tipu sultan Not only was he feared and envied by his worst enemies, the British, during his reign (1782–99) when he became the stuff of folklore in England. In Passage to England, reports of his fearless opposition exaggerated his strength and exaggerated his faults. He and his island residence, ‘Seringapatam’ were assured a place in cartoons, skits, plays, children’s games; as a design element on writing paper, cigarette cards, ship figureheads, soup tureens; As an allegory in many art objects. The ‘Tipu mania’ of the nineteenth century also ensured him a place in the English nursery, a dire reminder of what awaited the rebellious child. In the 1820s, British theater audiences were promised that ‘a whole stud of horses would appear!’ ‘An array of landlords!’ with.
Strong hold on history and culture
The fascination with this figure did not end with his defeat and death on the battlefield on May 4, 1799. His death inspired legend, art, theater and song – this time not only in England but also in his native land. Tipu’s bravery is immortalized by the Amar Chitra Katha and became a symbol of anti-colonialism in the Constitution; More controversial memories stem from the troubling legacies of proselytizing in areas populated by his enemies.
Why did Tipu’s death hold such a powerful hold on the imaginations of the conquering power, leading to constant re-enactments of his death? Even artists who had never set foot in India – Robert Kerr Porter, David Wilkie, or Henry Singleton – painted sweet pictures of the final siege of Seringapatam, the discovery of his body by General David Baird, and the grief of his family portrayed.
Such depictions of his defeat and death, which circulated widely, served to reassure the people of England that an obstacle to the growth of the British Empire in India had indeed been removed. In other words, the illustrated editions fulfilled a very British need, emphasizing a badly damaged British heroism after decades of Mysore resistance to easy conquest.
The depiction of his death in art also served other purposes: when David Wilkie was commissioned to paint his famous painting in 1843, it was to assure Baird, not Tipu, of British history In one place, saving them from the shadow of that other hero. Seringapatam, Arthur Wellesley (later, Duke of Wellington).
comment | Highlighting Tipu’s legacy to promote historical thinking
Finally, in commemorating his death, the British acknowledged Tipu as a worthy and heroic enemy whom they defeated.
mixed lifetime
Tipu’s life in India has been more mixed. To prevent contamination from any memory of Tipu Sultan’s defiance, the British chose the city of Mysore, the erstwhile capital of a remembered dynasty. Seringapatam was later revived as a pilgrimage site for British soldiers and tourists wishing to re-enact the British conquests.
In 19th-century Mysore, Tipu was admired among lavans not only for his firm stand against the British, but also for prohibiting ‘arrack, toddy, ganja, and opium’ as well as ‘gambling or illicit relations’. The ballads commemorated Tipu’s valor in other ways, recounting the lies of his known enemies and his trusted lieutenants such as Mir Sadak. Hyder and Tipu subdued the Palegars and terrorized ‘Hindustan’. His war slogans threatened the very gates of London (‘Mysura shajanana gharjane kelly, London palugalu bedaroyithu’). The peasant rebellions of 1831 in Nagara recalled Tipu’s reign as peaceful and prosperous.
Most 20th-century versions, such as the Amar Chitra Katha, tell us why Tipu was nicknamed the ‘Tiger of Mysore’, but fail to engage with three decades of rich historical scholarship. Nevertheless, a healthy and creative attitude to the representation of historical characters in film, art, song, films, posters, comic books continued to flourish alongside rigorous historical research.
Until recently, when the only story that could be told about Tipu in Karnataka was his villainy, Kannadas and Hindus (and some Christians) alike opposed it. A new ‘history war’ broke out when Rangayan director Adanda Cariappa wrote and produced a play titled Tipu Nija Kansugalu (The Real Dreams of Tipu Sultan). In 15 scenes, Tipu Sultan is portrayed as a sly and cowardly traitor whose only preoccupation was to convert ‘Hindustan’ into Dar ul Islam. But Sri Cariappa also introduces two men, Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda, in the final scene, who put an end to the coward while fleeing Srirangapatna, thereby saving both Kannada and Hinduism from a disastrous fate.
Intended to be a counter-action to Girish Karnad’s Tipuvina Kanasagalu (The Dreams of Tipu Sultan), this quirky creation could have been sheltered under theatrical license. But it positions itself as historical truth, enthusiastically endorsed by none other than litterateur SL Byrappa. In a kingdom in dire need of heroes, the glorification of the two (Vokkaliga) chieftains who had ‘liberated’ Mysore began.
Imaginative videos soon outweighed any timid inquiries about historical sources. A 2006 article written by HK Raje Gowda, a son of Mandya’s soil, only claimed that the Goudas of Mandya were opposed to Hyder and Tipu, while emphasizing their staunch defense of Hinduism . Community History of Raje Gowda provides neither sources nor footnotes. But neither has he dressed his heroes as true killers.
However, an impatient Bharatiya Janata Party and its forces ran away with the trophy; In his eagerness to create heroism, he borrowed images from the Marudu Pandiya brothers, known opponents of the East India Company during the Great South Indian Rebellion of 1800–01. The amplified invocation of Udi Gowda and Nanje Gowda (the former being renamed as ‘Huli’ Gowda in its 2016 iteration of Raje Gowda) mimicked the colonial masters. The intention was to produce Vokkaliga heroes to serve the party in power in the upcoming election battles in Mandya and Hassan.
The historian might have asked: were they among those adversely affected by the agrarian reforms as part of Tipu’s military-fiscal regime?
historical ‘evidence’
From all historical sources and image analysis, we know that Tipu’s death during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War was unknown to the victors: was he in hiding or did he escape the theater of war altogether? Hours later when his body was found at the gate with a pile of other bodies, it was found that he fought like a soldier till his last moment. General Baird’s heroism was limited to ‘finding’ the body before it was officially recognized by the grieving family. Whoever shot him neither recognized him nor engaged in conversation.
Read this also | Tipu Sultan: A Secular Internationalist, Not a Fanatic
In the currently hotly contested state of Karnataka, the province of historians has severely shrunk, giving way to politicians and religious heads who now judge historical truth. The promise of historical ‘evidence’ of the existence of such heroes, already attested in print, image and high-decibel campaigns, further undermines historical scholarship. Who knows if archaeological or DNA evidence won’t even be produced? But in the meantime, Tipu Sultan must die again at the hands of new claimants to power.
Janaki Nair is a retired professor of history at Jawaharlal Nehru University