Tipu in retrospect

SUNSET AT SRIRANGAPATNAM — After the Death of Tipu Sultan: Mohammad Moienuddin; Orient Longman Ltd., 3-6-272, Himayatnagar, Hyderabad-500029. Rs. 675.

THE AUTHOR of the book under review, who is the Chairman of the Tipu Sultan Research Institute and Museum, Bangalore, has brought out the well-documented and illustrated volume on Tipu Sultan (1750-1799 A.D.), one of the brave and dynamic rulers of South India in the 18th century. He is of the opinion that Western and Indian scholars who have written about Tipu have not given due importance to his heroic struggle against the foreign invaders, his enlightened administration and concern for the welfare of his subjects.

Among his important administrative and economic achievements were: steps to import European technology through French engineers, usage of water power for driving machinery, establishment of sericulture in Mysore, creation of a large state trading company with its own ships and factors in the Persian Gulf to open trade with West Asia.

Regarding Tipu's much-debated religious policy, the author states that he certainly gave his sovereignty a religious flavour and said that his government was divinely ordained and invoked the name of the Prophet on his coin. He quotes Buchanan's accusation that Tipu wantonly destroyed the Hindu temples and rebuts it by stating that Tipu had many Hindus as his employees and he made generous grants to temples.

The author has given the details of articles gifted by Tipu to the Hindu temples like Shri Sarada Devi Temple, Sringeri and the Sringeri Matha, Nanjundesvara Temple, Nanjangud, Selva Narayana Temple, Melkote, Ranganatha Temple, Srirangapatnam.

Among the relics listed and illustrated are the throne, flags, standards, seal, arms, coins and medals, diamond and gold jewellery, silver articles and the famous "Tipu's Tiger". The latter is an exquisite man-tiger-organ toy made of painted wood. It was a French gift to Tipu. It depicts the tiger (Tipu) overpowering the Englishman, piercing his throat, knees and arms with sharp claws.

Itis also called musical tiger because of the mechanism for the sound of whistling agony from the beleaguered man as the jaws come near. The toy was taken to London by Lord Mornington and kept with the other objects in the India Office, and later shifted to Kensington Museum.

K.V. RAMAN

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