TIPU SULTAN

Introduction

After the demise of the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb in 1707, Mughal rule slowly began
to crumble, providing an opportunity to European trading companies to expand their
influence. The British, French, Portuguese and Dutch were all competing for commercial
interests in the Indian subcontinent.

English commerce with India was transacted by the East India Company and was about
a hundred years old at the time of Aurangzeb’s death. The East India Company had
been given monopoly rights for all English trade to Asia by a royal grant at its foundation
in 1600.

As a commercial concern, the English East India Company was only matched in size by
its Dutch rival. However, although the Dutch were strong in the East Indies and Ceylon
(Sri Lanka), they were not interested in building an Empire in India. This left the French
East India Company as the only serious rival to the English.

The disintegration of the Mughal Empire also unfolded opportunities for ambitious local
powers. In Southern and Central India there emerged the kingdoms of the Nizam, the
Marathas, Mysore, the Nawab of Arcot and minor kingdoms like Tanjore and
Travancore.

Mysore

Mysore had started to emerge as a powerful independent state in the south under the
Wodeyar dynasty. However, internal weakness and the constant invasions in the north
by the Marathas, gave an opportunity for a talented soldier called Haidar Ali to rise to
power with the patronage of the influential minister Nanjaraja. Under Haidar’s rule
Mysore’s territory doubled in size. Haidar integrated large areas of Karnataka following
an anti-poligar policy, uprooting small and petty rulers of the region.

To this military officer Hyder Ali,Tipu was born in the Bangalore area of Devanhalli in the
kingdom of Mysore in the year 1750. Hyder Ali and his wife Fatima Fakhr Un Nisa
named their baby as Fateh Ali but often called him Tipu after the local saint Tipu Mastan
Aulia. Tipu Sultan’s full name was Sultan Fateh Ali Khan Sahab.

Family History

Before covering the life of Sultan Tipu in detail,it would be pertinent to first enlighten the
house about the historical background of Tipu Sultan’s family.

The history of Tipu Sultan’s family,until it was raised to prominence by his

grandfather,Fateh Muhammad,is for the most part obscure,but one thing is certain,that
Tipu was descended from the Quraish of Mecca,and it was probably at the end of the
sixteenth century that his ancestors arrived in India by sea.

The first person belonging to the family about whom some tradition has been preserved
was Shaikh Wali Muhammad who came to Gulbarga from Delhi with his son
Muhammas Ali during reign of Muhammad Adil Shah(1626-56) of Bijapur.

Muhammad Ali had four sons,amongst one of them was named Fateh
Muhammad.Fateh was a faithful servant of Nawab of Tanjore,who also gave his
daughter’s hand in marriage to him.In 1721,a son was born to Fateh Muhammad,named
Haider Ali.

Haider Ali was a great warrior and was appointed as Commander-in-chief of Mysore
Army in 1758.In 1761,Haider Ali became the undisputed ruler of Mysore.

Haider Ali had married the daughter of Governor of the fort of Guddapah,named
Fakhar-un-Nisa.On Friday,the 20th Zil-Hijja 1163 A.H.,a son was born to her at
Devanhalli,and was named Tipu Sultan after the name of the saint.He was also called
Fath Ali afer his grandfather Fath Muhammad.

Early Years

Childhood

When khande Rao plotted the destruction of Haider,Tipu was with his father at
Seringapatnam and was only ten years old.On the reconquest of Seringapatnam,Haider
removed his family to Bangalore.And when Bednur was conquered in 1763,Tipu was
sent there.

Education

Although himself illiterate,Haider appointed able teachers to give his son the usual
scholatic education of a Muslim prince.Tipu was also taught riding,shooting and
fencing,and attended his father in military reviews in order to acquire knowledge in
discipline and the art of war,especially as practised by the Europeans.His military
perceptor was Ghazi khan who was the best partisan officer in Haider’s service.

Character and Appearance

Tipu Sultan was courageous, proud, ruthless when required, farsighted, efficient,
meticulous and devout. He was an excellent soldier, respected by his own men as well
as his opponents for his stamina and ability. He was also a good marksman and
horseman who enjoyed hunting.
Alexander Beatson, who published a volume on the Fourth Mysore War entitled View of
the Origin and Conduct of the War with Tippoo Sultaun, described Tipu Sultan as
follows:

“He was 5ft 8inches in height, uncommonly well made, except in the neck, which was
short and large, his leg, ankle and foot beautifully proportioned, his arms large and
muscular, with the appearance of great strength, but his hands rather too fine and
delicate for a soldier.”

Early Military service

His first recorded military success was in 1766 at about the age of 15 when he
succeeded in forcing the surrender of a rebellious poligar (head of a fortified district) in
the densely forested and hilly Malabar region, south of Bednur.

The first Anglo-Mysore War

Tipu also distinguished himself in the First Anglo-Maratha War of 1767–1769.

