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Tipu Sultan - The Tyrant of Mysore
This book is part of a series of books aimed at disseminating the accurate history of India drawn from the primary sources. History writing, especially about the medieval Muslim rule has been fraught with political correctness, controversy, and in several cases, downright falsification. This has occurred mostly with official state patronage. As a result, any attempts to correct this course has been virulently opposed with the result that most urban-educated Indians have now internalized a politically correct version of Indian history.
The history of Tipu Sultan too, stands as a glaring instance of this distorted historical narrative. Indeed, we have seen, read, and heard about a lot of people claiming to be freedom fighters and receiving pensions from the Government. Several of these worthies would not have been born before Independence yet they succeed in such blatant manipulations. There are instances of portraying certain rulers and chieftains as true heroes who fought against the British Empire. One such ruler happens to be Tipu Sultan.
Tipu Sultan is widely known as the Tiger of Mysore. Indeed, the image of Tipu battling a tiger barehanded crosses the mind whenever his name is mentioned. But is this the truth? Was Tipu Sultan truly the warrior as he has been portrayed? What exactly is his record of fighting the British? Was he really a freedom fighter as is widely claimed?
Sandeep Balakrishna in this well-researched book, explores both the myths and the truth surrounding Tipu Sultan. A must-read for those who wish to learn the true story of Tipu Sultan.
The history of Tipu Sultan too, stands as a glaring instance of this distorted historical narrative. Indeed, we have seen, read, and heard about a lot of people claiming to be freedom fighters and receiving pensions from the Government. Several of these worthies would not have been born before Independence yet they succeed in such blatant manipulations. There are instances of portraying certain rulers and chieftains as true heroes who fought against the British Empire. One such ruler happens to be Tipu Sultan.
Tipu Sultan is widely known as the Tiger of Mysore. Indeed, the image of Tipu battling a tiger barehanded crosses the mind whenever his name is mentioned. But is this the truth? Was Tipu Sultan truly the warrior as he has been portrayed? What exactly is his record of fighting the British? Was he really a freedom fighter as is widely claimed?
Sandeep Balakrishna in this well-researched book, explores both the myths and the truth surrounding Tipu Sultan. A must-read for those who wish to learn the true story of Tipu Sultan.
224 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2013
38 people are currently reading
1247 people want to read
About the author
Sandeep Balakrishna
20 books79 followersSandeep Balakrishna is a veteran writer, author, editor, speaker and independent researcher with about 20 years of writing on Indian history, culture, literature and temples. During this period, he has authored over 900 articles, essays, critiques, academic papers and delivered lectures on numerous topics related to these themes at institutions like the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, IIM Bangalore, Sri Aurobindo Society, Shree Somanath Sanskrit University, Bangalore University and Amrita University, to name a few. He writes in both English and Kannada. His articles, columns and research papers have appeared in prestigious journals, newspapers and magazines in both print and digital format. Sandeep is the author of the bestselling books Tipu Sultan: The Tyrant of Mysore, which has been widely referenced and quoted in mainstream publications and television programmes, and Madurai Sultanate: A Concise History. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed work, 70 Years of Secularism: Unpopular Essays on the Unofficial Political Religion of India. He has also translated the legendary Kannada novelist Dr S.L. Bhyrappa’s critically acclaimed work Aavarana into English, as Aavarana: The Veil, which is now in its twelfth reprint. Sandeep is the founder and editor of The Dharma Dispatch, an online journal dedicated to Indian civilisation, culture and history, and a contributing editor at Prekshaa Journal.
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April 23, 2019
This book was an eye-opener for me. I got so many information.
This book also gives the account of Hyder Ali, father of Tipu Sultan. The author throws some light on Tipu’s religious bigotry, economic disasters, tampering of the calendar, breaking treaties, changing the names of cities and towns to suit his islamic bias, destroying Hindu temples, forming a battalion of forcibly converted youth for Jihad against Hindu against India, and similar acts of cruelty and misdemeanor. He changed the language from kannada to farsi. He imposed Jizya against Hindu. He change the name of many places and destroyed many temples all those information is mentioned in books with lot of references.
If we look back at history, we find that Tipu wasn’t an exception. He had fanatical precedence- Muhammad Ghaznavid, Muhammad Ghori, Muhammad Tughlaq, the Bahamani Sultans and Mughals to name just a few prominent fanatical muslim invaders and rulers.
Some political party use Tipu Sultan to make hero out of him and used him to appease some community. Thanks to communist and pseudo liberal, they always distort the facts. Such a shame. Tipu Sultan was no hero. He was a mass murderer. He slaughtered many Hindus in the name of religion and extend his empire. Read this book to know the real Tipu Sultan.
This book also gives the account of Hyder Ali, father of Tipu Sultan. The author throws some light on Tipu’s religious bigotry, economic disasters, tampering of the calendar, breaking treaties, changing the names of cities and towns to suit his islamic bias, destroying Hindu temples, forming a battalion of forcibly converted youth for Jihad against Hindu against India, and similar acts of cruelty and misdemeanor. He changed the language from kannada to farsi. He imposed Jizya against Hindu. He change the name of many places and destroyed many temples all those information is mentioned in books with lot of references.
If we look back at history, we find that Tipu wasn’t an exception. He had fanatical precedence- Muhammad Ghaznavid, Muhammad Ghori, Muhammad Tughlaq, the Bahamani Sultans and Mughals to name just a few prominent fanatical muslim invaders and rulers.
Some political party use Tipu Sultan to make hero out of him and used him to appease some community. Thanks to communist and pseudo liberal, they always distort the facts. Such a shame. Tipu Sultan was no hero. He was a mass murderer. He slaughtered many Hindus in the name of religion and extend his empire. Read this book to know the real Tipu Sultan.
December 15, 2015
This book was an eye opener. Tipu of our history books and the way he has been projected to us is fictional. Real Tipu,a religious bigot and extremist is shown by Sandeep Balakrishna in this book. The beginning of the book, S. L. Byrappa's point of view and Girish Karnad's misrepresentation of history tells us the whole story of wrongly written Indian History.
January 12, 2015
Having grown up in the 90’s in India, I knew about Tipu Sultan only from Sanjay Khan’s serial on DD. The sword of Tipu Sultan was something we kids could not resist on the Sunday mornings. It had everything a kid would long for. An Indian hero fighting for the glory of his motherland with a foreign invader. A righteous, tolerant king laying down his life for the motherland was indeed inspiring and we as kids were enjoying every bit of the serial.
Few years ago, I and my Malayalee friend were discussing few things and I happened to speak about Tipu and his gallant sacrifice for the nation. My friend looked offended and told me that the serial was not based on facts of Tipu’s life. My friend who hails from the Malabar region went on to claim that the local tales in Malabar and Koorg portray Tipu as a cruel dictator who raged Hindu temples and converted a lot of Hindu’s and Christians to Islam. I rejected this as a hearsay, however he did not give up and went on to tell that the serial on DD had a disclaimer that the serial was in itself not based on Tipu’s life.
This turned out to be true. Here is what Wikipedia says about the legal tangle on the DD serial.
Petitions were filed in the Supreme Court of India against the telecast of this drama. The petitioners, Ravi Varma, et al., argued that it was not based on the real life and deeds of Tipu Sultan. After hearing the arguments, the Supreme Court gave a judgment that the drama could be telecast but that a notice has to be displayed along with each episode stating: “No claim is made for the accuracy or authenticity of any episode being depicted in the serial. This serial is a fiction and has nothing to do either with the life or rule of Tipu Sultan. The serial is a dramatised presentation of Bhagwan Gidwani’s novel.“
Having known all these, I was curious to know as to what was the true picture of Tipu Sultan and his 17 year rule. Recently I came across Sandeep Balakrishna’s book “Tipu Sultan The tyrant of Mysore” and bought the book to know more about Tipu.
This book is a well researched piece on the life and times of Tipu Sultan. The author gives us enough background about the Mysore Kingdom, the Wodeyar kings who ruled it, the political picture of South India and the relationship of the Wodeyar kings with the powers of their times. The Maratha’s , the Nizams of Hyderabad , the British and their intentions in the matters of South India were explained in an informative manner.
