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| Sunday, 8 January 2006 |
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Tipu Sultan: Tiger of Mysore - Part I by Arefa Tehsin "Rocket technology engulfed me for two decades since my visit to Srirangapatam. The question continued to haunt me - "How Tipu Sultan would have led to the world's first war rocket?" Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam believed to be the inventor of the first war rocket along with countless other credentials, Tipu Sultan's name is etched in gold in the annals of Indian history and here is a short tale of the stormy, valiant and prophetic rule of the Tiger of Mysore. In an obscure town near Bangalore on December 10, 1750 was born "the first freedom fighter who fought against the British" to the de facto ruler of Mysore - Hyder Ali. Tipu Sultan, one of the most envisioned and enlightened rulers of India, was educated in his childhood by the most competent of teachers like Ghazi Khan for the art of war and other tutors including a Hindu as well as a Muslim priest. He grew up with a passion for reading and had a library containing 2000 books in various languages. He learned various languages, mathematics and science. Alexander Beatson had documented that "Tipu was passionately fond of new inventions" of which his palace abounded. This brilliant and legendary ruler began his military career in his teens. At the age of 15, young Tipu along with his father fought heroically against the British in the First War of Mysore. Thereafter he fought many battles along with his father against the British and the Marathas. His name became a terror in the British ranks and his dauntless courage and superior military skills were feared and revered far and wide. He brought many glorious victories to his father from the conquest of Bangalore fort from the English to various campaigns against Marathas (1769-78) to the historic defeat of Col. Baillie (1780) to the splendid victory over Colonel Braithwaite (1782). By the time he came in power after his father's death in the year 1782, plans of the British for that area were badly foiled. Like his father, he had realised the danger of the lurking British and their long-term sinister policies weaving an invisible web around them. Therefore he avowed to keep the menace of the British at bay. "Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan were formidable adversaries who inflicted a severe defeat on the British and came near to breaking the power of the East India Company", wrote Jawaharlal Nehru in Discovery of India. Tipu implored other kingdoms like Marathas and Nizam to forget the differences and fight against the common enemy, but to no avail and it ultimately was the folly of his contemporaries that brought doom to his prospering and strong empire. Apart from the radiant military career, the novel ruler was a great reformist. He introduced seven new departments in his administration. Dams were built to control flooding, sericulture was developed, Srirangapatnam Ox was bred, tax on subjects was reduced, roads were constructed, European military technology was implemented and so on and so forth. Agriculture saw a boom. "Agriculture is the life blood of the nation", said Tipu Sultan (1788). He encouraged art and architecture and built many palaces and forts, later on destroyed by the British. Many plants were imported from various countries to develop Lalbagh gardens. The liberalisation that we take pride in today was implemented by him more than 200 years ago. International trade was developed (as far as Arabia and beyond), factories of watches, cutlery, paper, etc. were run all over the kingdom, cottage industries thrived, the kingdom had surplus of glassware, cotton, silk, food grains and so on. In-spite of the long wars, people were happy and prosperous. Forced labour was prevented, marine commerce was protected from pirates (for which he built an armada) and regular trips were made by him to his various regions to overlook the development. |
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