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Tipu Sultan

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Tippu Sultan, also known as The Tiger of Mysore (November 20, 1750 CE, Devanahalli – May 4, 1799 CE, Srirangapatna), was the first son of Haider Ali by his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-nissa. He ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from the time of his father's death in 1782 CE until his own demise in 1799 CE. Tippu was a learned man and an able soldier. He was reputed to be a good poet. He was also a strongly religious man. He built a church, the first in Mysore, at the request of the French. He was a noted linguist <ref name="Brittlebank">Brittlebank, Kate.. Tipu Sultan's Search for Legitimacy: Islam and Kingship in a Hindu Domain,Vol 5. Pp. 184. Oxford University Press.</ref>. He helped his father Haider Ali defeat the British in the Second Mysore War, and negotiated the Treaty of Mangalore with them. However, he was defeated in the Third Anglo-Mysore War and in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War by the combined forces of Britain and of Travancore. Tippu Sultan died defending his capital Srirangapatnam (frequently anglicized to Seringapatam), on May 4, 1799 CE.

Sir Walter Scott, commenting on the abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1814 CE, wrote: "Although I never supposed that he (Napoleon) possessed, allowing for some difference of education, the liberality of conduct and political views which were sometimes exhibited by old Haidar Ally, yet I did think he (Napoleon) might have shown the same resolved and dogged spirit of resolution with induced Tippoo Saib to die manfully upon the breach of his capital city with his sabre clenched in his hand."

Contents

[edit] Early life

Image:Daria-daulat-bagh.jpg Tippu was born at Devanahalli, in present-day Kolar District, some 45 miles east of Bangalore. The exact date of his birth is not known; various sources claim various dates between 1749 CE and 1753 CE. According to one widely accepted dating, he was born on Nov 10, 1750 CE (Friday, 10th Zil-Hijja, 1163 AH). His father, Haider Ali, was the de-facto ruler of Mysore. His mother, Fakhr-un-nissa (also called Fatima), was a daughter of Muin-ud-din, governor of the fort of Cuddapah. Tippu was another example of British Propaganda.

[edit] His rule

Durign his rule, he laid the foundation of the famous Krishna Raja Sagara dam across the river cauvery<ref name=cauvery1>Prof. Sheik Ali. Tippu Sultan - Step towards Economic development. Cal-Info. Retrieved on 2006-10-17.</ref><ref name=cauvery2>Persian script of Tipu Sultan on the gateway to Krishnaraja Sagar dam (KRS). Cal-Info. Retrieved on 2006-10-17.</ref>, Lal Bagh, built roads, public buildings, and ports along the Kerala shoreline. His trade extended to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, France, Turkey, Iran etc. Under his leadership, the Mysore army proved to be a school of military science to Indian princes. The serious blows that Tippu inflicted on the British in the First and Second Mysore Wars affected their reputation as an invincible power. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the President of India, in his Tipu Sultan Shaheed Memorial Lecture in Bangalore (30 November 1991 CE), called Tippu the innovator of the world’s first war rocket. Two of these rockets, captured by the British at Srirangapatana, are displayed in the Woolwich Museum Artillery in London. Nevertheless, Tippu's military campaigns were not always remarkable successes. Tippu encountered a spate of military reverses against the Nairs of Kerala. The campaign against Nairs took a heavy toll of Mysorean troops and French mercenaries. Tippu himself was greiviously wounded twice in the campaigns. This necessitated a full-fledged attack by Tippu and his ablest Generals against Kerala to recover lost prestige. Tippu was defeated by the small Nair Brigade of Travancore on three occasions when he tried to invade it. He lost several of his possessions in this war which were given to the Maharajah of Travancore by his army. This included his sword, ring, palanquin etc. This was later given to Arcot.