The author then explains the rise of Hyder Ali. Hyder Ali, who is Tipu’s father who was a normal mercenary soldier once used his intelligence and the opportunities very well and ended up as the King
of Mysore. His rise , his military prowess and fearless leadership were well illustrated by the author. With this back drop we are introduced to Tipu and we get a glimpse of him when he is a young man. The author brings out interesting episodes as to make us understand what sort of person Tipu was and if his father indeed trusted him.
From there, we see the circumstances under which this young man becomes the king and how Tipu took charge of the affairs in the palace. His religious intolerance, his complete mis-handling of the economy, his lack of trustworthiness, his Islamic fanaticism, his ignorance on what was happening in the world, his madness to control and change India into an Islamic state, the way he ransacked temples, his reign of tyrrany that isolated him from all the kings of south India (at that time) and the double games he tried to play with the French, the British and the Islamic rulers outside India was very well brought out in this book . The author provides us with evidence for every claim he makes.
As the world knows, Tipu wrote his own letters. These letters serve as huge testimony to the sort of person Tipu was, the author brings a lot of letters to light. Here is one of them.
Tipu writes to Burduz Zamaun Khan on 19 January 1790: “Don’t you know I have achieved a great victory recently in Malabar and over four lakh Hindus were converted to Islam?”, and to Syed Abdul Dulai on 18 January 1790: “With the grace of Prophet Muhammad and Allah, almost all Hindus in Calicut are now converted to Islam. Only a few are still not converted on the borders of Cochin State. I am determined to convert them also very soon. I consider this as Jehad to achieve that object.”
The author has researched very well and brought a lot of these letters to light in the book. He not only brings out the letters of Tipu and what the British wrote about him. The author pulls data from various places and presents it to the audience. For example : here is what a portuguese traveller had to say about the great sultan and his love for his faith.
The world-famous Protuguese traveller, Fr. Barthoelomeo, not a Britisher, writes in his book Voyage to East Indies: “First a corps of 30,000 barbarians who butchered everybody on the way… followed by the field-gun unit under the French Commander, M. Lally… Tipu was riding on an elephant behind which another army of 30,000 soldiers followed. Most of the men and women were hanged in Calicut, first mothers were hanged with their children tied to necks of mothers. That barbarian Tipu Sultan tied the naked Christians and Hindus to the legs of elephants and made the elephants to move around till the bodies of the helpless victims were torn to pieces. Temples and churches were ordered to be burned down, desecrated and destroyed. Christian and Hindu women were forced to marry Mohammadans and similarly their men were forced to marry Mohammadan women.1 Those Christians who refused to be honoured with Islam, were ordered to be killed by hanging immediately. These atrocities were told to me by the victims of Tipu Sultan who escaped from the clutches of his army and reached Varappuzha, which is the centre of Carmichael Christian Mission. I myself helped many victims to cross the Varappuzha river by boats.”
The author Sandeep Balakrishna then goes on to expose Tipu’s games with the nation. Tipu is glorified because he fought the British. However, the question is why did he fight them? Did he fight for his own terrtorial gains or did he fight to send the Europeans away from the country? The author gives a lot proof as to how Tipu had no qualms with French controlling India and how he invited a lot of Muslim rulers to come and attack India. Again the author reproduces the letters Tipu wrote to the French, the Caliph in Turkey, to the rulers of Afghanistan and Persia. Can this be called patriotism? The author again does an excellent job of exposing all these misdeeds.
In the final lap the author takes us to the ways in which Tipu lost the Third Anglo-Carnatic war and what he did after that. How he, with his faith in Astrology believed that he would become a Padushah and gave donations to some temples. How he kept judging things erroneously, how all the rulers of south India, both Muslims and non-Muslims deserted him and how Tipu sent invite after invite to the French to come and attack the British in India, how the British made their proposals and the war that killed Tipu . It would be interesting to note that the Nawab of Arcot, Nizam of Hyderabad and many other Muslim rulers despised this man and his deeds. The very fact that the then Caliph also rejected his proposals tell us how this man was put at bay by the Muslim rulers of his time.
I loved author’s research and the guts to write a book of this sort. The references the author provides and the way he presents facts are good. At the end of the 200 page book I felt as if the author concluded it a little too fast and little too early, I felt he could have written more about this topic. This is a must read for everyone who wants to understand the true nature of Tipu.
The only recommendation I would like to make to the author is that he gets too judgemental when presenting facts, he can leave them for the inference of the reader. There were a lot of areas where I felt like —- let me infer and make my choice— please don’t serve me judgements.
That apart it is a fantastic book that Sandeep Balakrishna gives to all of us. Do read the book. It unearths many truths and exposes a man who left a deep scar on people of South India.
Sandeep if you would ever read this, A big thank you for exposing one of the tyrants who ruled this country. Keep up the work you are doing.
References :
I picked the online version of Tipu’s letters from Mint. This is the link on Mint.com:
http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/bO9Ma...
I picked the online version of Fr. Barthoelomeo from here.
http://voiceofdharma.org/books/tipu/c...
Few years ago, I and my Malayalee friend were discussing few things and I happened to speak about Tipu and his gallant sacrifice for the nation. My friend looked offended and told me that the serial was not based on facts of Tipu’s life. My friend who hails from the Malabar region went on to claim that the local tales in Malabar and Koorg portray Tipu as a cruel dictator who raged Hindu temples and converted a lot of Hindu’s and Christians to Islam. I rejected this as a hearsay, however he did not give up and went on to tell that the serial on DD had a disclaimer that the serial was in itself not based on Tipu’s life.
This turned out to be true. Here is what Wikipedia says about the legal tangle on the DD serial.
Petitions were filed in the Supreme Court of India against the telecast of this drama. The petitioners, Ravi Varma, et al., argued that it was not based on the real life and deeds of Tipu Sultan. After hearing the arguments, the Supreme Court gave a judgment that the drama could be telecast but that a notice has to be displayed along with each episode stating: “No claim is made for the accuracy or authenticity of any episode being depicted in the serial. This serial is a fiction and has nothing to do either with the life or rule of Tipu Sultan. The serial is a dramatised presentation of Bhagwan Gidwani’s novel.“
Having known all these, I was curious to know as to what was the true picture of Tipu Sultan and his 17 year rule. Recently I came across Sandeep Balakrishna’s book “Tipu Sultan The tyrant of Mysore” and bought the book to know more about Tipu.
This book is a well researched piece on the life and times of Tipu Sultan. The author gives us enough background about the Mysore Kingdom, the Wodeyar kings who ruled it, the political picture of South India and the relationship of the Wodeyar kings with the powers of their times. The Maratha’s , the Nizams of Hyderabad , the British and their intentions in the matters of South India were explained in an informative manner.
The author then explains the rise of Hyder Ali. Hyder Ali, who is Tipu’s father who was a normal mercenary soldier once used his intelligence and the opportunities very well and ended up as the King
of Mysore. His rise , his military prowess and fearless leadership were well illustrated by the author. With this back drop we are introduced to Tipu and we get a glimpse of him when he is a young man. The author brings out interesting episodes as to make us understand what sort of person Tipu was and if his father indeed trusted him.
From there, we see the circumstances under which this young man becomes the king and how Tipu took charge of the affairs in the palace. His religious intolerance, his complete mis-handling of the economy, his lack of trustworthiness, his Islamic fanaticism, his ignorance on what was happening in the world, his madness to control and change India into an Islamic state, the way he ransacked temples, his reign of tyrrany that isolated him from all the kings of south India (at that time) and the double games he tried to play with the French, the British and the Islamic rulers outside India was very well brought out in this book . The author provides us with evidence for every claim he makes.
As the world knows, Tipu wrote his own letters. These letters serve as huge testimony to the sort of person Tipu was, the author brings a lot of letters to light. Here is one of them.
