Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally

Thomas Arthur
Born	13 January 1702 Romans-sur-Isere, Dauphine, France
Died	9 May 1766(1766-05-09) (aged 64) Paris, France
Allegiance	France
Years of service	1721-1761
Battles/wars	Maratha-Nizam War War of the Austrian Succession Battle of Dettingen Battle of Falkirk Muir 5th Siege of Maastricht 7 Years War Siege of Madras Battle of Wandiwash 3rd Siege of Pondicherry

Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally, baron de Tollendal (13 January 1702 – 9 May 1766) was a French general of Irish Jacobite ancestry. Lally commanded French forces, including two battalions of his own red-coated Regiment of Lally of the Irish Brigade, in India during the Seven Years' War. After a failed attempt to capture Madras he lost the Battle of Wandiwash to British forces under Eyre Coote and then was forced to surrender the remaining French post at Pondicherry.

After time spent as a prisoner of war in Britain, Lally voluntarily returned to France to face charges where he was beheaded for his alleged failures in India. Ultimately the jealousies and disloyalties of other officers, together with insufficient resources and limited naval support prevented Lally from securing India for France. In 1778, he was publicly exonerated by Louis XVI from his alleged crime.