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Tipu Sultan (1750-1799) was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in India. He was born on November 10 1750, in Devanahalli, Karnataka. He was the son of a military officer and later de facto ruler of Mysore Haidar Ali and Fatima Fakhr-un-Nisa. Tipu Sultan was a mighty warrior, a well-educated man and a learned ruler. He is popularly known as the 'Tiger of Mysore'. Tipu Sultan is known for his military prowess and his efforts to modernise the administration and military of the Kingdom of Mysore. However, the legacy of Tipu Sultan is also controversial, as he is accused of religious intolerance and persecution of non-Muslims in his kingdom of Mysore. 

The syllabus of history is vast and diverse. The topics related to significant personalities from history are essential for the UPSC Civil Services exam under the theme of History in Prelims exam, General Studies (GS - 1) and History Optional paper. Time and again, direct factual, Chronological and analytical questions have been asked from these themes. 

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Tipu Sultan

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Mysore Kingdom, Anglo-Mysore Wars, Important personalities of Modern History.
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This article on Tipu Sultan will help you to prepare for the Prelims and the Mains stage of the UPSC IAS/IPS exam. This article on testbook will discuss in detail Tipu Sultan, notable wars and important events of his life. We will also learn about the Anglo-Mysore wars and the contribution of the Tipu Sultan to history. To learn about more such topics in an interactive manner and to take your preparation to a more robust level, check out the UPSC CSE Online Coaching.

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Who was Tipu Sultan?

Tipu Sultan was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in South India during the 18th century. He was known as the "Tiger of Mysore" for his bravery and strong resistance against British rule. He died fighting the British in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799.

  • Tipu Sultan (1750-1799) was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. 
  • He was the eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali and Fathima Fakhr-un-Nisar.
  • Tipu succeeded his father in December 1782, and in 1784, he signed a peace treaty with the British, assuming the title of Sultan of Mysore.
  • Tipu Sultan is known for his military tactics and his efforts to modernise the administration and military of the Kingdom of Mysore.
  • He fought wars against the British, including the Anglo-Mysore Wars, in which he initially succeeded but was eventually defeated by the British.
  • He was fluent in several languages, including Kannada, Persian, Arabic, and French.
  • During his reign, he instituted various administrative changes, including his currency, a new Mauludi lunisolar calendar, and a new land revenue system, which encouraged the rise of the Mysore silk industry.
  • Tipu was a skilled general and administrator who, although being a Muslim, maintained the respect of his Hindu subordinates.
  • He is also known as the 'Tiger of Mysore'.

Check out the UPSC Mains History Optional Paper 1 and 2 syllabus.

UPSC Previous Year Question

Mains

Q. Clarify how, in the mid-eighteenth century, a fragmented polity beset India. [UPSC Civil Services Exams Mains 2017]

Background of Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan was born in 1751 in Devanahalli near Bangalore. He was the eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore. Tipu received military training from a young age and became king after his father’s death in 1782.

  • The full name of Tipu Sultan was Sultan Fateh Ali Khan Shahab. His parents often called him Tipu, after the local saint Tipu Mastan Aulia.
  • In 1766, he joined his father in the invasion of Malabar at a very young age.
  • He was taught various subjects like shooting, riding and swordsmanship under the guidance of military official Ghazi Khan.
  • He has also studied the Quran, Islamic jurisprudence, languages, philosophy and science.
  • At the age of 15, Tipu, a force of only a few thousand soldiers, captured the family of the Malabar rulers.
  • Later, the King of Malabar ruler surrendered to Hyder Ali because of Tipu's successful invasion.

Tipu Sultan and His Armed Forces

Tipu Sultan had a powerful and disciplined army. He introduced modern weapons, including iron-cased rockets. His armed forces were trained in European military techniques and fiercely resisted British attacks.

