Eternal India Encyclopedia

LURE - THRU THE AGES

Eternal India encyclopedia

HYDER AND TIPPU 1722-1799 A.D.

Overview * Mysore under Hyder Ali and Tippu Sul- tan was a source of danger to the rising British power in India during the second half of the 18th C. * Though Hyder Ali was not educated he became a great military leader. * His son, Tippu Sultan, called "Tiger of Mysore " became the most powerful en- emy of the English East India Company. * Tippu died fighting valiantly against the British in the Fourth Mysore War. Decline in the rule of the Mysore rulers. * Hyder Ali having displayed great ability as a commander of horse, rose to the rank of Faujdar, and in 1761 he usurped all power in the state and seized the fortress of Bednore with immense treasures. Wars 1767-69 First Mysore War. Hyder Ali defeated the English. 1769-72 The Maratha-Mysore War; Marathas defeated Hyder Ali. 1780-84 Second Mysore War; Tippu Sultan took over after the death of Hyder Ali in 1782. Treaty of Mangalore in 1784 ends war. 1790-92 Third Mysore War. Tippu defeated; Treaty of Seringapatam signed in 1792. 1799 Fourth Mysore War; Tippu was de- feated and killed by English. Tippu Sultan 1750-1799 Tippu was bom on November 10,1750 at Devanahalli to Fatima and Hyder Ali. He was affectionate in nature; possessed great personal courage; calm and calculating he did not possess an impetuous temper; very ambitious. He had a cultured mind; he was greatly interested in sufism, and under his pa- tronage a number of books were written; he was greatly interested in calligraphy; he wrote a book on astrology named Zabarjad ; he was a patron of music and had great fondness for architecture. Friends : French. Advent • Chronology * Hyder Ali (1722-1782) * Tippu Sultan (son of Hyder Ali) (1750-99)

Foes : English, The Ma- rathas, Nawab of Carnatic, Rulers of Coorg and Cannan-

Administration * His government, though strict and arbitrary, was the despotism of a politic and able sovereign.

* He was the supreme legislative, judicial and executive authority in his kingdom; he was his own foreign minister and commander-in-chief. * His government, called Sarkar-i-Khuda- dad (Government given by God), was highly, centralised with seven principal cutchehries (departments). * He abolished the custom of giving jagirs to his officers. * He was against the retention of poligars.. He tried to trade with foreign countries by establishing factories. Strengths * He had a high sense of duty to his office; he spared no pains to promote the welfare of his people; his personal valour, fear- lessness and perseverance inspired his troops with confidence and enthusiasm. Achievements * In 1797 he constructed a dam across the Cauvery with an embankment seventy feet high few miles west of Seringapatam. Developed agriculture, promoted trade and industry, built roads, confiscated un- authorised grants and eliminated poli- gars.. He was the pioneer of road build- ing in Malabar. Weakness * Tippu's ideas were good but he could not put all of them into practice. * He hated the English and could not came to a compromise with them. He pinned all

his hopes on the French.

Decline * With the fall of Srirangapatam in the Fourth Mysore War after the death of Tippu, the kingdom was at the mercy of the English. Though they had captured only the capital and some other minor forts, a large part of Mysore, including important forts like Chitradurga and Sira were still in the possession of the Mysore- ans. But after the death of the Sultan there was no will to resistance left. The principal officers formally surrendered to the Brit- ish. Tippu's second son Abdul Khaliq also surrendered. Fath Haidar, Tippu's eldest son, continued his struggle for a short du- ration before he also surrendered to the English. After the surrender of Tippu's sons and officers Wellesley could have annexed the entire Kingdom of Mysore, but he left the central part of the kingdom to the de- scendants of the old ruling family of Mysore. The bulk of what was left was divided be- tween the Company and the Nizam of Hyderabad, and a small portion was of-