Tipu writes to Burduz Zamaun Khan on 19 January 1790: “Don’t you know I have achieved a great victory recently in Malabar and over four lakh Hindus were converted to Islam?”, and to Syed Abdul Dulai on 18 January 1790: “With the grace of Prophet Muhammad and Allah, almost all Hindus in Calicut are now converted to Islam. Only a few are still not converted on the borders of Cochin State. I am determined to convert them also very soon. I consider this as Jehad to achieve that object.”
The author has researched very well and brought a lot of these letters to light in the book. He not only brings out the letters of Tipu and what the British wrote about him. The author pulls data from various places and presents it to the audience. For example : here is what a portuguese traveller had to say about the great sultan and his love for his faith.
The world-famous Protuguese traveller, Fr. Barthoelomeo, not a Britisher, writes in his book Voyage to East Indies: “First a corps of 30,000 barbarians who butchered everybody on the way… followed by the field-gun unit under the French Commander, M. Lally… Tipu was riding on an elephant behind which another army of 30,000 soldiers followed. Most of the men and women were hanged in Calicut, first mothers were hanged with their children tied to necks of mothers. That barbarian Tipu Sultan tied the naked Christians and Hindus to the legs of elephants and made the elephants to move around till the bodies of the helpless victims were torn to pieces. Temples and churches were ordered to be burned down, desecrated and destroyed. Christian and Hindu women were forced to marry Mohammadans and similarly their men were forced to marry Mohammadan women.1 Those Christians who refused to be honoured with Islam, were ordered to be killed by hanging immediately. These atrocities were told to me by the victims of Tipu Sultan who escaped from the clutches of his army and reached Varappuzha, which is the centre of Carmichael Christian Mission. I myself helped many victims to cross the Varappuzha river by boats.”
The author Sandeep Balakrishna then goes on to expose Tipu’s games with the nation. Tipu is glorified because he fought the British. However, the question is why did he fight them? Did he fight for his own terrtorial gains or did he fight to send the Europeans away from the country? The author gives a lot proof as to how Tipu had no qualms with French controlling India and how he invited a lot of Muslim rulers to come and attack India. Again the author reproduces the letters Tipu wrote to the French, the Caliph in Turkey, to the rulers of Afghanistan and Persia. Can this be called patriotism? The author again does an excellent job of exposing all these misdeeds.
In the final lap the author takes us to the ways in which Tipu lost the Third Anglo-Carnatic war and what he did after that. How he, with his faith in Astrology believed that he would become a Padushah and gave donations to some temples. How he kept judging things erroneously, how all the rulers of south India, both Muslims and non-Muslims deserted him and how Tipu sent invite after invite to the French to come and attack the British in India, how the British made their proposals and the war that killed Tipu . It would be interesting to note that the Nawab of Arcot, Nizam of Hyderabad and many other Muslim rulers despised this man and his deeds. The very fact that the then Caliph also rejected his proposals tell us how this man was put at bay by the Muslim rulers of his time.
I loved author’s research and the guts to write a book of this sort. The references the author provides and the way he presents facts are good. At the end of the 200 page book I felt as if the author concluded it a little too fast and little too early, I felt he could have written more about this topic. This is a must read for everyone who wants to understand the true nature of Tipu.
The only recommendation I would like to make to the author is that he gets too judgemental when presenting facts, he can leave them for the inference of the reader. There were a lot of areas where I felt like —- let me infer and make my choice— please don’t serve me judgements.
That apart it is a fantastic book that Sandeep Balakrishna gives to all of us. Do read the book. It unearths many truths and exposes a man who left a deep scar on people of South India.
Sandeep if you would ever read this, A big thank you for exposing one of the tyrants who ruled this country. Keep up the work you are doing.
References :
I picked the online version of Tipu’s letters from Mint. This is the link on Mint.com:
http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/bO9Ma...
I picked the online version of Fr. Barthoelomeo from here.
http://voiceofdharma.org/books/tipu/c...
February 20, 2014
I think everyone who is interested in real history should read this book and once you have done that follow it up with "history of Tipu sultan by Mohibbul hasan".
suffice to say for those who want unbiased and true picture ( without any distortion from higher powers)these will reveal the new truth. For those who want to read fiction please read Mr. Gidwani's screenplay which most of us watched on India Telly.
suffice to say for those who want unbiased and true picture ( without any distortion from higher powers)these will reveal the new truth. For those who want to read fiction please read Mr. Gidwani's screenplay which most of us watched on India Telly.
January 12, 2016
Truth in History, Priceless
Interesting look at a controversial historical figure, Tipu Sultan of Mysore, India. The book opens with the current arguments which seem to be between a couple of historical fiction writers who have several books out including a TV series about Tipu who is portrayed as a hero and patriot fighting the British for India's freedom in the 1790's. Against this are several researchers and historians who hold that Tipu was a bloody tyrant. Both sides of the argument are presented and a look at the motivations of the people involved in this discussion are explored. A most interesting section is centered on the purpose of History (as opposed to mythology) which seems to be the center of this dispute. Just about when I was thinking, "what about Tipu?", the second half of the book launched into a factual, well researched and documented history of both Tipu, his Father and Southern India. All you historical lovers hang on till the middle, it's worth it. Those with philosophical tendencies will delight in the intelligent discourse of the beginning in addition to receiving an idea of 2008 Indian politics and the Hindu Moslem issues. I recommend this book to clarify an important period of history which still has ramifications today.
Interesting look at a controversial historical figure, Tipu Sultan of Mysore, India. The book opens with the current arguments which seem to be between a couple of historical fiction writers who have several books out including a TV series about Tipu who is portrayed as a hero and patriot fighting the British for India's freedom in the 1790's. Against this are several researchers and historians who hold that Tipu was a bloody tyrant. Both sides of the argument are presented and a look at the motivations of the people involved in this discussion are explored. A most interesting section is centered on the purpose of History (as opposed to mythology) which seems to be the center of this dispute. Just about when I was thinking, "what about Tipu?", the second half of the book launched into a factual, well researched and documented history of both Tipu, his Father and Southern India. All you historical lovers hang on till the middle, it's worth it. Those with philosophical tendencies will delight in the intelligent discourse of the beginning in addition to receiving an idea of 2008 Indian politics and the Hindu Moslem issues. I recommend this book to clarify an important period of history which still has ramifications today.
February 19, 2018
Outstanding book, relies on primary sources and is a must read for people trying to separate the wheat from the chaff - in Indian History. The number of distortions brought into history by the brown sahibs who took over from the white sahibs when they left are numerous. Yet there have been scholars and qualified intellectuals fighting to stem the rot and turn the tide (if that were at all possible). This book stands tall along wth those written by Sitaram Goel, B B Lal , Jadunath Sarkar & R C Mazumdar in laying bare one of the many unsavoury whitewashings that have been done on dubious characters in Indian history!
April 14, 2015
a real myth buster. Well researched and much needed in the current Indian context.
August 31, 2018
A exhaustive detail of the true man that tipu really was. A must read.
November 14, 2015
Tipu Sultan is one of the controversial and polarising historical figure in India especially in the State of Karnataka. His supporters hail him as a "Freedom Fighter", "Valiant Warrior" where as his detractors call him a "Tyrant" and "Religious Bigot". I wanted to know how the detractors saw Tipu and what his legacy was according to their historical narration.
The book started off well discussing where there is little room for debating Tipu's legacy in the public or Academic discourse because of Political meddling in the educational and academic affairs. Some of the critique of marxist academics are quite right and the writer makes his case well there. However, the whole book lacks proper objectivity in my view not only about Hyder-Tipu duos legacy but also the critique of Karnad (the playwright).
When it comes to the criticism of Hyder-Tipu (father-son) duo, the writer relies heavily on British sources especially Lewin Bowring's writing. Given the fact that the British East india company had waged successive war against Tipu, relying too much on British sources doesn't sit well with me. Because as a non-historian, I wary whether its propaganda or objective narration (given their tumultuous history with Hyder-Tipu). The writer bias is clearly visible when he often describes the duo as treacherous, opportunistic, cowardly and non-trustworthy and attributes their victories in battles to chance or luck or chaos in south indian politics or simple bad weather.