[edit] Religious Policy

As an Islamic ruler in a largely Hindu domain, Tippu Sultan faced particular problems in establishing the legitimacy of his rule, and reconciling his desire to be seen as a devout Islamic ruler with the need to be pragmatic and avoid antagonising the majority of his subjects.<ref>Kate Brittlebank Tipu Sultan’s Search for Legitimacy: Islam and Kingship in a Hindu domain (Delhi: Oxford University Press) 1997</ref> His religious legacy has become a source of considerable controversy in the subcontinent, as in Pakistan some groups proclaim him a great warrior for the faith or Ghazi, whilst in India some Hindu groups revile him as a bigot who massacred Hindus.<ref> Brittlebank Tipu Sultan pp1-3; Phillip B. Wagoner “Tipu Sultan's Search for Legitimacy: Islam and Kingship in a Hindu Domain by Kate Brittlebank (Review)” The Journal of Asian Studies Vol. 58, No. 2 (May, 1999) pp. 541-543</ref> In the first part of his reign in particular he appears to have been notably more aggressive and religiously doctrinaire than his father, Haidar Ali. <ref>Lewin Bowring Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan and the struggle with the Musalman powers of the south (Oxford: Clarendon Press) 1893 </ref> There are several historians<ref name=rpersecutor1>Valath, V. V. K. (1981). Keralathile Sthacharithrangal - Thrissur Jilla (in Malayalam). Kerala Sahithya Academy, 74-79. Retrieved during 2006.</ref> who claim that Tippu Sultan was a religious persecutor of Hindus and Christians. In 1780 CE he declared himself to be the Padishah or Emperor of Mysore, and struck coinage in his own name without reference to the reigning Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. H. D. Sharma writes that in his correspondence with other Islamic rulers such as Shah Zaman of Afghanistan, Tippu Sultan used this title and declared that he intended to establish an Islamic Empire in the entire country, along the lines of the Mughal Empire which was at its nadir during the period in question. <ref name="Realtipu">Sharma, H.D (January 16, 1991). The Real Tipu (in English). Rishi Publications, Varanasi.</ref>. His alliance with the French was supposedly aimed at achieving this goal by driving his main rivals, the British, out of the subcontinent.

Colonial officials such as Lewis Rice <ref>Lewis Rice Mysore and Coorg (a Gazetteer) Vol I Bangalore 1878</ref> claimed that Tippu engaged in a deliberate campaign of persecution against Hindus under his rule. he writes that Tippu forced thousands of Hindus to convert to Islam in Coorg, Bednur and Mangalore, and then imprisoned them en-masse. The Coorgi prisoners escaped and reconverted to Hinduism later<ref name="Realtipu"/>

In addition, H.D. Sharma points out that, contrary to the claims of other scholars such as Mohibbul Hasan, he did not carry out the Coorg conversion as a punitive measure for their rebellion. He asserts that Tippu warned the inhabitants against rebellion and, before the Coorgs could respond, attacked Coorg and carried out his forced conversions<ref name="Realtipu"/>. In addition, he cites examples such as Tippu's conquest of Malabar in 1788 CE, when he appointed a "Shaikh ul-Islam" in each village to carry out forced conversions in an organized manner. This was primarily done to the well-educated Nair Hindus in the region, including those in Coorg, as Tippu perceived their intellect to be a threat to his Islamic rule<ref name="Realtipu"/>.

Tippu also forcibly converted Christians in Mangalore to Islam, and according to the Portuguese Viceroy of Goa massacred up to 40,000 Indian Christians in the course of one of his campaigns. <ref name="rpersecutor3">Meersman, Achilles [1972]. Annual reports of the Portuguese Franciscans in India, 1713-1833 p238. Centro de Estudos Históricos Ultramarinos.</ref> <ref name="rpersecutor4">Kakar, Sudhir [1] (1). “1”, The Colors of Violence: Cultural Identities, Religion, and Conflict p17. University of Chicago Press, 232.</ref> <ref>George M. Moraes "Muslim Rules of Mysore and their Christian subjects" in Irfan Habib (Ed.) Confronting Colonialism. Resistance and modernisation under Haidar Ali & Tipu Sultan Indian History Congress (Delhi: Tulika) 1999 p135</ref>

