Interesting Facts about Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan, also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was born on 20th November 1750 and the same date in the year 2020 marked his 270th birth anniversary. He is considered one of the eminent figures during the 18th century in Indian history. He was born to a renowned military officer Hyder Ali and his wife, Fatima Fakhr-un-Nisa. 

On the 270th birth anniversary of the Tiger of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, we will learn interesting facts related to him which are highly commendable.

• Tipu Sultan was originally named Fath Ali but his later name became more popular in the due course of time which was named after a local Muslim saint, Tipu Mastan Aulia. Sultan Fateh Ali Khan Saheb was the full name of Tipu Sultan.
• Tipu Sultan was receiving an extensive form of education from exceptional tutors available in the region. He gained knowledge in disciplines such as swordsmanship, shooting, riding, Islamic jurisprudence, and Koranic studies, and also mastered several linguistics, particularly Urdu, Arabic, and Persian. He also adhered to the knowledge of military strategies and tactics under the French officers from his childhood.
• When Tipu was just 15 years old, he grabbed the opportunity to practically apply his military training knowledge on the battlefield for the very first time and managed a troop of 2000-3000 forces and brilliantly succeeded in capturing the Malabar Chief’s family head who was protected by a huge force of guards. Hyder Ali rewarded his son with a charge of 500 cavalries and allotted him the task of ruling a total of five districts in Mysore.
• Tipu Sultan was awarded the title of “the Tiger of Mysore”. Tipu Sultan went on an expedition in the forest with his friend where both of them were attacked by a tiger. His gun fell to the ground. Tipu without fearing for his life instantly picked up the gun and killed the tiger and since then he is known as “The Tiger of Mysore”.
• Tipu Sultan took over the position over the throne of Mysore as the eldest son after his father’s death on December 7th, 1782 due to a serious carbuncle.

Tipu Sultan had Fought Three Main Wars

1. The second Anglo-Mysore war where he had succeeded his father and the Treaty of Mangalore was signed.
2. During the third Anglo-Mysore war, Tipu Sultan was defeated by the British due to which he had to withdraw his reign from half of the territories for the British East India Company, the Maratha Empire, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and the other corroborators.
3. The Fourth-Anglo Mysore war was also against the British and Tipu Sultan was killed in the war while defending his city in 1799.

Tipu Sultan had fought several wars against the British and had earned a victory in almost all the wars.

The British considered Tipu Sultan as the most impactful and powerful ruler in the British era and Tipu’s death was celebrated in Britain.

Tipu Sultan had written a military manual called Fathul Mujahidin where he explained the operation of the Mysore rockets. India’s former president Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam called him the pioneer of the world’s first war rocket. The rocket which he had invented is kept in the London Museum today. Khwabnama, an excellent piece of work by Tipu Sultan gave relevant information about his dreams where he searched for pictures and signs as a result of the war. Tipu Sultan generally belongs to the Sunni Islam religion and the sword which he used to carry weighed around 400 grams with a tiger carved on it. However, the sword was later bought by Vijay Mallya in an auction for 21 crores. As he was very fond of gardening, he established a 40-acre Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Bangalore. Tipu Sultan had many wives and two unnamed sons of which two of them were held captive by the British.

Conclusion

Tipu Sultan is one of India’s very first freedom fighters who had acted fiercely against the British and defeated them by conquering territories that were under his rule. He had also implemented several administrative innovations, especially the land revenue system which led to the growth and development of the silk industry in the south.