However, the writer provides some good polemical points against Tipu. Especially his aggressive Persianization of the administration, forceful conversion of POW, foreign policies with the French, Ottomans and the Butchering of the metric system.
Overall, in my view, this book is a mix of propaganda and historical facts and depending upon your ideological leaning you will either enjoy it or deride it. Given the popularity of this book, I take this as a healthy sign that there is some space in the public discourse to discuss controversial figure like "Tipu Sultan" whether you agree with the writer or not.
The book started off well discussing where there is little room for debating Tipu's legacy in the public or Academic discourse because of Political meddling in the educational and academic affairs. Some of the critique of marxist academics are quite right and the writer makes his case well there. However, the whole book lacks proper objectivity in my view not only about Hyder-Tipu duos legacy but also the critique of Karnad (the playwright).
When it comes to the criticism of Hyder-Tipu (father-son) duo, the writer relies heavily on British sources especially Lewin Bowring's writing. Given the fact that the British East india company had waged successive war against Tipu, relying too much on British sources doesn't sit well with me. Because as a non-historian, I wary whether its propaganda or objective narration (given their tumultuous history with Hyder-Tipu). The writer bias is clearly visible when he often describes the duo as treacherous, opportunistic, cowardly and non-trustworthy and attributes their victories in battles to chance or luck or chaos in south indian politics or simple bad weather.
However, the writer provides some good polemical points against Tipu. Especially his aggressive Persianization of the administration, forceful conversion of POW, foreign policies with the French, Ottomans and the Butchering of the metric system.
Overall, in my view, this book is a mix of propaganda and historical facts and depending upon your ideological leaning you will either enjoy it or deride it. Given the popularity of this book, I take this as a healthy sign that there is some space in the public discourse to discuss controversial figure like "Tipu Sultan" whether you agree with the writer or not.
September 19, 2015
Tipu Sultan is referred to as a freedom fighter and a religious tolerant king by secular historians. This book nails down these lies and exposes him for what he truly was, another Islamic Jihadi. This book goes into details of his actions at Coorg and Malabar coast and quotes from his own writings on how he wanted to free this land from the infidels.
He is generally portrayed as the tiger of Mysore in school books and was a part of Karnataka's tableau for the republic Day parade in 2014. This kind of history rewriting has been going on in India since independence and had been brilliantly exposed by Shourie in Eminent Historians. Hopefully, more such books will be written and one will get to know the real history of this land, not the one propagated by marxists.
He is generally portrayed as the tiger of Mysore in school books and was a part of Karnataka's tableau for the republic Day parade in 2014. This kind of history rewriting has been going on in India since independence and had been brilliantly exposed by Shourie in Eminent Historians. Hopefully, more such books will be written and one will get to know the real history of this land, not the one propagated by marxists.
March 8, 2017
These days, Tipu Sultan is portrayed as the Tiger of Mysore, son of Kannada language, having a secular and scientific outlook, a freedom fighter who fought to drive out the British from India, etc. This mis-portrayal is done either by people devoid of facts or by people of Marxist outlook. Sandeep Balakrishna (author), has done a commendable job of refuting these baseless claims with available evidence (including primary sources). Full review at https://hemantkmr.wordpress.com/2017/...
December 3, 2016
This book is a well researched piece on the life and times of Tipu Sultan. The author gives us enough background about the Mysore Kingdom, the Wodeyar kings who ruled it, the political picture of South India and the relationship of the Wodeyar kings with the powers of their times. The Maratha’s , the Nizams of Hyderabad , the British and their intentions in the matters of South India were explained in an informative manner.
August 26, 2018
A wonderful book busts many of the false myths and tales ascribed to the Tiger of Mysore...many of these are forcefed to us via our school textbooks and official media. A must read for all those who idolize this tyrant.
June 8, 2015
Well researched book - some of them are taken from Pratap Simha's book as claimed in the book.
May 11, 2019
Those who want to know about Tipu sultan with great insight should go ahead with this book.
October 8, 2019
You really need a strong determination to ignore the facts and persnrts your narrative to the world. Despite knowing the fact what was written on his sword some historian has gone to the extent to call him as the best king ever who helped the community to progress. But, Sandeep Balakrishna has presented the real picture of this tyrant who has cut the throat of more than millions Hindus. Who hates disbeliever of Islam, who raped several Hindu women and torucha=red them. He was the epitome of cruelty.
October 1, 2015
Even though the book is well researched and written, it somehow left me wanting to read more about Tipu and the history of Mysore & Coorg.
Nonetheless, this is definitely going to make me question the tour guides who are still spreading the leftist version of Tipu the next time I take a tour of Mysore and Coorg!
Nonetheless, this is definitely going to make me question the tour guides who are still spreading the leftist version of Tipu the next time I take a tour of Mysore and Coorg!
September 8, 2019
Mind drafting
May 4, 2021
How prophetic is the saying that ‘History is a pack of lies about events that never happened told by people who weren't there…’?
It all began with Bhagwan Gidwani’s pseudo-fiction, ‘The Sword of Tipu Sultan’. Historical novels are typically an admixture of historical facts and imagination. As such they are not expected to candidly represent all the historical events. However, authors of historical novels have the moral responsibility to present historical facts without blatant distortions. Gidwani did not seem to be bound by any such ethical obligations; he did not have any qualms even to calculatingly misrepresent historical facts. Therefore, a tele-serial based on such a novel also could not be otherwise.
That tele based serial was what went on to build the façade of an image – the image of a bigot called Tipu.
Sandeep Balakrishna, in his book, works like a true detective of history to repudiate all the myths associated with the aforesaid tyrant.
The major part of Tipu Sultan’s rule was spent in conducting military operations for subjugating Malabar. Wars of territorial conquest waged in Malabar by Hyder Ali Khan, with the assistance of Ali Raja of Arackal and his Mappila followers of Cannanore, were intended more for spreading the Islamic faith by killing and forcible conversion of Hindus coupled with widespread destruction of Hindu temples, than for expanding his kingdom.
Hyder Ali Khan had expressed his satisfaction for these cruel achievements. A broad picture of atrocities committed against the Hindu population of Malabar by the army of Hyder Ali Khan along with the local Mappilas can be had from the diary notings of a Muslim officer of the Mysore army as edited and published by the then surviving son of Tipu Sultan, prince Ghulam Muhammed (Cited in Malabar Manual, William Logan).
Before his efforts to conquer the entire Malabar region could succeed, Hyder Ali Khan died in December, 1782. Tipu, who succeeded his father, considered it his primary duty to continue this unfinished jihad started by Hyder Ali Khan.
However, the Islamic fanaticism of Tipu Sultan was much worse than that of his father. His war-cry of jihad was “Sword” (death) or “Cap” (forcible conversion). This makes veiy clear the character of Tipu Sultan’s military operations started in 1783. The intensity and nature of sufferings which the Hindu population had to bear during the nightmarish days of Padayottakkalam (military regime) were vividly described in many historical records preserved in the royal houses of Zamorin and Kottayam (Pazhassi), Palghat Fort and East India Company’s office.
There is no apparent reason to disbelieve them. It is absurd and against reason to describe all this evidence as being forged for the purpose of creating enmity between Hindus and Muslims (as presumed by Dr. C.K. Kareem and others).
This book shows you that during the cruel days of Islamic operations from 1783 to 1791, how thousands of Nairs besides about 30,000 Brahmins had fled Malabar, leaving behind their entire wealth, and sought refuge in Travancore State (according to the commission of enquiiy appointed by the British soon after Tipu Sultan’s death).
According to the learned historian, Dr. M. Gangadharan, there is no point in disbelieving the validity of this report (Mathrubhoomi Weekly, January, 14-20, 1990): “Besides, there is enough evidence that a few members of Zamorin family and many Nairs were forcibly circumcised and converted into Muhammadan faith as well as compelled to eat beef.”