In June 1767 during the First Anglo-Mysore War, Tipu was entrusted with a special
diplomatic mission to the Nizam of Hyderabad, who was in the opposing camp. The
young Tipu carried out his mission with such skill and tact that he succeeded in
persuading the Nizam to change sides and join Haidar.

When he was seventeen, Tipu was given his first nominal command under his military
instructor Ghazi Khan. Tipu led a detachment on a plundering raid to Madras, scaring
the British who did not expect to see the Mysore cavalry literally at their doorstep.
However, on the way back to rejoin the main army under Haidar, Tipu was nearly
intercepted by the British in the district of Salem in present-day Tamil Nadu. He was
given a hero’s welcome by his father who was relieved to see him.

The Maratha-Mysore War(1769-1772)

In November 1769,the Marathas invaded Mysore. During the Maratha-Mysore War

(1769-72) Tipu used guerrilla warfare tactics that his father had developed over the
years and successfully disrupted the Maratha lines of communication and their convoys
to Poona. Despite Tipu’s success, the war ultimately ended in defeat for Mysore.

After Peshwa Madhavrao I, chief of the Marathas, died in November 1772, his kingdom
fell into political turmoil. Subsequent to this, Tipu assisted his father in re-conquering the
territories taken by the Marathas, including the part of their kingdom that lay between
the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers.
Second Anglo Mysore War

The Second Anglo-Mysore war started when Hyder Ali invaded the Carnatic in Jul 1780.
During the 2nd Anglo Mysore War, Tipu had many opportunities to show his skills on the
battlefield before his father’s death and his subsequent accession to power. Probably
the best and most memorable example of his military competence was at the Battle of
Pollilur in 1780, where he accompanied his father with his own troops.

During the 2nd Anglo Mysore War, Tipu had many opportunities to show his skills on the
battlefield before his father’s death and his subsequent accession to power. Probably
the best and most memorable example of his military competence was at the Battle of
Pollilur in 1780, where he accompanied his father with his own troops.

Sultan Tipu:As a ruler of Mysore

Tipu Sultan took over the kingdom of Mysore after the death of his father Haidar Ali,
from a possibly cancerous abscess, during a campaign against the British in 1782. He
continued fighting the British for a further 15 months, till the 2 nd Anglo Mysore War
ended in a truce with the Treaty of Mangalore.

Tipu and the English

Tipu Sultan’s short and stormy rule of 17 years was more eventful than that of his
father, Haidar Ali. Tipu showed prescience about the East India Company’s territorial
ambitions, going beyond their original charter in India, which was that of just traders.

His reign is characterised by his fervent opposition to the British presence in India and a
refusal to make compromises with them. He made it his life’s mission to stand between
Britain and her imperialist ambitions.

Tipu was unique in not willing to ally with the British against other Indian states while
keen to make alliances with the latter against the foreigners. He also fought personally
in all his army’s battles making him an exceptional hero king.

Tipu;In contiuous war

Throughout his reign Tipu was contiuous, in wars. Soon after the 2nd Anglo Mysore War,
he invaded Palam and Coorg in 1785 and this was followed by his action against
Nargund and Kittur (1785-6) which led to a war against a coalition of the Marathas and
the Nizam of Hyderabad (1786 and 87). This particular war ended well for Tipu, who not
only successfully defended his kingdom but managed to annex new territories.

The War with the Raja of Travancore

His march against Tranvancore in December 1789 led to the 3 rd Anglo Mysore War. The
British availed themselves of the help of the Nizam and the Marathas and Tipu was
defeated in his capital, Srirangapatna. Tipu was forced to sign a humiliating treaty on
March 22, 1792 which reduced his territory to half and imposed a heavy indemnity. He
also had to send two of his sons as hostages to the British.

As long as the British fought alone, Tipu Sultan had a chance of defeating them. But he
could not overcome their knack of diplomacy and ability to play members of the Indian
rulers off each other. Unlike his neighbours the Marathas and the Nizam, Tipu staunchly
stuck to his decision not to make a compromise through an alliance with the British.

3rd Anglo-Mysore War

Tipu never forgot the humiliation he suffered in the 3rd Anglo Mysore War and spent the
rest of his life attempting to recover his lost territory and prestige. Tipu tried to forge
alliances in India with other rulers like the Nizam and the Marathas. Abroad, in Europe
and other Asian countries, he approached Zaman Shah of Aghanistan (Amir of
Afganistan), the Shah of Iran, Prince Saleem of Turkey (the Sultan of Turkey) and the
Sharif of Mecca for possible military cooperation.

However, Tipu had limited success in these enterprises. He failed to rally the Nizam on
the basis of their common Muslim faith and religious tensions exacerbated his already
fraught relationship with the Marathas.