  • Tipu Sultan was known for his military prowess and his resistance against British colonialism.
  • The armed forces of Tipu Sultan were well-trained and well-equipped, with a mix of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. 
  • He organised his army using the European model, using Persian command terms with the help of the French military officers to train his soldiers.
  • He modernised his army by introducing new technologies like rockets and the latest European firearms.
  • He established a Board of Admiralty in 1796 and envisioned a fleet of 22 battleships and 20 big frigates.
  • One of the most notable aspects of Tipu Sultan's armed forces was the use of rockets. He had a rocket corps known as the Mysorean Rockets, which he used significantly in battles against the British.
  • He made iron tubes packed with explosives, hoisted them on flags or bamboo poles, and installed them on ramps for increased accuracy and range.
  • He developed dockyards in Mangalore, Wajedabad, and Molidabad. His ideas, however, have yet to come to reality. 
  • During his reign, the military textbook Fathul Mujahidin was commissioned.
  • In addition to his military strength, Tipu Sultan was known for his innovative tactics and strategy. He used guerrilla tactics and surprise attacks to keep his enemies off-balance.

Check out the syllabus, exam pattern and standard books of General Studies Paper 1 for the UPSC IAS exam.

Role of Tipu Sultan in the Development of the Mysore Kingdom

Tipu Sultan had a powerful and disciplined army. He introduced modern weapons, including iron-cased rockets. His armed forces were trained in European military techniques and fiercely resisted British attacks.The role of Tipu Sultan in the development of the Mysore Kingdom is discussed below:

Economic Development

  • He has set up banking networks and cooperatives. The capital was raised from the general public, and the principal was retained and returned annually with interest, i.e. nafa.
  • He built trading houses for Mysore items throughout the world.
  • He chose the barter system and cashless transactions. The reason was to develop a market for Mysorean commodities and labourers outside of India and to prevent the Europeans, particularly the British, from draining money out of India.
  • He also realised that trading in cash would eventually deplete Mysore's purchasing power.
  • In 1785, Tipu barred local merchants from trading with the Company and prohibited the export of sandalwood, pepper, and cardamom through his kingdom's ports.
  • He did away with the use of intermediaries in the collecting of land tax.

Political Development

  • He ensured that the state would monopolise some critical industries. These included the production of sugar, salt, iron, tobacco, and sandalwood and extracting silver, gold, and precious stones.
  • His involvement with the French to resist the British sparked his interest in the Jacobin Club in 1797.
  • The Jacobian Club was a popular political club during the French Revolution that advocated equality and violence. Along similar lines, he wished to establish a Republic in Srirangapatna.
  • At Seringapatam, he planted the Tree of Liberty.

Art & Culture and Literature

  • The Library of Tipu Sultan has a vast collection of translations of world literature.
  • He was fond of making handwritten observations of foreign countries.
  • He invited Persians to come to India and educate the artisans on how to make wooden toys.
  • These toys are famously known as Channapatna toys.
  • He established new markets and encouraged the growth of industries such as silk, sandalwood, and iron.
  • He also brought in experts from all around the world to help grow Mysore's silk cottage sector.

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Technological Development

  • He recognised the power of technology when combined with discipline and established 'Taramandalpets', i.e. innovation hubs (similar to modern-day tech parks) in Bengaluru, Chitradurga, Srirangapatna, and Bidanur.
  • Ships docking at his Mangalore port would bring numerous devices, such as telescopes and barometers.

Strategic & Military Development

  • He affirmed a close relationship with the French in India and modernised his army with the help of the French army.
  • His hubs took advantage of India's vast tradition of making and manipulating ferrous metals like iron and steel to produce the predecessor of the modern rocket that was more effective than the "firecracker-type missiles" utilised by the Chinese.
  • He built iron tubes filled with explosives, elevated them on flags or bamboo poles, and installed them on-ramps to improve precision and range.
  • Tipu Sultan is credited as India's 'Pioneer of rocket technology'.
  • He authored a military handbook (Fathul Mujahidin) that explains how rockets work.

Infrastructure Development

  • He laid the foundation for the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam in Mandya.
  • Tipu's industrial belt stretched across Mysore State, from Bengaluru to Srirangapatna, providing work for citizens everywhere, and even if the British attacked one centre, he retained control of the others.