So far as the history of Malabar region is concerned, the most dependable book for basic historical facts is definitely the Malabar Manual written by William Logan. Serving in various administrative positions including that of a Collector for 20 years upto 1886, Logan had gone through and extensively researched a variety of documents for preparing his well-acclaimed book. The present edition has been scrutinized, edited and published by the reputed historian, Dr. C.K. Kareem, with the support of Cochin and Kerala universities. Therefore, the authenticity of its contents cannot be doubted.
There are plenty of references in the Malabar Manual about the cruel military operations and Islamic atrocities of Tipu Sultan in Malabar—forcible mass circumcision and conversion, large-scale killings, looting and destruction of hundreds of Hindu temples, and other barbarities.
If one accepts even a small portion of the Islamic atrocities described in this monumental work of histoiy, then Tipu Sultan can be depicted only as an uncompromising chauvinist. The historical works of Col. Wilks ( Historical Sketches ), K.P. Padamanabha Menon and Sardar K.M. Panicker (Kerala History), Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai (research articles) and others, also do not project Tipu Sultan in any better light.
One of the leading Congressman of pre-independence days, K. Madhava Nair, observes on page 14 of his famous book, Malabar Kalapam (Mappila outrage):
“The communal Mappila outrage of 1921 in Malabar could be easily traced to the forcible mass conversion and related Islamic atrocities of Tipu Sultan during his cruel military regime from 1783 to 1792. It is doubtful whether the Hindus of Kerala had ever suffered so much devastation and atrocities since the reclamation of Kerala by the mythological Lord Parasurama in a previous Era. Many thousands of Hindus were forcibly converted into Muhammadan faith.”
In 1789, Tipu Sultan marched to Kozhikode with an army of 60,000, destroyed the fort, and razed the town to the ground Gunddart says in his Kerala Pazhama that it is just not possible to describe the cruel atrocities perpetrated by the barbarian Tipu Sultan in Kozhikode.
William Logan gives in his Malabar Manual a long list of temples destroyed by Tipu Sultan and his army.
Elankulam Kunjan Pillai has recorded the situation in Malabar as follows:
“Kozhikode was then a centre of Brahmins. There were around 7000 Namboodiri houses of which more than 2000 houses were destroyed by Tipu Sultan in Kozhikode alone. Sultan did not spare even children and women. Menfolk escaped to forests and neighbouring principalities. Mappilas increased many fold (due to forcible conversion).
“During the military regime of Tipu Sultan, Hindus were forcibly circumcised and converted to Muhammadan faith. As a result the number of Nairs and Brahmins declined substantially.”
The orchestrated propaganda that Tipu Sultan was tolerant and fair-minded towards the Hindus in Mysore is also without any foundation, as explained in history of Mysore written by Lewis Rice as well as M.M. Gopalrao. According to Lewis Rice, during the rule of Tipu Sultan, only two Hindu temples inside the Sreerangapatanam Fort were having daily pujas while the assets of all other temples were confiscated. Even in administrative matters,
Muslim bias was blatantly evident, especially in the matter of taxation policy. “Muslims were exempted from all taxes. Even those who were converted to Islamic faith were also allowed the same concessions,” says Gopal Rao. In the case of employment, Hindus were eliminated to the maximum extent possible. During the entire period of 16 years of Tipu Sultan’s rule, the only Hindu who had occupied any important official position was Purnaiyya.
The cruelties which Tipu Sultan committed in Coorg, has no parallel in histoiy. On one occasion, he compulsorily converted over ten thousand Hindus to Muhammadanism. On another occastion, he captured and converted to Islam more than one thousand Hindu Coorgis before imprisoning them in the Sreerangapatanam fortress. In the period of confusion and lawlessness prevailing in Sreerangapatanam during the last war of Tipu Sultan against the British, all the Coorgi prisoners escaped from the prison and became Hindus again after reaching their native kingdom. Against the solemn oath given to the Raja of Coorg, Tipu Sultan forcibly abducted a young princess from the Coorg royal family and made her his wife against her will.
The atrocities committed by Tipu in Bindur in North Karnataka during and after its capture by him, were most barbarous and beyond description. Ayaz Khan, who was Kammaran Nambiar from Chirackal Kingdom before his forcible conversion to Islam by Hyder Ali Khan, had been appointed as Governor of Bidnur. Tipu Sultan was envious of and opposed to Ayaz Khan from the very beginning because Hyder Ali Khan had considered the latter more bright and elegant. When Ayaz learnt that Tipu was scheming to kill him secretly, he escaped to Bombay with plenty of gold. Tipu Sultan came to Bednur and forcibly converted its entire population to Islam. The people accepted Islam for the sake of their lives.
After the capture of Mangalore, thousands of Christians were also compulsorily sent to Sreerangapatanam where all of them were circumcised and converted to Islam. Tipu’s rationalization was that during the Portuguese domination, prior to the arrival of the British, many Muslims had been converted to Christianity by their Missionaries. He arrogantly proclaimed his action as a sort of punishment for the conversion of Muslims by the Portuguese.
Then he marched upto Kumbla on the northern borders of Kerala, forcibly converting to Islam every Hindu on the way. This time, his argument (repeated by the secularist historians of today) was that if all belonged to one religion—Muhammadanism—there would be unity and accordingly it would be trouble-free to defeat the British!
Thali, Thiruvannur, Varackal, Puthur, Govindapuram, Thalikkunnu and other important temples in the town of Kozhikode plus those nearby were entirely destroyed due to Tipu’s military operations. Some of them were reconstructed by the Zamorin after he returned following the defeat of Tipu Sultan in Sreerangapatanam and the Treaty of 1792.
The devastation caused by Tipu Sultan to the ancient and holy temples of Keraladheeswaram, Thrikkandiyoor and Thriprangatu in Vettum region was terrible. The Zamorin renovated these temples to some extent. The famous and ancient Thirunavaya Temple, known throughout the country as an ancient teaching-centre of the Vedas, revered by the devotees of Vishnu from Tamil Nadu, and exiting before the advent of Christ, was also plundered and destroyed by Tipu’s army (Malabar Gazetteer).
After dismantling and destroying the idol, Tipu converted the Thrikkavu Temple into an ammunition storehouse in Ponnani (Malabar Manual). It was the Zamorin who repaired the temple later. Kotikkunnu, Thrithala, Panniyoor and other family temples of the Zamorin were plundered and destroyed. The famous Sukapuram Temple was also desecrated. Damage done to the Perumparampu Temple and Maranelira Temple of Azhvancherry Thamprakkal (titular head of all Namboodiri Brahmins) in Edappadu can be seen even today.
The Vengari Temple and Thrikkulam Temple in Eranadu, Azhinjillam Temple in Ramanattukara, Indyannur Temple, Mannur Temple and many other temples were defiled and damaged expansively during the military regime.
A few observations about the attack of Tipu Sultan on the Travancore State would be appropriate to conclude this review – all of which the author has touched upon.
If the Nedunkotta had not been constructed earlier mainly to stop the danger from the powerful Zamorin, the same fate would have befallen the powerless Travancore State as well. Due to the fortification, Tipu Sultan could inflict retribution only in Angamally, Alwaye, Varapuzha, Alangod and other towns on the northern borders of Travancore State. This has been clearly mentioned by the Dewan of Travancore, Madhava Rao, in ‘The history of Travancore’.
He writes: “Whatever cruelties, the local Mappilas were desirous of indulging in the land, Tipu Sultan and his army of Muslim converts did. The ancient and holy temples were heartlessly defiled or burnt down. The ruins of those temples destroyed by Tipu’s fanatic army are the existing evidences of the atrocities committed by Muslims in the country. Christian churches also had to suffer widespread destructions. However, Tipu Sultan spared only the territories of Cochin Raja who had surrendered to Hyder Ali Khan in the beginning itself. Still, when Tipu Sultan and his army entered Parur and started firing at Kodungallur, the Cochin Raja sent a letter to the Travancore Raja requesting him ‘to protect me and my family’.”
