Book Review | Tipu Sultan - The Saga of Mysore's Interregnum

The name of Tipu Sultan produces contrasting images in the minds of Indians. While descendants of some communities mourn the brutal suffering of their ancestors at the hands of Tipu and carry inter-generational trauma, some communities spit on the graves of those who betrayed him. While ravaged and ransacked temples whisper a heart wrenching tale of destruction, politicians of various hues clamour to celebrate Tipu Jayanti.

As is the case with many historical legacies in independent India, the legacy of Tipu is shrouded with deliberate misdirection.

It is this muddle that historian Vikram Sampath has stepped into, with his latest book ‘Tipu Sultan: The Saga of Mysore’s Interregnum (1760–1799)’. Applying the fine brush of rigour that has become his signature, the author has left no stone unturned to put forth a comprehensive history on the subject; piecing together facts from ancestry, upbringing, contemporary politics, stated goals and objectives etc. If, in his magnum opus on Veer Savarkar, he settled the debate over the legacy of the legendary freedom fighter (maligned as apologist by some); in this tome, he has cleared the air over a zealot who is painted as freedom fighter by some.

The first half of the book is dedicated to Tipu’s father Haider Ali, the upstart of destiny who usurped the kingdom of Mysore from the Wodeyars. From his humble beginnings as a soldier in the ranks of the Mysorean army, to his meteoric rise to the stewardship of Mysore and beyond, the reader traverses the journey of his cunning and ambition. A man of tact and rank opportunism, he usurped the kingdom, ruling only in the guise of a steward while allowing the Wodeyars to retain the titular position of the king.

Including Haider’s story in the narrative is a great approach in context setting. As the author says, “To understand and contextualize Tipu Sultan, one needs to closely study his father Haider Ali.” Haider’s rule serves as a contrast to the rule under Tipu, where religion comes to assert the overbearing influence. It also leaves the reader with context on the lay of the land, with the major powers (Marathas, British and Nizam) and their relationship explained.

While Haider was ruthless in his dealings, employing treachery to further his ends yet punishing traitors cruelly, he understood the necessity of keeping his subjects pacified. Keeping the titular throne with the Hindu dynasty of Wodeyars and maintaining the pretence of being their servant served this end. Unlike Tipu, who dripped with religious venom at every instance, Haider could forefront his tact wherever required. So even though forcible conversions of defeated enemies was the norm, it does not come off as the sole or primary impulse.

The author shares an anecdote of Haider, where a muslim ulema comes to him demanding his intervention. He requests Haider to put an end to idolatry, specifically the procession of utsava murti in front of a mosque, as it should not be permitted in an islamic dominion. To this Haider responds airily: Who said this was an Islamic dominion?

The second part of the book is dedicated to Tipu. While Haider’s early life was devoted to rising the ranks of power, Tipu’s earliest days were spent acquiring Islamic instruction. Tipu, named after a sufi Tipu Mastan Oulia, was tutored from a young age by a maulana. Thus, he grew up to be more fixated on religion than rulership.

This childhood indoctrination is reflected in Tipu’s approach to everything. His establishment of a theocracy Sarkar-E-Khudadad in the kingdom of Mysore, the stoppage of the custom of paying homage to the titular authority of the Wodeyars, the wanton conversion of non-muslims to Islam etc. leaves no doubt as to his agenda. This is further reinforced with a full fledged manifesto that is recorded in the book, which lays the intentions of the ruler threadbare.

Within his own dominion, the non muslims were severely disadvantaged, while outside his dominions in places such as Coorg and Malabar, the persecution was unrestrained. In the rare cases where he repaired temples or presented them with gifts, it was strategic planning to mollify the majority populace. This Aurangzeb style approach led him to gain far more enemies than friends, which cost him in the long run. However, the veneration with which his persona has been held by some sections till today may also be explained due to this religious streak.

Amidst the regressive thinking, there have been intermittent glimmers of forward-looking policies. Tipu’s expansionist thinking led him to undertake ambitious missions, where he hoped to defeat the English at their own game. While his father Haider had attempted building a navy, Tipu tried his hands at diplomacy, hoping to ally with other Europeans to oust the British, just as the British used divide and rule in India. Although his emissaries failed miserably, the conviction to try new and bold strategies was something one hopes other Indian rulers practiced as well.

Many other aspects of eighteenth century India also get highlighted in this story of Mysore’s intergennum. The failings of Indians in the face of material incentives continues till date, and this story sheds light on how it impacted the Hindus of that time. The attack by the Maratha army’s irregulars on the Sringeri pīṭham is described, as is the exploitation of that fissure by Tipu.

At the same time, the story of heroics by Hindus is also a recurring theme throughout history. If the cruelties of Tipu and Haider inflicted on their ancestors are remembered by Hindus and Christians even today, so are the tales of bravery. The book captures tales such as those of Onake Obavva, the brave lady of Chitradurga who killed Mysorean troops of Haider with a pestle, and laid her life down in that effort.

The reader also gets a sense of the immense scale of destruction that visited India in the medieval times. Felling of forts and plundering of civilians is a common theme throughout the book, and the reader is left astounded as to how Indians survived this onslaught and still clung to their traditions. More saddening is the fact that such memories were sought to be erased from the minds of Indians with ‘secular’ writing of history. The author describes his journey of writing the book, maturing from the “naivety…that historiography meant telling the truth as it was” to understanding the “intense sociopolitical weaponization” of it.

The writing of history is a painstaking endeavor, though under the pen of an able historian its reading is greatly facilitated. Dr. Sampath’s ability to narrate history in an engaging way is a delight for both readers and researchers, who can appreciate the quanta of data presented. His meticulous research and extensive bibliography ensures that his book becomes a one stop destination for understanding history in all its facets, from all kinds of sources. One hopes that more such historians pick up the cudgel and start shedding light on the misinformed portions of Indian history.