C. K. Kareem also notes that Tippu Sultan issued an edict for the destruction of Hindu temples in Kerala. <ref name="rpersecutor5">Kareem, C.K [1973] (1973). Kerala Under Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan P187. Kerala History Association : distributors, Paico Pub. House, 322.</ref>. In "The Protected Princes of India", William Lee-Warner asserts:

"Upon the restoration of Peace with the British, Tipu turned his attention on the Marathas, and his acts soon revealed the bigotry of the man. His destruction of Hindu temples and his forced conversion to the faith of Islam of 100,000 people, afforded a marked contrast to the toleration and conciliatory temper which his father [Haider Ali] had wisely exhibited <ref name="rpersecutor6">Lee-Warner, William [1894]. “3”, The Protected Princes of India. Macmillan and Co..</ref>"

Furthermore, Sharma cites letters that Tippu wrote to the Ottoman Sultan in 1792 CE as proof of his claims of Tippu's religious persecution. In the letters Tippu expressed his disdain for Hindus as "polytheists" and "infidels", as well as his intent to Islamize his territories<ref name="Realtipu"/>.Sharma further states that Tippu's disdain for Hindus manifested in the fact that he ranked his army according to Muslim Castes, with the Arab-descended Ashraf castes at the top ranks, the converted "Ajlaf" castes at the middle ranks, and Hindus at the lowest rank. Mir Hussain Ali Khan Kirmani wrote in his Neshan-e Haidari that Tippu "developed a great aversion to Brahmins, Hindus and other tribes and he did not consider any but the people of Islam to be his friends, and, therefore, on all accounts, his chief object was to promote and provide for them. At this time he tried to eliminate Hindu worship from his territory. He confiscated funds from the temples being intended to balance the loss of revenue derived so far from intoxicating substances, the production of which he has banned earlier." Tippu also changed the names of towns from Dravidian names to Urdu ones. He destroyed Calicut because it was named after Kali, then depopulated the surrounding areas to repopulate the renamed town of "Ferozabad". The Hindus "returned jubilant" when the town was liberated<ref name="Realtipu"/>.

Historian Hayavadana C. Rao wrote about Tippu in his encyclopaedic work on the History of Mysore. He asserted that Tippu's "religious fanaticism and the excesses committed in the name of religion, both in Mysore and in the provinces, stand condemned for all time. His bigotry, indeed, was so great that it precluded all ideas of toleration". He further asserts that the acts of Tippu that were constructive towards Hindus were largely political and ostentatious rather than an indication of genuine tolerance<ref name="Rao">Rao, Hayavadana C.. History of Mysore 1399-1799: Incorporating the latest Epigraphical, Literary and Historical Researches Vol. 3 pgs 1047-53. Bangalore Government Press.</ref>.

