The tiger of Mysore: Tipu Sultan, a royal freedom fighter

Sri Ranganatha temple was hardly a stone's throw from his palace from where “he would listen with equalrespect the ringing of temple bells, and the Muezzin's call from the mosque”.

"It is far better to live like a Tiger for a day than to live like a

Jackal for a hundred years." - Tipu Sultan

By Syed Akbar

More than two hundred years have passed since Tipu Sultan, the Tiger,
roared against the invading Britishers with his magical statement to
inspire the people of his kingdom to fight the enemy.
And his words still reverberate in the ramparts of Srirangapattinam, his
beloved city dedicated to Lord Sri Ranganatha Swami, and in the hearts of
millions of Indians. True to his statement, Tipu Sultan lived and died
like a tiger.
Perhaps he is the only ruler, who took over the reins of a kingdom amidst
a war and relinquished it in a battlefield while protecting the life and
honour of his subjects.
Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore, is as enigmatic as ever. Critics despise
him with charges of religious bigotry and persecution. Admirers label him
as one of the most secular rulers and a king with vision far ahead of his
times. To him goes the credit of discovering and perfecting the art of
rocketry and no less a person than the Missile Man, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam,
describes Tipu Sultan as the father of Indian rocket technology.
The arguments of his staunch critics notwithstanding, Tipu Sultan was the
first native ruler, who fought against the British rule tooth and nail,
much before the first war of independence. There was perfect communal
harmony during his regime and this was evident from the fact that there
was not even a single uprising of people, despite the numerous wars he
fought. The people of his kingdom were solidly behind him in all the wars.
Historians recall how Tipu Sultan donated money to Sri Shankaracharya of
Sringeri to reinstall the displaced image in the Sharda temple. More than
30 letters written by the Sultan to the Shankaracharya in chaste Kannada
testify to the magnanimity and religious tolerance of the Tiger of Mysore.
As mark of honour to the Hindu religious head, Tipu Sultan departed from
his usual tradition of beginning his letters with the Arabic invocation
“In the name of God”. Instead he wrote the name of the Shankaracharya at
the top of the letter while he put his name at the bottom, without the
usual honorifics and titles that go with the nobility.
As one noted historian points out, Sri Ranganatha temple was hardly a
stone's throw from his palace from where “he would listen with equal
respect the ringing of temple bells, and the Muezzin's call from the
mosque”.
“The Britishers”, says Prof Sheik Ali, historian and former
vice-chancellor of Goa and Mangalore University, “had never been
confronted with a more formidable foe. His regime begins in the midst of
war against the English, and ends in the midst of war against them. He
built up an efficient system of administration and was almost the first
Indian ruler to apply western techniques
in the heart of government.
“Long before the events of 1857, when a spirited reprising attempted to
throw of the English and before the formation of the Indian National
Congress, which set the pace for National
Movement, Tipu struggled hard to rouse a consciousness of his neighbours
to the impending danger to Indian Independence from the English,” says
Prof Ali in his biography of Tipu Sultan.
Not many know that Tipu Sultan was an able journalist too. He launched a
local newspaper “Fauji Akhbar” (Soldier News). Tipu was a multi-linguist,
well versed in Kannada, Marathi, French, Arabic, Persian and Urdu.
Sultan Fateh Ali Tipu was born on November 20, 1750 and died at a young
age of 49 on May 4, 1799. He inherited the kingdom, principles, values and
traditions, besides valour and strength from his father Hyder Ali. At the
age of 17, Tipu Sultan fought against the British army forcing the latter
to retreat.
Instructed in military tactics by French officers, employed by his father,
Haider Ali, a de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore, Tipu first
accompanied him in a war against the British in the First War of Mysore in
1766.
He also commanded a corps of cavalry in the invasion of Carnatic in 1767.
He, however, went on to distinguish himself in the First Anglo-Maratha War
of 1775-1779. Tipu helped his father defeat the British in the Second War
of Mysore and negotiated the Treaty of Mangalore with them.
He was defeated in the third and fourth Anglo-Mysore War by the
combined forces of the English East India Company, the Nizam of
Hyderabad, the Maratha Confederacy, and Travancore.
An able administrator and planner, Tipu Sultan laid the foundation for a
dam where the Krishna Raja Sagar Dam across river Cauvery today stands. He
also completed the project of Lal Bagh, the extensive gardens started by
his father. He built roads, public buildings, and ports along the Kerala
shoreline.
During Tipu Sultan's reign, a new calendar, new coinage, and seven new
government departments, were introduced. Tipu also had a penchant for
innovations, especially in weaponry.
All of them were exquisite and had great workmanship. He was a great
promoter of agriculture and industry, trade and commerce. He built a navy
and opened factories far and near, which ultimately linked the State of
Mysore with the outside world. His trade extended to countries which
included Sri Lanka, Afghanistan,
France, Turkey, and Iran.