Was Tipu Sultan a freedom fighter or intolerant ruler? Controversy in Karnataka on birth anniversary

[Zarvan]

Image courtesy: British Library
Zee Media Bureau

Bengaluru: A controversy has erupted in Karnataka over the state government's decision to celebrate the birth anniversary of 18th century ruler, Tipu Sultan, on Tuesday (November 10).


The erstwhile King of Mysore is widely regarded as a freedom fighter who fought the initial independence wars against the British.

However, many also describe him as an intolerant king who forced Hindus to convert to Islam and also persecuted Christians.

RSS and its related outfits have decided not just to boycott the celebrations but also threatened to disrupt events being held in the state today.

For RSS, Tipu Sultan was an intolerant ruler.

Also Read: CM Siddaramaiah defends decision to observe Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary

Tipu was a ruler of Mysore but he was also the most intolerant king recorded by history - "not by RSS or any other people", NDTV quoted senior RSS pracharak V Nagaraj as saying.

The BJP, which is also boycotting the celebrations, called the King a "religious bigot".

"It's a total boycott on our part, no public representative from our party at any level should participate in the official function," state BJP president Prahlad Joshi said, while describing Tipu Sultan as a "fanatic" and "anti-Kannada".

As per PTI, Mangaluru United Christian Association has also protested against 'Tipu Jayanti' celebrations, alleging he was responsible for destruction of many churches in the coastal region and harassment to Christians during his rule.

The Congress government in the state, however, has justified its decision to celebrate the day.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said only the RSS and "other communal forces" were opposing the celebrations.

"Tipu is a patriot. He fought against the British. In a sense freedom struggle began from three Mysore wars. He lost his life during the battle, and he had even pledged his son to British. RSS is unnecessarily trying to defame him, we will celebrate his Jayanti," Siddaramaiah added.

Historians, meanwhile, describe Tipu as a reformer and say he had helped restored several temples.

According to historian NV Narasimhaiah, Tipu banned liquor and also worked for upliftment of women.

Even voices in the BJP differ on Tipu.

BJP leader Abdul Azeem said, as per the channel: "Tipu Sultan was very secular and gave equal treatment to Hindus and Muslims. Not only mosques but also temples were looked after."

Tipu was a ruler of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore, who was considered an implacable enemy of the British East India Company. He was killed in May 1799 while defending his fort of Srirangapatna against the British forces.

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First Published: Tuesday, November 10, 2015 - 11:32

Was Tipu Sultan a freedom fighter or intolerant ruler? Controversy in Karnataka on birth anniversary | Zee News

 

[haviZsultan]

Our history is slowly being erased piece by piece. Calling Tipu Sultan a villain is part of that ideology that wants Islamic figures ideology and thinking out of the country. Fortunately muslims are a martial people and we will not let that happen.

 

[T90TankGuy]

Actually he was quiet intolerant , he persecuted a lot of people who were of other faiths. As for him fighting the British , I doubt it was due to any sense of nationalism but more because they wanted his kingdom.

 

[Archie]

All those who fought against the British in 1857 were not fighting for Independence from British rule, but were fighting to protect their own princely states

 

[genmirajborgza786]

He was a proud Indian who campaigned & fought to rid his beloved country of the British , supported by Napoleon of France & somewhat by the then newly independent U.S.A , he was in-fact one of the first Indian nationalist of the late18 century

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

He was a proud Indian who campaigned & fought to rid his beloved country of the British , supported by Napoleon of France & somewhat by the then newly independent U.S.A , he was in-fact one of the first Indian nationalist of the late18 century

i can say this as my own family was a very pro-British family of Calcutta (in fact we opposed the independence of both India & Pakistan tooth & nail ) that's why both India & Pakistan was full of prejudiced against us especially from 1950 to 1953 as soon as Lord Mount Batten left , our elders used to be groomed & sent to the prestigious
St. Joseph's School in Darjeeling & Lawrence School, ooty ,Madras presidency. & it was there where my family came to know about the third & fourth Anglo-Mysore War , Tipu Sultan's Alliance with France & the U.S revolutionaries

Is your family, Anglo-Indian?

 

[Point_4590]

Very few rulers can be categorizes as either completely tolerant or savage,medieval warfare was influenced by political and racial considerations not religion.

Aurangzeb razed Golconda Mosque despite being a staunch muslim there are several such example mahmud ghazni did not hesitated when he destroyed the Jama masjid of Multan after defeating the local ruler.