This characterisation of Tippu as a bigoted persecutor of non-Muslims has been extensively questioned. Whilst no scholar has denied that, in common with most rulers of his period, Tippu’s campaigns were often characterised by great brutality, some historians claim that this was not exclusively religiously motivated, and did not amount to a consistent anti-Kafir policy. Brittlebank, Hasan, Chetty, Habib and Saletare amongst others argue that stories of Tippu's religious persecution of Hindus and Christians are largely derived from the work of early British authors such as Kirkpatrick <ref>W. Kirkpatrick Select Letters of Tippoo Sultan (London) 1811</ref> and Wilks <ref>M. Wilks Report on the Interior Administration, Resources and Expenditure of the Government of Mysore under the System prescribed by the Order of the Governor-General in Council dated 4th September 1799 (Bangalore) 1864 & Historical Sketches of the South of India in an Attempt to Trace the History of Mysore Ed. M. Hammick (Mysore) 1930 2 Vols.</ref>, whom they do not consider to be entirely reliable.<ref>C.C. Davies "Review of The History of Tipu Sultan by Mohibbul Hasan" in The English Historical Review Vol.68 №.266 (Jan, 1953) pp144-5</ref> A. S. Chetty argues that Wilks’ account in particular cannot be trusted. <ref>A. Subbaraya Chetty “Tipu’s endowments to Hindus and Hindu institutions” in Habib (Ed.) Confronting Colonialism p111 </ref> Irfan Habib and Mohibbul Hasan argue that these early British authors had a strong vested interest in presenting Tippu Sultan as a tyrant from whom the British had "liberated" Mysore.<ref>Irfan Habib "War and Peace. Tippu Sultan's Account of the last Phase of the Second War with the English, 1783-4" State and Diplomacy Under Tipu Sultan (Delhi) 2001 p5; Mohibbul Hasan writes "The reasons why Tipu was reviled are not far to seek. Englishmen were prejudiced against him because they regarded him as their most formidable rival and an inveterate enemy, and because, unlike other Indian rulers, he refused to become a tributary of the English Company. Many of the atrocities of which he was been accused were allegedly fabricated either by persons embittered and angry on account of the defeats which they had sustained at his hands, or by the prisoners of war who had suffered punishments which they thought they did not deserve. He was also misrepresented by those who were anxious to justify the wars of aggression which the Company's Government had waged against him. Moreover, his achievements were belittled and his character blackened in order that the people of Mysore might forget him and rally round the Raja, thus helping in the consolidation of the new regime" The History of Tipu Sultan (Delhi) 1971 p368</ref>. This assessment is echoed by Brittlebank in her recent work where she writes that Wilks and Kirkpatrick must be used with particular care as both authors had taken part in the wars against Tippu and were closely connected to the administrations of Lord Cornwallis and Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley. <ref> Brittlebank Tipu Sultan’s search for legitimacy p10-12. On p2 she writes “it is perhaps ironic that the aggressive Hinduism of some members of the Indian Community in the 1990s should draw upon an image of Tipu which, as we shall see, was initially constructed by the Subcontinent’s colonisers.” </ref>

Mohibbul Hasan casts some doubt on the scale of the deportations and forced conversions in Coorg in particular, writing that the English versions of what happened were intended to malign Tippu and be used as propaganda against him. He argues that little reliance can be placed in Muslim accounts such as Kirmani’s Nishan-e Haidari which, in their anxiety to represent the Sultan as a champion of Islam have a tendency to exaggerate and distort the facts: Kirmani claims that 70,000 Coorgis were converted, when forty years later the entire population of Coorg was still less than this number. According to Ramchandra Rao "Punganuri" the true number of converts was about 500. <ref> Mohibbul Hasan The History of Tipu Sultan (Delhi) 1971 pp362-3</ref>

The portrayal of Tippu Sultan as a religious bigot is disputed, and some sources suggest that he in fact often embraced religious pluralism<ref name=controversy1>Sampath, Vikram. "He stuck to his dream of a united Mysore", Panorama, Deccan Herald, 2006-10-04. Retrieved on 2006-10-17.</ref>. Tippu's treasurer was Krishna Rao, Shamaiya Iyengar was the Minister of Post and Police, and Purnaiya held the very important post of Mir Asaf. Moolchand and Sujan Rai were his chief agents at the Moghul Court, whilst Tippu's chief Peshkar, Suba Rao, was also a Hindu. <ref>Mohibbul Hasan History of Tipu Sultan (Delhi) 1971 pp357-8 </ref> There is evidence such as grant deeds and correspondence between his court and temples, of his having donated jewellery and deeded land grants to several temples, which some claim he was compelled to do in order to make allegiances with Hindu rulers. Between 1782 CE and 1799 CE Tippu issued 34 Sanads (deeds) of endowment to temples in his domain, whilst also presenting many of them with gifts of silver and gold plate: the Srinkantesware Temple at Nanjangud still possesses a jewelled cup presented by the Sultan. <ref> A. Subbaraya Chetty “Tipu’s endowments to Hindus” pp111-115.</ref>

In 1791 CE some Maratha horsemen under Raghunath Rao Patwardhan raided the temple and monastery of Sringeri Shankaracharya, killing and wounding many and plundering the monastery of all its property. The incumbent Shankaracharya petitioned Tippu for help. A series of about 30 letters written in Kannada, which are correspondence between Tippu Sultan's court and the Sringeri Shankaracharya were discovered in 1916 CE by the Director of Archaeology In Mysore. The Shankacharya asked Tippu for help in consecrating a new image of the deity Sharada which had been carried off by the Marathas. Tippu replied expressing his indignation and grievance at the news of the raid, and wrote:

