Mysore State of Hyder Ali

 
Following is a rare cutting of a newspaper from my father’s collection. When you
become old and want to search yourself, you need someone to guide you. That is the
case with me. Now that I go through old papers of my father I need one of my elder to
confirm. I feel how unfortunate it is to miss your father when you want to know of his
deeds and achievements.

He used to tell us how one of our ancestors Syed Yakoob Tawakali, very outspoken,
three generations before him was a Governor of Cuddpah, one of the provinces of
Mysore. It was during the time of Hyder Ali. Later on, when Tipu Sultan took over he
could not coop up with the straight forward attitude and boldness of his governors and
they parted ways.

When the British Empire took over they recognized it and the village Channapatana to
which we belonged was exempted from any tax for their entire rule. I miss my father
who could tell me the names and confirm the dates.

Syed Jaffer
The memorandum together with Notes on the background was presented by Syed Alla
Bux Secretary General YOUNG MUSLIMS ORGANISATION MYSORE on April 30 1946

Dawn, Page Four Thursday, May 2, 1946

Memorandum to Cabinet Mission

Mysore Muslims’ Demands Based

on Their Historical Position in the
State.
By Dawn Mysore Correspondent

THE following is the text of the memorandum on the historical position and demands of
the Muslims of Mysore State, submitted to Lord Pathick - Lawrence, leader of the British
Cabinet mission.

1799, the year in which Seringapatam fell to British happened to be the year of founding
the existing Mysore state and of installing in power the present dynasty. Before this, the
raja of Mysore was a Palligar (Chieftain) of 33 villages having descended from a viceroy
of the Vijayanagar Empire. The Moghul Emperor at Delhi was the paramount authority
in those Days, subsequent to the fall of Vijayanagar Empire. This Palligar paid an yearly
subsidy to the Moghuls through the Governor of the Province Sira. Hyder Ali by his
personal efforts rose from a Sepoy, in the service of the Raja of Mysore, to the
Governorship of the Province of Sira. In the beginning he acted under the authority of
the Moghul Emperor and later the Moghul at Delhi recognized him as an independent
Sovereign by conferring the title of ‘Nawab’ on him. In the meantime the Palligar of
Mysore which was a vessel of the Moghuls automatically became a subordinate of
Hyder Ali. But as Hyder Ali had served under the Mysore Raja he respected him so
much that even without a demand he recognized the sovereignty of the Raja over the 33
villages and did not in any way interfere with his internal administration. The subsidy
that was being paid to the Sira Subedari was waived.

A MUSLIM STATE
Hyder Ali’s Stat was a theocratic Muslim State by reason of having a Muslim at its head
and by virtue of the Islamic laws of administration enforced therein. A Muslim State was
thus carved excluding the areas administered by the Raja which continued to exist as a
separate Palligari. The independence of the state was recognized by the Moghul
Emperor at Delhi, by the Caliphate of Constantinople and by several other European and
Asiatic countries by the diplomatic relations with this Muslim State. The very style of the
name of the State “Sultanate Khudadad” which recognizes the Islamic theory of
paramountcy is a further argument that this State was recognized as Muslim State
internationally. The Palligari of Mysore had voluntarily allied itself with the State in its
foreign policy and defence, so much so that it had become a protectorate of the Muslim
State. In modern terms of State-craft the State’s paramountcy vested in the Muslims and
that paramountcy was untransferable without the consent of its custodians.

EAST INDIA COMPANY

The east India Company, chartered as it was, a trading concern, had no right by any
code of morality or existing international customs to conquer territories, administer them,
dispose them off or constitute itself a body charged with responsibility of governing a
people. They had no authority to transgress the very object for which the Company was
chartered. Nor can the actions of the Company be validated by a transfer of their self-
assumed powers to the British Crown, for the assumption of the posers itself makes their
transfer null and void, more so where the Indian State are concerned.

THE REAL RULERS

In the case of Mysore there are many more arguments besides this. One such is that
the conquest of Seringapatam reduced this Muslim State to the status of vanquished
nation, but under no international custom does a vanquished nation constitute a chattle
transferable from one to another at the will of the conqueror. The Palligar who was
recognized by the Company as the Ruler of Mysore was not entitled to this privilege,
firstly, because he was an alien to this Muslim State and for this reason the Raja must be
construed to be representative of the East India Company acting under the authority and
on behalf of the Company; Secondly, the British have admitted this as their policy in
regard to Mysore and given effect to that Policy in their interference from time to time in
the administration of the state and later in their direct assumption of the authority to rule
the State as a Province of British India under a Chief Commissioner. Having had
unequivocal assurances from the Raja the State was again restored to him. This
rendition proves that the British never intended to recognize the present ruling family as
the real rulers of Mysore. Needless to emphasize, these transactions do not invalidate
or efface the paramontcy that rest with Musalmans of Mysore and so they are real rulers
of Mysore and should be recognised as such.

MINIMUM DEMANDS
The transfer of the responsibility of governing India to Indians naturally necessitates the
consideration of the historical facts summed up above. That this is a Muslim State and
should be recognized as such by the powers that be is the most logical demand in the
circumstances. If old ideologies like kingship have become obsolete, the position
becomes easier. The Muslims of Mysore are prepared to share the responsibility of
governing the State with non–Muslims, Muslims at parity with non-Muslims, in a
completely responsible Government of the type of Republic. If the institution of kingship
is retained. Muslims demand that some direct descendent of Tippu should be installed
on the throne of Mysore and he by a proclamation shall grant full responsible
government to his people with certain, absolutely necessary safeguards and residuary
powers for the protection of Muslims interests.

SET RIGHT THE WRONGS

Other matters arising out of the change may well be left to be adjusted between the
Government that will be constituted on the above lines and the neighboring
Governments and peoples-especially matters such as the restoration of the territories
ceded over to different powers or taken over to be governed as part of British India after
the fall of Seringapatam, whether it desires to be an independent state or to join any
federation that might come to exist in the meantime and the foreign relations of the state
if it chooses to be independent.

As the present state of affairs is unable to satisfy the Muslims of Mysore and as the
logicality and desirability of such a change cannot be questioned it is expedient that the
Cabinet Delegation proceed to consider the above the settle the claims of the Muslims of
Mysore and set right the wrongs done to them and blunders committed by the East India
Company before they transfer power to Indian hands if the demands of the Mysore
Muslims are ignored in the new scheme of things, they will have nobody whose
sympathy, support or help they could claim except World opinion.

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