Balakrishna also harps upon and ruptures the myth associated with Tipu’s death. The death scene of Tipu Sultan in 1799 has been completely distorted in numerous popular accounts, which portray Tipu as a hero and a martyr. But as per recorded documents and official versions, Tipu, deserted by his generals and surrounded by the Allied forces, mounted a horse and tried to flee in the night like a coward. He was hit in the crossfire between his personal guards and the enemy forces, and fell down from the rampart in the midst of dead bodies of common soldiers. Later in the evening, a search was made for Tipu’s body with the help of torches. His body was finally recovered by one of his slaves and identified by the Khilledar (Tipu Sultan X-rayed by Dr. I.M. Muthanna, p. 386).
It may be recalled here that the members of the overthrown Wodeyar Royal Family were kept prisoners in their palaces all through the regin of Hyder Ali Khan and Tipu Sultan. Tipu did not kill them because of his fear of a popular uprising against him. His eleventh and only surviving son, Prince Ghulam Muhammad, was exiled by the British to Calcutta and the Mysore Kingdom which had been usurped by Hyder Ali Khan, was restored to the Wodeyars. However, Prince Ghulam Muhammad was allowed to take away with him a part of the wealth looted from Malabar and carried to Srirangapatanam by Tipu. He was also given a substantial pension by the English. Even today, the family trust created by Ghulam Muhammad out of this looted wealth is the largest Muslim trust in Calcutta.
In the last 70 years, there has been a concerted attempt to distort and falsify recorded Indian history, very often even by painting dark periods of Indian history as glorious and progressive, to suit the selfish and perverted interests of the ruling clique. One of these attempts relates to the life and deeds of Tipu Sultan of Mysore. Most of his active life as Sultan of Mysore was spent in Kerala, waging wars of territorial annexation and Islamic conversions.
Therefore, the true character of Tipu Sultan can be best judged from his activities in Kerala. Balakrishna’s book is an earnest attempt to present Tipu Sultan as known from the available records.
A must read.
It all began with Bhagwan Gidwani’s pseudo-fiction, ‘The Sword of Tipu Sultan’. Historical novels are typically an admixture of historical facts and imagination. As such they are not expected to candidly represent all the historical events. However, authors of historical novels have the moral responsibility to present historical facts without blatant distortions. Gidwani did not seem to be bound by any such ethical obligations; he did not have any qualms even to calculatingly misrepresent historical facts. Therefore, a tele-serial based on such a novel also could not be otherwise.
That tele based serial was what went on to build the façade of an image – the image of a bigot called Tipu.
Sandeep Balakrishna, in his book, works like a true detective of history to repudiate all the myths associated with the aforesaid tyrant.
The major part of Tipu Sultan’s rule was spent in conducting military operations for subjugating Malabar. Wars of territorial conquest waged in Malabar by Hyder Ali Khan, with the assistance of Ali Raja of Arackal and his Mappila followers of Cannanore, were intended more for spreading the Islamic faith by killing and forcible conversion of Hindus coupled with widespread destruction of Hindu temples, than for expanding his kingdom.
Hyder Ali Khan had expressed his satisfaction for these cruel achievements. A broad picture of atrocities committed against the Hindu population of Malabar by the army of Hyder Ali Khan along with the local Mappilas can be had from the diary notings of a Muslim officer of the Mysore army as edited and published by the then surviving son of Tipu Sultan, prince Ghulam Muhammed (Cited in Malabar Manual, William Logan).
Before his efforts to conquer the entire Malabar region could succeed, Hyder Ali Khan died in December, 1782. Tipu, who succeeded his father, considered it his primary duty to continue this unfinished jihad started by Hyder Ali Khan.
However, the Islamic fanaticism of Tipu Sultan was much worse than that of his father. His war-cry of jihad was “Sword” (death) or “Cap” (forcible conversion). This makes veiy clear the character of Tipu Sultan’s military operations started in 1783. The intensity and nature of sufferings which the Hindu population had to bear during the nightmarish days of Padayottakkalam (military regime) were vividly described in many historical records preserved in the royal houses of Zamorin and Kottayam (Pazhassi), Palghat Fort and East India Company’s office.
There is no apparent reason to disbelieve them. It is absurd and against reason to describe all this evidence as being forged for the purpose of creating enmity between Hindus and Muslims (as presumed by Dr. C.K. Kareem and others).
This book shows you that during the cruel days of Islamic operations from 1783 to 1791, how thousands of Nairs besides about 30,000 Brahmins had fled Malabar, leaving behind their entire wealth, and sought refuge in Travancore State (according to the commission of enquiiy appointed by the British soon after Tipu Sultan’s death).
According to the learned historian, Dr. M. Gangadharan, there is no point in disbelieving the validity of this report (Mathrubhoomi Weekly, January, 14-20, 1990): “Besides, there is enough evidence that a few members of Zamorin family and many Nairs were forcibly circumcised and converted into Muhammadan faith as well as compelled to eat beef.”
So far as the history of Malabar region is concerned, the most dependable book for basic historical facts is definitely the Malabar Manual written by William Logan. Serving in various administrative positions including that of a Collector for 20 years upto 1886, Logan had gone through and extensively researched a variety of documents for preparing his well-acclaimed book. The present edition has been scrutinized, edited and published by the reputed historian, Dr. C.K. Kareem, with the support of Cochin and Kerala universities. Therefore, the authenticity of its contents cannot be doubted.
There are plenty of references in the Malabar Manual about the cruel military operations and Islamic atrocities of Tipu Sultan in Malabar—forcible mass circumcision and conversion, large-scale killings, looting and destruction of hundreds of Hindu temples, and other barbarities.
If one accepts even a small portion of the Islamic atrocities described in this monumental work of histoiy, then Tipu Sultan can be depicted only as an uncompromising chauvinist. The historical works of Col. Wilks ( Historical Sketches ), K.P. Padamanabha Menon and Sardar K.M. Panicker (Kerala History), Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai (research articles) and others, also do not project Tipu Sultan in any better light.
One of the leading Congressman of pre-independence days, K. Madhava Nair, observes on page 14 of his famous book, Malabar Kalapam (Mappila outrage):
“The communal Mappila outrage of 1921 in Malabar could be easily traced to the forcible mass conversion and related Islamic atrocities of Tipu Sultan during his cruel military regime from 1783 to 1792. It is doubtful whether the Hindus of Kerala had ever suffered so much devastation and atrocities since the reclamation of Kerala by the mythological Lord Parasurama in a previous Era. Many thousands of Hindus were forcibly converted into Muhammadan faith.”
In 1789, Tipu Sultan marched to Kozhikode with an army of 60,000, destroyed the fort, and razed the town to the ground Gunddart says in his Kerala Pazhama that it is just not possible to describe the cruel atrocities perpetrated by the barbarian Tipu Sultan in Kozhikode.
William Logan gives in his Malabar Manual a long list of temples destroyed by Tipu Sultan and his army.
Elankulam Kunjan Pillai has recorded the situation in Malabar as follows:
“Kozhikode was then a centre of Brahmins. There were around 7000 Namboodiri houses of which more than 2000 houses were destroyed by Tipu Sultan in Kozhikode alone. Sultan did not spare even children and women. Menfolk escaped to forests and neighbouring principalities. Mappilas increased many fold (due to forcible conversion).
“During the military regime of Tipu Sultan, Hindus were forcibly circumcised and converted to Muhammadan faith. As a result the number of Nairs and Brahmins declined substantially.”
The orchestrated propaganda that Tipu Sultan was tolerant and fair-minded towards the Hindus in Mysore is also without any foundation, as explained in history of Mysore written by Lewis Rice as well as M.M. Gopalrao. According to Lewis Rice, during the rule of Tipu Sultan, only two Hindu temples inside the Sreerangapatanam Fort were having daily pujas while the assets of all other temples were confiscated. Even in administrative matters,
Muslim bias was blatantly evident, especially in the matter of taxation policy. “Muslims were exempted from all taxes. Even those who were converted to Islamic faith were also allowed the same concessions,” says Gopal Rao. In the case of employment, Hindus were eliminated to the maximum extent possible. During the entire period of 16 years of Tipu Sultan’s rule, the only Hindu who had occupied any important official position was Purnaiyya.