Role of Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore Wars

The Anglo-Mysore Wars was a series of conflicts between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore in the late 18th century. Tipu played a significant role in these wars. Anglo-Mysore wars were fought between the Kingdom of Mysore under the rule of Hyder Ali and later his son Tipu Sultan on one side and the British East India Company, Nizam of Hyderabad and Maratha Empire on the other.

First Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69) 

  • The first Anglo-Mysore battle was fought between the Kingdom of Mysore under the leadership of Hyder Ali and the British East India Company (EIC), with the help of the Nizam of Hyderabad and Marathas.
  • Smith and Colonel Wood led the English forces.
  • Haider Ali defeated English forces in March 1769.
  • It ended with the signing of the Treaty of Madras between Lord Harry Verelst and Haider Ali on April 4, 1769.
  • The Treaty of Madras mandated the British forces to provide aid to the state of Mysore if its neighbours attacked it in the future.

Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-84)

  • The second Anglo-Mysore battle was fought between the Kingdom of Mysore under the leadership of Hyder Ali & Tipu Sultan against the British East India Company (EIC) led by Eyre Coote.
  • The English forces attacked Mahe and tried to seize it. This led to the start of the Second Anglo-Mysore War.
  • In the Battle of Porto Novo (1781), English forces under Sir Eyre Coote defeated Haider Ali.
  • After the death of Haider Ali in 1782, Tipu Sultan led the Mysore forces for another 12 months.
  • The Second Anglo-Mysore War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Mangalore between Colonel Fullarton and Tipu Sultan on March 11 1784.

Check out the notes on the First Anglo-Maratha War for UPSC Prelims.

Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790-92)

  • The third Anglo-Mysore battle was fought between the Kingdom of Mysore under the leadership of Tipu Sultan against the British East India Company (EIC) led by Charles Cornwallis.
  • In 1790, the forces of Tipu invaded the British ally Travancore after they violated a sovereign right in the Cochin, a feudal territory of Tipu.
  • Later, Cornwallis captured all of the hill forts that stood in his way of reaching the outer wall of Srirangapatnam.
  • The third Anglo-Mysore War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Seringapatam between Lord Cornwallis and Tipu Sultan on March 18 1792.
  • Under this treaty, Mysore ceded about half of its territories to the other signatories. 

Check out the complete list of Viceroys in India.

Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799)

  • The fourth Anglo-Mysore battle was fought between the Kingdom of Mysore under the leadership of Tipu Sultan against the British East India Company (EIC) led by Arthur Wellesley.
  • The Marathas and Nizams supported the British forces.
  • The war started on April 17, 1799, and ended on May 4, 1799, with the fall of Seringapatam.
  • Tipu Sultan died during the war, and the British seized his entire wealth.
  • The subsidiary alliance brought the Mysore kingdom back to the Wodeyar Dynasty.

Tipu Sultan's Major Contributions

  • He introduced a new calendar and a new coinage system.
  • He commissioned a military manual, Fathul Mujahidin.
  • He started using Mysorean Rockets, which further led to the development of Congreve rockets.
  • He has introduced administrative innovation by creating seven new departments.
  • He devised a land revenue system based on surveys, and taxes were levied directly on peasants and collected in cash by salaried agents to broaden the state's resource base.
  • He formed a "State Commercial Corporation" to establish factories in the Mysore Kingdom.

Death of Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan died on 4th May 1799 during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. He was defending his capital, Srirangapatna, against the British forces. He fought bravely till his last breath. His death marked the end of strong resistance to British rule in South India.

  • He died on May 4, 1799, while defending his capital, Seringapatam, in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War.
  • Mysore was placed under the former reigning dynasty of the Wodeyars, and a subsidiary alliance was forced on the state.

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Tipu Sultan FAQs

The major contribution of Tipu Sultan includes the introduction of a new calendar and a coinage system, using new rocket systems known as Mysore rockets etc.

Wodeyars succeeded Tipu Sultan after the Fourth Anglo-Mysore wars.

Tipu Sultan died on May 4, 1799, while defending his capital Seringapatam in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War against the British Forces.

Tipu Sultan is known as the Tiger of Mysore due to his fearlessness and bravery.

There were a total of four Anglo-Mysore wars that took place between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company in the late 18th Century.
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