Central idea: The article examines the controversial nature of Tipu Sultan’s legacy and the differing opinions about his reign and his place in Indian history. It discusses the contrasting views of Tipu Sultan as a hero and patriot who fought against British colonialism, or as a tyrant who persecuted Hindus and Christians.

Rise of Tipu Sultan

• Tipu Sultan was born on November 10, 1750, in Devanahalli, present-day Bangalore.
• His father was Hyder Ali, who rose through the ranks of the army of the Wodeyars, the Hindu rulers of Mysore.

Rise to power

• Hyder Ali seized power from the Wodeyars in 1761 and ruled for 20 years, a period in which the kingdom of Mysore had slowly expanded by capturing disputed areas at its borders.
• During this time, Tipu was educated in both matters of statecraft and warcraft, participating in his first battle at the age of only 15.
• When Hyder Ali died in 1782, Tipu’s primary motivation was to consolidate the territory he had inherited from his father.
• Specifically, the rebellious provinces of Malabar, Kodagu, and Bednur, were crucial to Mysore’s strategic and economic interests.
• His rule in these areas is what is often cited as proof of his bigotry and authoritarianism.

Contribution to freedom struggle

• In the course of India’s freedom struggle, Tipu Sultan became a symbol of resistance against British rule.
• His death while defending his fortress of Srirangaptna against British armies in 1799 was valorised as the ultimate sacrifice for the motherland.

Reforms carried out by Tipu

Administrative reforms

• Tipu Sultan also pioneered administrative and economic reforms.
• He introduced new coins, started a new land revenue system in Mysore, as well as introduced sericulture or silkworm cultivation, which continues to employ many Kannadigas to date.
• Furthermore, some claim that upon hearing of the plight of lower caste women who were not allowed to wear blouses, Tipu personally supplied them with cloth.

Modernization of weaponry: Advent of Rockets

• Tipu is credited for the introduction of iron-cased rockets in warfare.
• While rocket-like weapons had previously been used in War, Tipu’s army used what can be termed as the first modern war rockets in the Anglo-Mysore Wars.
• These rockets were used to devastating effects against much larger British armies, driving them to panic and disarray.
• The British used Tipu’s models for their own rockets, which would go on to play an important role in the Napoleonic Wars.

Scientific temper

• Tipu’s fascination with European culture was a result of what he saw while fighting Europeans.
• Tipu wanted Mysore to be a modern rival of the European powers and made investments in technology accordingly.

Why is Tipu branded as a tyrant?

• Warfare in Tipu’s time was brutal and those who rebelled were dealt with an iron fist. It was common practice to set strong examples to forestall future opposition.
• The punishments Tipu applied to rebels or conspirators included forced conversion and the transfer of people from their home territories to Mysore.
• The forced removals occurred from both Kodagu and Malabar, the former as a response to continued resistance against Mysore rule– as a result of their resistance and perceived treachery in the Anglo-Mysore Wars.
• The right’s narrative of Tipu’s bigotry emphasizes Tipu’s militarism as well as his perceived attacks on “Hindu” rulers and subjects.

Historian’s justification of Tipu’s actions

• Tipu’s actions are questionable by today’s standards, they were commonplace in the 18th century among rulers of all faiths.
• He was a tyrant, but his motivations were not necessarily religious zealotry.
• Rather, he was a pragmatist who ruled within the accepted conventions of kingship and warfare at the time.
• He undoubtedly ordered forced conversions in areas he annexed, Tipu also patronized various temples and Hindu shrines, including the Sri Ranganatha temple at Srirangapatna and the Math in Sringeri.
• Both these actions were to solidify his position as a ruler — the former to crush dissidents and the latter to gain legitimacy among his largely Hindu subjects.

Tipu’s legacy: looking at the past from the prism of the present

• Today, there has been an increased spotlight on his autocratic tendencies and brutal repression in annexed territories, with an increased emphasis on his religion.
• Both portrayals fall short, missing the complexity of Tipu’s character and material circumstances.

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The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) carried out an anti-encroachment drive in the nearby villages of Mehrauli and Ladha Sarai leaving hundreds of families in uncertainty about their future.

History of Delhi

• Purani Dilli, commonly referred to as Old Delhi, is a misnomer as the city’s history dates back to before the establishment of Shahjahanabad.
• The oldest evidence of habitation in Delhi, dating back to the Iron Age (around 1100-800 BC), is the painted grey ware fragments found in Purana Quila.
• Historians recognize seven cities of Delhi, from the 11th century onwards, namely Lalkot/Quila Rai Pithora/Mehrauli, Siri, Tughlaqabad, Firozabad, Shergarh (Old Fort), Shahjahanabad, and New Delhi.
• However, depending on what is considered a city, this number can be as high as 11.

In focus: City of Mehrauli

• Mehrauli is widely considered to be the oldest ‘city’ of Delhi and is the oldest area of the metropolis to be continuously inhabited.
• It was first built by a ruler called Anangpal II in the 11th century, and it was called Lalkot.
• Later, it was known as ‘Quila Rai Pithora’ and was fortified by the Chauhans.
• The Mamluk dynasty took control of the city in 1192, and Qutubudin Aibak, the first ruler of the dynasty, built the Qutub Minar and the Quwwat-al-Islam mosque (oldest mosque in North India).
• In the following century, more buildings like tombs, step wells, palaces, and fortifications were constructed during the reigns of Iltutmish, Razia Sultan, and Alauddin Khilji.

Continued relevance and inhabitation

• Even as the newer cities came up and the seat of power shifted northwards, Mehrauli witnessed building activity as late as the Mughal and British periods.
• Due to its location on the lap of the Aravallis hills, the area was preferred as a summer retreat.
• Two Mughal summer palaces (Zafar Mahal and Jahaz Mahal) and a summer abode of Sir Thomas Metcalfe (Dilkhusha) are situated here.
• Mehrauli lay on a historic trade route, as the number of sarais (Ladho Sarai, Ber Sarai, Neb Sarai) around the area would suggest. A sarai was a resthouse for weary travellers.

Cultural significance of Mehrauli

• Mehrauli is also a spiritual centre. Sufi saint Hazrat Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (1173 -1235 AD) was buried in the city and his dargah remains popular till date, across religious lines.
• Some historians cite the dargah as a reason for the city surviving the test of time – despite power shifting elsewhere, the dargah remained a revered destination for pilgrims far and wide.
• Another spiritual centre for the community is the Yogmaya mandir, believed to be one of the oldest in the city.
• Yoginis (semi-divine deities) have been an integral part of Indian folklore and this temple dedicated to them is believed to have been constructed by the Pandavas.

How it ended up in encroachments?

• Like much of the rest of Delhi, the Partition brought many changes to Mehrauli too.
• Many refugees from the West found sanctuary here. The city has also seen sectarian tensions.

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