What we didn’t know
- Tipu was the most feared Indian of his time in Britain. When he died there were jubilant celebrations in Britain, with authors, playwrights and painters creating works to celebrate it. The siege and looting of Tipu’s capital at Srirangapattana, for example, is the opening scene of Wilkie Collins’ famous novel, The Moonstone.
- He was the only Indian ruler who understood the dangers the British posed to India, and fought four wars to oust them from India – in that sense he could be called the first freedom fighter in the subcontinent.
- Tipu sent missions to the Ottoman and French rulers, seeking them as allies to oust the British from India.
- Tipu was fascinated by western science and technology, and got gun makers, engineers, clockmakers and other experts from France to Mysore. He then set up his own manufacture of bronze cannons, ammunition and muskets to “Make in Mysore”.
- Tipu extensively used tiger imagery to convey a sense of his awesome power. Tiger images emblazoned his golden throne, his textiles, coins, swords and his soldiers uniforms. He also used the Sun symbol, long associated with royalty and divinity among his Hindu subjects.
