre Cuillier, at Château du Loire in France. In 1780 he came as a sailor on a
French ship to India and deserted on the Malabar coast. He went north and enlisted in a mercenary corps
under a Scotsman named Sangster. In 1790 he took service under the famous general De Boigne and became
commander of the second brigade.
In 1795 he assisted to win the battle of Kardla against the nizam of Hyderabad. After De Boigne's retirement
he became commander-in-chief of Sindhia's army. At the battle of Malpura (1800) he defeated the Rajput forces.
After the defeat of Ujjain (1891) he refused to send his troops to the aid of Sindhia. His treachery on this
occasion shook his position, and on the outbreak of war between Sindhia and the British in 1803 Perron was
superseded and fled to the British camp.
In the battles of Delhi, Laswari, Ally Ghur (now Aligarh) and Assaye, Perron's battalions were completely
destroyed by Lord Lake and Sir Arthur Wellesley. Perron returned to France with a large fortune, and died
in 1834.