The cruelties which Tipu Sultan committed in Coorg, has no parallel in histoiy. On one occasion, he compulsorily converted over ten thousand Hindus to Muhammadanism. On another occastion, he captured and converted to Islam more than one thousand Hindu Coorgis before imprisoning them in the Sreerangapatanam fortress. In the period of confusion and lawlessness prevailing in Sreerangapatanam during the last war of Tipu Sultan against the British, all the Coorgi prisoners escaped from the prison and became Hindus again after reaching their native kingdom. Against the solemn oath given to the Raja of Coorg, Tipu Sultan forcibly abducted a young princess from the Coorg royal family and made her his wife against her will.
The atrocities committed by Tipu in Bindur in North Karnataka during and after its capture by him, were most barbarous and beyond description. Ayaz Khan, who was Kammaran Nambiar from Chirackal Kingdom before his forcible conversion to Islam by Hyder Ali Khan, had been appointed as Governor of Bidnur. Tipu Sultan was envious of and opposed to Ayaz Khan from the very beginning because Hyder Ali Khan had considered the latter more bright and elegant. When Ayaz learnt that Tipu was scheming to kill him secretly, he escaped to Bombay with plenty of gold. Tipu Sultan came to Bednur and forcibly converted its entire population to Islam. The people accepted Islam for the sake of their lives.
After the capture of Mangalore, thousands of Christians were also compulsorily sent to Sreerangapatanam where all of them were circumcised and converted to Islam. Tipu’s rationalization was that during the Portuguese domination, prior to the arrival of the British, many Muslims had been converted to Christianity by their Missionaries. He arrogantly proclaimed his action as a sort of punishment for the conversion of Muslims by the Portuguese.
Then he marched upto Kumbla on the northern borders of Kerala, forcibly converting to Islam every Hindu on the way. This time, his argument (repeated by the secularist historians of today) was that if all belonged to one religion—Muhammadanism—there would be unity and accordingly it would be trouble-free to defeat the British!
Thali, Thiruvannur, Varackal, Puthur, Govindapuram, Thalikkunnu and other important temples in the town of Kozhikode plus those nearby were entirely destroyed due to Tipu’s military operations. Some of them were reconstructed by the Zamorin after he returned following the defeat of Tipu Sultan in Sreerangapatanam and the Treaty of 1792.
The devastation caused by Tipu Sultan to the ancient and holy temples of Keraladheeswaram, Thrikkandiyoor and Thriprangatu in Vettum region was terrible. The Zamorin renovated these temples to some extent. The famous and ancient Thirunavaya Temple, known throughout the country as an ancient teaching-centre of the Vedas, revered by the devotees of Vishnu from Tamil Nadu, and exiting before the advent of Christ, was also plundered and destroyed by Tipu’s army (Malabar Gazetteer).
After dismantling and destroying the idol, Tipu converted the Thrikkavu Temple into an ammunition storehouse in Ponnani (Malabar Manual). It was the Zamorin who repaired the temple later. Kotikkunnu, Thrithala, Panniyoor and other family temples of the Zamorin were plundered and destroyed. The famous Sukapuram Temple was also desecrated. Damage done to the Perumparampu Temple and Maranelira Temple of Azhvancherry Thamprakkal (titular head of all Namboodiri Brahmins) in Edappadu can be seen even today.
The Vengari Temple and Thrikkulam Temple in Eranadu, Azhinjillam Temple in Ramanattukara, Indyannur Temple, Mannur Temple and many other temples were defiled and damaged expansively during the military regime.
A few observations about the attack of Tipu Sultan on the Travancore State would be appropriate to conclude this review – all of which the author has touched upon.
If the Nedunkotta had not been constructed earlier mainly to stop the danger from the powerful Zamorin, the same fate would have befallen the powerless Travancore State as well. Due to the fortification, Tipu Sultan could inflict retribution only in Angamally, Alwaye, Varapuzha, Alangod and other towns on the northern borders of Travancore State. This has been clearly mentioned by the Dewan of Travancore, Madhava Rao, in ‘The history of Travancore’.
He writes: “Whatever cruelties, the local Mappilas were desirous of indulging in the land, Tipu Sultan and his army of Muslim converts did. The ancient and holy temples were heartlessly defiled or burnt down. The ruins of those temples destroyed by Tipu’s fanatic army are the existing evidences of the atrocities committed by Muslims in the country. Christian churches also had to suffer widespread destructions. However, Tipu Sultan spared only the territories of Cochin Raja who had surrendered to Hyder Ali Khan in the beginning itself. Still, when Tipu Sultan and his army entered Parur and started firing at Kodungallur, the Cochin Raja sent a letter to the Travancore Raja requesting him ‘to protect me and my family’.”
Balakrishna also harps upon and ruptures the myth associated with Tipu’s death. The death scene of Tipu Sultan in 1799 has been completely distorted in numerous popular accounts, which portray Tipu as a hero and a martyr. But as per recorded documents and official versions, Tipu, deserted by his generals and surrounded by the Allied forces, mounted a horse and tried to flee in the night like a coward. He was hit in the crossfire between his personal guards and the enemy forces, and fell down from the rampart in the midst of dead bodies of common soldiers. Later in the evening, a search was made for Tipu’s body with the help of torches. His body was finally recovered by one of his slaves and identified by the Khilledar (Tipu Sultan X-rayed by Dr. I.M. Muthanna, p. 386).
It may be recalled here that the members of the overthrown Wodeyar Royal Family were kept prisoners in their palaces all through the regin of Hyder Ali Khan and Tipu Sultan. Tipu did not kill them because of his fear of a popular uprising against him. His eleventh and only surviving son, Prince Ghulam Muhammad, was exiled by the British to Calcutta and the Mysore Kingdom which had been usurped by Hyder Ali Khan, was restored to the Wodeyars. However, Prince Ghulam Muhammad was allowed to take away with him a part of the wealth looted from Malabar and carried to Srirangapatanam by Tipu. He was also given a substantial pension by the English. Even today, the family trust created by Ghulam Muhammad out of this looted wealth is the largest Muslim trust in Calcutta.
In the last 70 years, there has been a concerted attempt to distort and falsify recorded Indian history, very often even by painting dark periods of Indian history as glorious and progressive, to suit the selfish and perverted interests of the ruling clique. One of these attempts relates to the life and deeds of Tipu Sultan of Mysore. Most of his active life as Sultan of Mysore was spent in Kerala, waging wars of territorial annexation and Islamic conversions.
Therefore, the true character of Tipu Sultan can be best judged from his activities in Kerala. Balakrishna’s book is an earnest attempt to present Tipu Sultan as known from the available records.
A must read.
November 21, 2020
Dispels the idiotic lies that Tipu was some kind of freedom fighters. The whitewashed version of him that ignores the thousands of Hindus raped, murdered, and forcibly converted needs to stop being propogated. A fine work as always by Sandeep Balakrishna. Karataka has done a good thing by stopping celebration of Tipu Jayanthi.
September 22, 2020
Really good book on Tipu Sultan.
August 3, 2023
Tipu Sultan was truly a horrible monster from hell. This book is an eye opener on the intensity of his barbarism.
May 10, 2021
A great book to dispel the myth that Tipu was a freedom fighter. The book uses the primary sources to reveal the real personality of Tipu Sultan. The genocide of Hindus, the destruction of temples, forceful conversion, inviting caliph to ruin india, etc are all elaborately covered in the book. This books destroys each and every fabricated lie about the person who Tipu really was. A must read.
April 15, 2021
This book exposes the tyrannical rule of Tipu, the way he waged Islamic Jihad by forcible conversions, destroying of Hindu temples, etc. Also, Tipu imposed Parsi language on Kannadigas. Political situation at that time made him fight against British not as freedom fighter. Much more eye openings on Tipu and Hyder are in this book. It only lacks in gripping narration or storytelling.
October 28, 2016
Has good details about the Tipu-Hyder dynasty but the writing does not present an objective view.