"People who have sinned against such a holy place are sure to suffer the consequences of their misdeeds at no distant date in this Kali age in accordance with the verse: "Hasadbhih kriyate karma ruladbhir-anubhuyate" (People do [evil] deeds smilingly but suffer the consequences crying)."<ref>Annual Report of the Mysore Archaeological Department 1916 pp10-11, 73-6</ref>

He immediately ordered his Asaf of Bednur to supply the Swami with 200 rahatis (fanams) in cash and other gifts and articles required for the reconsecration of the image of the Goddess. Tippu's interest in the temple continued for many years, and he was still writing to the Swami in the 1790s CE.<ref>Hasan Tipu Sultan p359</ref> In light of this and other incidents B.A. Saletare has described him as a “Defender of the Hindu Dharma”, who also patronised other temples such as that at Melukote, for which he issued a Kannada decree that the Shrivaishnava invocatory verses there should be recited in the old, traditional form. The temple at Melukote still has gold and silver vessels with inscriptions indicating they were presented by the Sultan, and he also presented four silver cups to the Lakmikanta Temple at Kalale. <ref>B.A. Saletare “Tipu Sultan as Defender of the Hindu Dharma” in Habib (Ed.) Confronting Colonialism pp116-8 </ref> Tippu does seem to have repossessed unauthorised grants of land made to Brahmins and temples, but those which had proper sanads were preserved: in any case, this was a normal thing for any ruler to do on his accession or on the conquest of new territory, whether he was a Muslim or a Hindu.

It is hard to reconcile these two very different pictures of Tippu Sultan, but insofar as we can arrive at the truth, it seems to lie between theses two extremes. When corresponding with other Islamic rulers such as the Amir of Afghanistan or the Ottoman Sultan Tippu presented himself as an archetypal Islamic ruler, converting the infidel by the sword, and this was also the external image he presented to the British. <ref>Brittlebank Tipu Sultan's Search for Legitimacy pp1-15; Phillip B. Wagoner “Tipu Sultan's Search for Legitimacy: Islam and Kingship in a Hindu Domain by Kate Brittlebank (Review)” The Journal of Asian Studies Vol. 58, No. 2 (May, 1999) pp. 541-543</ref>The late 18th century was a turbulent period in South India, and Tippu Sultan, in common with the Marathas, the Nizam, the British and the French sometimes instructed his army to loot, pillage and kill civilians for real or suspected disloyalty.<ref>Aniruddha Ray "France and Mysore" in Irfan Habib (Ed.) State and Diplomacy Under Tipu Sultan (Delhi) 2001 pp120-133</ref> He also at times carried out forced conversions of Hindus and Christians. <ref>Brittlebank Tipu Sultan’s Search For legitimacy p107</ref>. However, in his internal policies he was much more conciliatory and tolerant, patronising Hindu temples and relying extensively on Hindu subordinates: he chose as his symbol of sovereignty the tiger, which was religiously neutral and could appeal to both Hindus and Muslims. <ref> Kate Brittlebank “Sakti and Barakat: The Power of Tipu's Tiger. An Examination of the Tiger Emblem of Tipu Sultan of Mysore” Modern Asian Studies Vol. 29, No. 2 (May, 1995) pp. 257-269 </ref> Surendranath Sen, H.H. Dodwell and numerous other historians claim that he was neither a benevolent pioneer of religious tolerance nor a religious ideologue and Islamic fanatic, but a wily, ruthless but above all pragmatic ruler operating in a time of great political instability and with constant threats to his rule coming from all sides. <ref>Surendranath Sen Studies in Indian History (Calcutta) 1930 pp166-7; H. Dodwell "Tipu Sultan" in L.F. Rushbrook Williams Great Men of India p217</ref>

[edit] Description

Alexander Beatson, who published a volume entitled 'View of the Origin and Conduct of the War with the late Tippoo Sultaun' on the Fourth Mysore War, described Tippu Sultan as follows: 'His stature was about five feet eight inches; he had a short neck, square shoulders, and was rather corpulent: his limbs were small, particularly his feet and hands; he had large full eyes, small arched eyebrows, and an aquiline nose; his complexion was brown, and the general expression of his countenance, not void of dignity.'