Tipu and the French

Tipu Sultan put great store in an alliance with the French from whom he had inherited a
tradition of friendship from his father and sent embassies to France, courting both the
King of France and subsequently Napoleon Bonaparte.

Unaware of the social, political and economic situation in revolutionary France, he was
certain that owing to their rivalry with the English, they would help him. But although
they raised his hopes, he was ultimately unable to rely on their support.

After the Treaty of Srirangapatna, which signalled the end of the 3 rd Anglo Mysore War,
Tipu Sultan did not waste any time rebuilding his war machine with the help of the
French troops in his court. The possibility of Tipu securing Napoleon’s help in expelling
the British became public and served as a trigger for the 4th Anglo Mysore war in 1799.
Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of the Nile in Egypt dashed Tipu’s last hopes of French
support.

Coalition against Tipu

The final battle of the Anglo Mysore Wars was fought between the combined forces of
the British, under Major General David Baird, allied with the forces of the Nizam of
Hyderabad and the Mysore Army under Tipu Sultan.
Tipu’s death

It is alleged that the British army were in collusion with Tipu’s Minister Mir Sadiq. On
May 4 the final assault was made. Within one hour the ramparts and every part of the
Lal Bagh palace -Tipu’s main residence - had been occupied by the invading forces.
Tipu Sultan died while fighting in his capital on May 4, 1799.With Tipu’s death, the
Kingdom of Mysore lay at the feet of the British although they had only captured the
capital and some minor forts.

Administration

Tipu Sultan was an innovator. He was different from all the other contemporary Indian
rulers of his time only because he risked changing the existing order. From renaming
towns to pulling down old forts, bringing Silk to Mysore and fetching French Armorers to
Srirangapattana, minting coins with milled edges to breeding the Seringapatam Ox, he
was different. And his innovative lead was one major factor for Mysore’s industry,
agriculture and diplomacy staying abreast of the European adversaries of those times.
He cared little about what others thought about him and pursued his innovations with a
one track mind. His primary objective was the prosperity of the Mysore state.

Tipu introduced a new calendar, new coinage, and seven new government
departments, during his reign, and made military innovations in the use of rocketry.

Sultan Tipu’s Kingdom

Tipu Sultan’s kingdom of at the peak of his power extended from Dindigul in the south to
Dharwad in the north and from Bellary and Kurnool in the east to the Konkan coast and
the Malabar in the west.

His domain contained forests, hills and fertile plains in addition to numerous ancient
temples and heterogeneous religious faiths. It had a composite culture, which Tipu
encouraged and patronised, and this helped to promote communal amity.

Mysore Rockets
Mysorean missiles were iron cased rockets fitted with swords in them. These rockets
used to travel long, covering various kilometres up in the air before launching down –
attacking the enemies with swords. Although there were missiles in the Europe,
Mysorean Missiles became famous due to their coverage and destructive capacity.
Hyder Ali’s Mysore rockets, undoubtedly, were very advanced missiles than what the
British had seen. Tipu Sultan had written a Military Manual Fathul Mujahidin in which he
explained the operation of these Mysore Rockets. This was mainly due to the iron tubes
which were used for holding the rocket propellant. No wonder, it enabled greater thrust
and extended distance up to 2 km.
Coinage

Tipu Sultan’s innovation is also seen on his coins which show a greater variety and very
distinctive features. Tipu Sultan issued fascinating varieties of coins which are unique in
numismatic history of India. He reformed the coinage system and invented special
names for coins having different denominations, mints as well as to the dating system.

Tipu Sultan issued a large variety of coins in Gold, Silver and copper. The gold and
silver coins are specially known for their decorative legends in Arabic scripts. In initial
years of his reign, the coins bear Hijri Date. The coins issued during the later years of
his reign depict a new calendar system i.e. Mauludi Era.

New Calender

He instituted a new calendar sometime between January and June 1784. The new era
which he introduced consisted of twelve Luni-Solar years of twelve lunar months. In
both the eras, the year consisted of 354 days. But while in the traditional Islamic year,
the shortage of eleven days as compared with the solar year was not regularised, Tipu
adopted the principle of intercalary months in order to make his calendar agree with the
solar year.

Religious Policy

Tipu behaved as an independent sovereign. His formal name for government Sarkar-i-
Khudadad (God given government) reflected the fact that his was no ordinary
government, but one with a divine-ordained mission. The religious orientation of
government was underlined by the orders to appoint a qazi(an expert in Islamic, or
Shariah practices) especially for imparting instruction in elementary principles of Islam
to Muslim children.

On a personal level, Tipu was a devout Muslim, saying his prayers daily and paying
special attention to mosques in the area. As a Muslim ruler of a predominantly Hindu
country, some of his policies have evoked controversy. The mainstream view considers
Tipu's administration to have been tolerant.Regular endowments were made during this
period to about 156 Hindu temples,including the famed Ranganathaswami Temple at
Srirangapatna.