 

[vayuputhra]

Our history is slowly being erased piece by piece. Calling Tipu Sultan a villain is part of that ideology that wants Islamic figures ideology and thinking out of the country. Fortunately muslims are a martial people and we will not let that happen.

Actually he has been erased from the minds of kannadigas, he was a religious bigot, tyrant, not only Hindus even christians hate him, the mayhem he created in coastal Karnataka and Kerala is well documented, and remember the person who betrayed tippu was mir khasim who took money from British and poured water into gun powder, and cowdung in to cannons, and also opened the door of the fort to the Britishers, why did the nizam of Hyderabad sided with the British against tippu, tippu became so fenatical that he did not trust his shadow, he is overly exaggerated as a great warrior, he could not hold his fort for a day. He is just another ruler who came saw and perished.

 

[Meri Wi Suno]

Actually he was quiet intolerant , he persecuted a lot of people who were of other faiths. As for him fighting the British , I doubt it was due to any sense of nationalism but more because they wanted his kingdom.

Tipu Sultan was neither a King, nor having kingdom, In fact British was trying to expand the kingdom-ship otherwise. Further if he was trying to protect his home land surly he would be regarded as nationalist Freedom fighter.

 

[hkdas]

Tipu Sultan was neither a King, nor having kingdom, In fact British was trying to expand the kingdom-ship otherwise. Further if he was trying to protect his home land surly he would be regarded as nationalist Freedom fighter.

why are wasting our time by posting stupid comments like this??
don't you know that SULTAN means KING. he was a king and he was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore.

Calling Tipu Sultan a villain is part of that ideology that wants Islamic figures ideology and thinking out of the country.

calling Tipu Sultan a hero is like calling Fazlullah a hero of pakistan.
tipu was very intolorent towards non-musilims,

Actually he has been erased from the minds of kannadigas, he was a religious bigot, tyrant, not only Hindus even christians hate him, the mayhem he created in coastal Karnataka and Kerala is well documented, and remember the person who betrayed tippu was mir khasim who took money from British and poured water into gun powder, and cowdung in to cannons, and also opened the door of the fort to the Britishers, why did the nizam of Hyderabad sided with the British against tippu, tippu became so fenatical that he did not trust his shadow, he is overly exaggerated as a great warrior, he could not hold his fort for a day. He is just another ruler who came saw and perished.

cause of death of tipu was still not clearly known. even there are rummer that unniyarcha killed him..

 

[vayuputhra]

why are wasting our time by posting stupid comments like this??
don't you know that SULTAN means KING. he was a king and he was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore.


calling Tipu Sultan a hero is like calling Fazlullah a hero of pakistan.
tipu was very intolorent towards non-musilims,


cause of death of tipu was still not clearly known. even there are rummer that unniyarcha killed him..

his death is clear , when the fort gates opened, he was standing with all his swords and muskets, and daggers with his helpers beside him handing over him what ever he asked for, when every thing was run over, it is said that a Scottish or an English musketeer soldier stabbed him with his buyonett, and robbed his jaded necklace, and many valuables including his swords, his body was found in the heap of dead bodies in the fort premises, then his dead body was given a burial near by.

 

[hkdas]

his death is clear , when the fort gates opened, he was standing with all his swords and muskets, and daggers with his helpers beside him handing over him what ever he asked for, when every thing was run over, it is said that a Scottish or an English musketeer soldier stabbed him with his buyonett, and robbed his jaded necklace, and many valuables including his swords, his body was found in the heap of dead bodies in the fort premises, then his dead body was given a burial near by.

i don't know..but there are some rumers that UNNIARCHA betrayed him.(as it is said that she was his wife).

 

[vayuputhra]

i don't know..but there are some rumers that UNNIARCHA betrayed him.(as it is said that she was his wife).

Its rumours, its definitely mir khasim his cousin and friend, may be UNNIARCHA had an affair with mir khasim, as mir khasim wanted to be in tippus place.

 

[Maarkhoor]

calling Tipu Sultan a hero is like calling Fazlullah a hero of pakistan.
tipu was very intolorent towards non-musilims,

In that case you don't have any problem to call Modi a terrorist since he is also intolerant towards muslim and dalits.

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

Irrespective of what might be said about him,

I still respect him for the fact being the only person from Indian subcontinent to achieve a military victory against the British

First Anglo-Mysore War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marathas and Nizam in their military conflicts with the British were only able to achieve stalemates at best.

@Joe Shearer any additional info on this?