Image:Tippu summer.jpgHe was called the Tiger of Mysore as there is a native story that Tippu was hunting in the forest with a French friend, and when he met a tiger face to face, at that very instant his gun did not work and his dagger fell on the ground as the tiger jumped on him. He tried to reach the dagger, which was lying on the ground, and with the help of the dagger he killed the tiger, so henceforth he was called the Tiger of Mysore. His flag colour was the tiger replica. Tippu was also very fond of innovation. Alexander Beatson mentioned, for instance, that Tippu was 'passionately fond of new inventions…In his palace was found a great variety of curious swords, daggers, fusils, pistols, and blunderbusses; some were of exquisite workmanship, mounted with gold, or silver, and beautifully inlaid and ornamented with tigers' heads and stripes, or with Persian and Arabic verses.' Tipu's Tiger, an automaton representing a tiger savaging a European soldier, was made for him. During Tippu's reign, a new calendar, new coinage, and seven new government departments were introduced as well as innovations in the use of rocket artillery.

[edit] Proclamations

The following proclamations were issued by Tippu:

  • 'Agriculture is the life blood of the nation…' (1788 CE)
  • 'There can be no glory or achievement if the foundation of our palaces, roads and dams are mingled with the tears and blood of humanity…' (1789 CE)

He is often quoted as having said "It is far better to live like a lion for a day than to live like a jackal for a hundred years".

[edit] Early Military Career

Tippu Sultan was instructed in military tactics by French officers in the employment of his father, Hyder Ali (also transliterated as Haider Ali). He was aged 15 when he accompanied his father Hyder Ali to war against the British in the First Mysore War in 1766 CE. He commanded a corps of cavalry in the invasion of the Carnatic in 1767 CE, aged 16, and he distinguished himself in the First Anglo-Maratha War of 1775 CE–1779 CE.

[edit] Second Mysore War

Tippu Sultan was put at the head of a large body of troops in the Second Mysore War, a few years later, and defeated Braithwaite on the banks of the Kollidam in February 1792 CE. Although the British were defeated this time, Tippu Sultan became convinced that the British were a new kind of threat in India. Upon becoming Sultan after his father's death in 1782 CE, he worked to check British advances through a series of alliances. At first he attempted to secure pacts with the Marathas and Mughals.

Tippu inflicted a serious defeat on Colonel Braithwaite at Annagudi near Tanjore on 18 Feb 1782 CE. This army consisted of 100 Europeans 300 cavalry, 1400 sepoys and 10 field pieces. Tippu seized all the guns and took the entire detachment prisoners. The total force, of a few hundred Europeans, was the standard size of the colonial armies that had caused havoc in India before Haider and Tippu. In December 1781 CE Tippu had successfully seized Chittur from British hands. Thus Tippu had gained sufficient military experience by the time Haider died in December 1782 CE.

The war came to an end by the Treaty of Mangalore, It was the last occasion when an Indian king had dictated terms to the mighty English and an important document in the history of India. [[1]]

[edit] Battle of Pollilur

Image:Battle of pollilur.jpg The Battle of Pollilur took place in 1780 CE at Pollilur near the city of Kanchipuram and was a part of the second Anglo-Mysore war. Haidar Ali dispatched Tippu, with 10,000 men and 18 guns, to intercept Colonel Baillie's junction with Sir Hector Munro. Out of 360 Europeans, about 200 were captured alive and the sepoys which numbered about 3800 men also suffered very high casualties. Sir Hector Munro, the victor Battle of Buxar, who had defeated three rulers of India (Mughal Emperor Shah Alam, Oudh Nawab Shuja-ud-daula and the Bengal Nawab Mir Qasim) in a single battle was forced to retreat to Madras abandoning his artillery in the tank of Kanchipuram. [[2]]