July 15, 2025
This book accomplishes something rare in Indian historical writing - it forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about a figure who has been elevated to near-mythical status in popular consciousness. Sandeep's work is essentially an extended fact-checking exercise that systematically dismantles the romanticised image of Tipu Sultan that has dominated Indian textbooks and popular media for decades.
What makes this book particularly valuable is its reliance on primary sources. The author draws extensively from contemporary British military reports, Tipu's own letters translated from Persian, accounts by European missionaries, and records from the Mysore administration itself. When Sandeep quotes Tipu's letter boasting about converting "four lakh Hindus" in Malabar, or his instructions to commanders about hanging prisoners from trees, these aren't secondhand interpretations - they're direct translations from documents found in Tipu's own palace after his death.
The geographical scope of the research is impressive. The author documents destruction across Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, providing specific details about temples destroyed, populations displaced, and administrative records altered. The chapter on Coorg is particularly harrowing, describing how entire villages were depopulated and survivors forcibly converted. The Malabar section reads like a catalogue of systematic persecution, with extensive lists of destroyed temples and documentation of mass conversions.
Sandeep's treatment of the economic aspects of Tipu's rule is especially enlightening. He shows how the replacement of experienced Hindu administrators with unqualified Muslims purely on religious grounds led to revenue collection dropping by nearly 50%. The introduction of a confusing new calendar, currency system, and administrative language created chaos that persisted long after Tipu's death.
The military analysis is equally revealing. Far from being the brilliant strategist of popular imagination, Tipu appears as someone who avoided direct confrontation with the British, preferring to attack weaker principalities and defenceless civilians. His defeats at Travancore - where he fled in panic, leaving behind his palanquin and seal - hardly match the image of a fearless warrior. In 17 years of rule, Tipu never once defeated the British in a significant battle without massive numerical superiority.
The book's strength lies in its comprehensive documentation. Sandeep doesn't simply make accusations - he provides specific dates, locations, and eyewitness accounts. The correspondence with Zaman Shah and the Caliph, where Tipu explicitly calls for jihad against Indian "infidels," makes his motivations clear. His treaty proposals with the French, offering to divide conquered British territories, hardly suggest someone fighting for Indian independence.
One of the most disturbing sections covers Tipu's treatment of prisoners and his systematic use of torture. The descriptions of iron cages, elephant executions, and forced conversions are difficult to read but necessary to understand the reality of his rule. The author's documentation of the "Ahmadi" battalions - Hindu youth forcibly converted and conscripted - provides context for understanding why many of his subjects welcomed British rule as liberation.
The religious motivation behind Tipu's actions comes through clearly in his own words. His letters consistently refer to Hindus as "kafirs" and Christians as "abandoned infidels." His proclamations calling for the destruction of "polytheists" and his celebration of conversions show a mindset focused on religious conquest rather than political liberation.
The book effectively addresses the persistent myth of Tipu as a patron of Hindu institutions. The much-cited donations to Sringeri Mutt are placed in proper context - they occurred only after his devastating defeat in 1792, when he desperately needed Hindu support to survive.
The research methodology is transparent throughout. When conflicting accounts exist, the author acknowledges them. When relying on British sources, he cross-references them with other contemporary accounts. The extensive use of Tipu's own correspondence eliminates any possibility of colonial bias - these are the man's own words, celebrating his campaigns of religious persecution.
This isn't hagiography or propaganda - it's a serious historical work that deserves attention from anyone interested in understanding the reality of 18th-century South Indian politics. The book successfully demonstrates that the popular image of Tipu Sultan has more in common with historical fiction than documented fact.
For readers seeking to understand how historical myths develop and persist, this book provides a compelling case study. It shows how political convenience, academic laziness, and popular entertainment can combine to create historical narratives that bear little resemblance to documented reality.
What makes this book particularly valuable is its reliance on primary sources. The author draws extensively from contemporary British military reports, Tipu's own letters translated from Persian, accounts by European missionaries, and records from the Mysore administration itself. When Sandeep quotes Tipu's letter boasting about converting "four lakh Hindus" in Malabar, or his instructions to commanders about hanging prisoners from trees, these aren't secondhand interpretations - they're direct translations from documents found in Tipu's own palace after his death.
The geographical scope of the research is impressive. The author documents destruction across Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, providing specific details about temples destroyed, populations displaced, and administrative records altered. The chapter on Coorg is particularly harrowing, describing how entire villages were depopulated and survivors forcibly converted. The Malabar section reads like a catalogue of systematic persecution, with extensive lists of destroyed temples and documentation of mass conversions.
Sandeep's treatment of the economic aspects of Tipu's rule is especially enlightening. He shows how the replacement of experienced Hindu administrators with unqualified Muslims purely on religious grounds led to revenue collection dropping by nearly 50%. The introduction of a confusing new calendar, currency system, and administrative language created chaos that persisted long after Tipu's death.
The military analysis is equally revealing. Far from being the brilliant strategist of popular imagination, Tipu appears as someone who avoided direct confrontation with the British, preferring to attack weaker principalities and defenceless civilians. His defeats at Travancore - where he fled in panic, leaving behind his palanquin and seal - hardly match the image of a fearless warrior. In 17 years of rule, Tipu never once defeated the British in a significant battle without massive numerical superiority.
The book's strength lies in its comprehensive documentation. Sandeep doesn't simply make accusations - he provides specific dates, locations, and eyewitness accounts. The correspondence with Zaman Shah and the Caliph, where Tipu explicitly calls for jihad against Indian "infidels," makes his motivations clear. His treaty proposals with the French, offering to divide conquered British territories, hardly suggest someone fighting for Indian independence.
One of the most disturbing sections covers Tipu's treatment of prisoners and his systematic use of torture. The descriptions of iron cages, elephant executions, and forced conversions are difficult to read but necessary to understand the reality of his rule. The author's documentation of the "Ahmadi" battalions - Hindu youth forcibly converted and conscripted - provides context for understanding why many of his subjects welcomed British rule as liberation.
The religious motivation behind Tipu's actions comes through clearly in his own words. His letters consistently refer to Hindus as "kafirs" and Christians as "abandoned infidels." His proclamations calling for the destruction of "polytheists" and his celebration of conversions show a mindset focused on religious conquest rather than political liberation.
The book effectively addresses the persistent myth of Tipu as a patron of Hindu institutions. The much-cited donations to Sringeri Mutt are placed in proper context - they occurred only after his devastating defeat in 1792, when he desperately needed Hindu support to survive.
The research methodology is transparent throughout. When conflicting accounts exist, the author acknowledges them. When relying on British sources, he cross-references them with other contemporary accounts. The extensive use of Tipu's own correspondence eliminates any possibility of colonial bias - these are the man's own words, celebrating his campaigns of religious persecution.
This isn't hagiography or propaganda - it's a serious historical work that deserves attention from anyone interested in understanding the reality of 18th-century South Indian politics. The book successfully demonstrates that the popular image of Tipu Sultan has more in common with historical fiction than documented fact.
For readers seeking to understand how historical myths develop and persist, this book provides a compelling case study. It shows how political convenience, academic laziness, and popular entertainment can combine to create historical narratives that bear little resemblance to documented reality.
December 11, 2021
Sandeep Balakrishna pulls no punches in demolishing this bloodthirsty bigot's false legacy as a "freedom fighter", An image that has been held up for political reasons by various unscrupulous politicians in Independent India. This book is just a start to undoing the damage to the historiography of this topic by "The Sword of Tipu Sultan". Highly recommended to all. I love the preface of the book with the legendary author S.L. Bhyrappa weighing in on the same topic.
January 10, 2022
demolishes the concerted effort to turn the genocidal, Hindu-hating bigot Tipu Sultan into a "freedom fighter". This should be required reading in Karnataka and Kerala schools.
February 2, 2023
This book exposes a genocidal murderer for who he is. Every Indian, especially those in Karnataka and Kerala, needs to read this.
June 5, 2024
Must read for all those who are misled by the distorted Indian history done by followers of 2M.... Macaulay and Marx
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