HERITAGE

Tipu Sultan: The Secular Builder

He was a great man such as one Hind will never see again. He had great ambition, wonderful ability, perseverance, and the art of leading men's hearts more than they were aware or cared to acknowledge: he had patient application and nothing was done without his sanction, even to the meanest affairs, and the business of his dominions was vast. You will allow he was a brave man and died like a soldier - Meadows Taylor.

Tipu Sultan is well known as a soldier the one who fought the British till the end. All his life, he was engaged in wars, yet found time to construct some of the finest buildings in his kingdom. Tipu employed several French engineers. An English officer in 1792 describes the island fortress of Tipu Sultan: " this insulated metropolis must have been the richest, the most convenient and beautiful spot possessed in the present age by any native prince in India."

Tipu patronised artists and architects. Though his capital, Srirangapatna, was destroyed by the siege of 1799, the English made all efforts to preserve the dungeons were English officers were imprisoned Tipu constructed the masjid-e-ala with two tall, graceful minarets in 1784. From the minarets one gets a bird's eye-view of Srirangapatna and its surroundings.

The mosque was painted with the Babari (tiger stripes) motif. After the fall of the Sultan, the English whitewashed the painting. It has beautifully carved flowery designs on the roof and the pillars. In the centre are delicately chiselled bunches of grapes and other creepers. A stone clock is in the courtyard.

The Gumbaz is an impressive square-shaped mausoleum with beautiful ivory-inlaid doors and black marble pillars. Here Tipu Sultan is buried beside his parents, Haider Ali and Fatima Begum.

The masjid-e-aqsa with two small minarets is in the same vicinity. Outside the mosque is a solar clock. The Gumbaz was built by Tipu Sultan in 1784.

Tipu's father, Haider Ali built the Lal Mahal near the Ranganathswamy temple.

Lord Valentie described the palace: "The Loll Mahal or private residence of Tippoo Sultan (this was inside the fort, opposite to the watergate and between two Hindu temples) consists of but one square, three sides of which are divided into two storeys, with a verandah of painted wood in front. Behind were many small rooms used by him as warehouses. The fourth consists of a single room, the same height as the rest of the building. This was the darbar where he sat or wrote and received ministers.'

The walls were painted with verses from the Quran. Beside the palace was Tipu's military school, demolished by the English.

Near Srirangapatna lies his summer palace called Daria Daulat. This wooden edifice is a beautiful example of Saracenic architecture. Its interesting features are mural paintings of battle scenes and the flowery designs.

Besides Tipu's personal belongings and other articles of his period are paintings by European artists. Mural paintings show military campaigns of Haidar Ali and Tipu. Tipu received his guests here.

Haidar Ali began the construction of the palace in 1777, and was completed by Tipu in 1789.

An impressive palace in the Lal Baugh pulled down by the English and the material was used in the construction of St. Stephen's Church and the holy Trinity Church of Ootacamund.

The palace in Bangalore, a wooden structure resembles the Daria Daulat. At the entrance are five well- decorated and painted arches. It was also known as Rashk-e-Jannat (Envy of Heaven).

Inside Bangalore fort is a temple of Ganesha. Tipu Sultan preserved the temple. The Gumbad-e-Shaht, Kolar is popularly called Saidani Bibi ki durgah. It is situated near the tomb of Hazarat Qutub Ghouri, a great saint.

The Krishnagiri fort is one of the most precipitous forts of Tipu. He had named it Falak-ul-Azam (the towering sky). (It was) originally built by Krishnadeva Raya. The headless bodies of two great saints have been buried here.

Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan granted a jagir to the dargah for its maintenance. Tipu's underground durbar hall, court and stables are in good condition.

The top of this rock shelter has four ponds. Atop the fort, one can have the panoramic view of its mountainous surroundings.

The walls of this impregnable fort have the figures of Hanuman, Surya, Nandi, Linga, geometrical designs, elephants, mouse, fish tortoise, monkey and the various Hindu gods and goddesses. Some excellent erotic carvings can be seen here. Tipu, the secular Sultan, left the carvings untouched.                                  

 (Source; Rahman Azar in The Hindu, 13 July, 1997)

Government Statement On Return of Artefacts

The Indian Government have not made any move for return of the large number of Indian Artifacts including Kohinoor taken by the British from India.                                  

(Source: LSUQ No. 887 dated 28 July, 1997 by G. Krishna, D. Agarwal and S.K. Mandal)