[edit] Fourth Mysore War

Image:Tipu death.jpg Napoleon's landing in Egypt in 1798 CE was intended to threaten India, and Mysore was a key to that next step. Although Horatio Nelson crushed Napoleon's ambitions at the Battle of the Nile, three armies - one from Bombay, and two British (one of which included Arthur Wellesley the future 1st Duke of Wellington) - nevertheless marched into Mysore in 1799 CE and besieged the capital, Srirangapatnam in the Fourth Mysore War. There were over 26,000 British East India Company troops, 4000 of whom were European while the rest were local Indian sepoys. The second column was supplied by the Nizam of Hyderabad, and consisted of ten battalions and over 16,000 cavalry, along with many soldiers supplied by Maratha. Together, the soldiers in the British force numbered over 50,000 soldiers whereas Tippu had 30,000 soldiers. On May 4 1799 CE, the armies broke through the defending walls and Tippu Sultan was killed in the fighting[[3]].

[edit] Rocket Artillery in War

A military tactic developed by Tippu Sultan and his father, Hyder Ali was the use of mass attacks with rocket brigades on infantry formations. Tippu wrote a military manual called Fathul Mujahidin in which 200 rocket men were prescribed to each Mysorean 'cushoon'(brigade). (Mysore had 16 to 24 cushoons of infantry). The areas of town where rockets and fireworks were manufactured were known as Taramandal Pet (translated as "Galaxy Market").

The rocket men were trained to launch their rockets at an angle calculated from the diameter of the cylinder and the distance of the target. In addition, wheeled rocket launchers capable of launching five to ten rockets almost simultaneously were used in war. Rockets could be of various sizes, but usually consisted of a tube of soft hammered iron about 8" long and 1½ - 3" diameter, closed at one end and strapped to a shaft of bamboo about 4ft. long. The iron tube acted as a combustion chamber and contained well packed black powder propellant. A rocket carrying about one pound of powder could travel almost 1,000 yards. In contrast, rockets in Europe not being iron cased, could not take large chamber pressures and as a consequence, were not capable of reaching distances anywhere near as great.

On 2 May 1799 CE, during the siege of Srirangapatnam, a shot struck a magazine of rockets within the fort at Seringapatam causing it to explode and sent a towering cloud of black smoke, with cascades of exploding white light, rising up from the battlements. After the fall of Srirangapatnam, 600 launchers, 700 serviceable rockets and 9,000 empty rockets were found. Some of the rockets had iron points or steel blades bound to the bamboo, while some had pierced cylinders, to allow them to act like incendiaries. By attaching these blades to rockets they became very unstable towards the end of their flight causing the blades to spin around like flying scythes, cutting down all it their path.

Rockets were also used for ceremonial purposes. When the Jacobin Club of Mysore sent a delegation to Tippu, 500 rockets were launched as part of the gun salute.

During their use by Tippu Sultan, the British saw salvos of up to 2,000 fired simultaneously against them) at the Royal Woolwich Arsenal led to the publication of A Concise Account of the Origin and Progress of the Rocket System in 1804 CE by William Congreve, son of the arsenal's commandant. Congreve rockets find mention in the Star Spangled Banner.

[edit] Jacobin Club in Mysore

Tippu was a founder-member of the Jacobin Club. While accepting the membership, he said of France, "Behold my acknowledgement of the standard of your country, which is dear to me, and to which I am allied; it shall always be supported in my country, as it has been in the Republic, my sister!". He was named as "Citizen Tippu Sultan",

[edit] Contemporary controversy over Tippu Sultan

In 2006 CE, the Higher Education Minister of Karnataka, D.H. Shankaramurthy, started a controversy over Tippu Sultan when he stated that Tippu was "anti-Kannada". While delivering a speech at a college in the state, he criticized Tippu Sultan and discouraged students from revering him as a hero, citing that he:

converted thousands of Hindus to Islam by force, demolished temples and made Persian the official language of the state of Mysore, replacing Kannada, during his rule in the 18th century CE.

