After arriving at Seringapatam, the Christian captives were made to forcibly embrace Islam, were tortured, or sentenced to death. The young men who refused to embrace Islam were disfigured by cutting their noses, upper lips, and ears. They were seated on asses, paraded through the city, and thrown into the dungeons of Seringapatam. Historian Praxy Fernandes, author of "Storm over Seringapatam: The Incredible Story of Hyder Ali & Tippu Sultan", states that contrary to popular belief, 40,000 Christians were not kept manacled in the dungeons of Seringapatam.