Tippu, he alleged, minted coins in Persian. A Persian inscription on one of Tippu's swords spoke of his intentions to "kill those who did not respect his religion [Islam]"<ref>Anti-Tipu remarks rile Kannada writers,Hindustan Times</ref>.

A day later, the minister not only defended his stand, but said

"our children should be taught only good things in history which will help them grow as individuals and contribute to the society. Why should we teach them about anti-Kannada people like Tippu Sultan?"

He went on to further state that most of the history text books in the country depict Tippu Sultan, Akbar, Aurangazeb, Alexander and others as patriots but the real patriots are neglected <ref>Tipu deserves no place in State History,dajiworld.com</ref>.

These remarks stirred up a significant controversy and the minister was verbally attacked by Muslim leaders and left-wing political party members. He was also criticized by literary personalities for "stirring up right wing sentiments". In turn, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh have launched a book titled "Tipu Nijaswaroopa" which lists the alleged atrocities committed by Tippu Sultan <ref>Sangh Parivar questions Tippu's credentials,The Hindu</ref>.

Several scholars, such as Ramdas, have challenged the parties to a debate over this issue.

The leftist Indian National Congress party is seeking Shankaramurthy's dismissal over the issue<ref>Minister's anti-Tippu remark sparks row MSN India</ref>.

The controversy has provoked remarks from cabinet member and labour minister Iqbal Ansari of the Janata Dal-Secular. He said:

"History should not be raked up to create controversies. There are many who sacrificed for India's freedom. Tippu was one among them. He fought against the British rulers long before the war of independence"<ref>Minister's anti-Tipu remark sparks row MSN India</ref>.

A committee has been created to discuss this controversy. The allegations made by Shankaramurthy on Tippu Sultan will be placed before the Coordination Committee meeting. In the meantime, Shankaramurthy seems to have tempered his stance. He has said that he wishes to end the controversy and that his comments were not intended to "disparage minorities"<ref>Committee to discuss Tipu controversy,New India Press</ref>.

[edit] In fiction

  • Philip Meadows Taylor wrote a novel entitled Tippoo Sultaun, a Tale of the Mysore War, published in 1840 CE.
  • Bhagwan S. Gidwani The Sword of Tipu Sultan.
  • He was killed by Richard Sharpe in the Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell.
  • "Tippoo Sahib" (Tipu-Saíib in French) is the uncle of Jules Verne's Captain Nemo.
  • His life and adventures were the central theme of a short-running South Indian television series titled "The adventures of Tipu Sultan" and a more popular national television series titled "The sword of Tipu Sultan".
  • A famous Muslim history novelist Naseem Hijazi wrote a novel "Muazam Ali" and "Aur Talwar Toot Gaye"(And The Sword Is Broken) which describes Tippu Sultan's wars.
  • Wilkie Collins wrote a novel titled The Moonstone, which contained an account of Tippu Sultan and the Battle of Seringapatam in the prologue.
  • The Sword of Tipu Sultan was a tele-series produced and directed by noted film actor Sanjay Khan. Sanjay Khan himself played the lead of Tippu in this serial which was aired on DD National (Doordarshan - India's National Network's terrestrial channel.)
  • In Pakistan there was a drama series called "Tipu Sultan" that appeared on television around 2001.

[edit] Descendants

Tippu's family were sent to Calcutta by the British. Noor Inayat Khan is said to be one of Tippu's descendants, who died in France under German occupation.

[edit] Sword of Tippu Sultan

In a 2004 CE auction in London, drinks magnate and politician Vijay Mallya purchased the sword of Tippu, among other such relics. These were brought back to India to be displayed to the public after nearly 2 centuries.

[edit] Notes

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[edit] External links

fr:Tipû Sâhib kn:ಟೀಪು ಸುಲ್ತಾನ್ no:Tippu Sultan sv:Tippo Sahib ur:ٹیپو سلطان

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