No history across the world creates as
much controversy as Indian history. This because India ruled for British
and other outsiders for many centuries distorted the real tradition and
rich culture of the country.
Till
recently every one was under the impression that Tippu Sultan, Sher of
Mysore fought for Indian Independence against the Britishers. But when
Karnataka state government headed by Congress decided to celebrate Tippu
jayanthi, all hell broke lose.
While
some sections came in support of the decision, many opposed leading to
violence. Now the same issue is all set to create trouble in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu government acting quickly denied permission to people who
planned to celebrate Tippu jayanthi.
Tippu
was born in 1750 to Hyder Ali and his wife Fatima Fakhr Un Nisa at
Devanhali,Bangalore and was named as Fath Ali but later waws named as
Tipu after local saint Tipu Mastan Aulia. His full name was Sultan Fateh
Ali Khan Shahab.
True Tippu fought Britishers
vailantly but not for India's independence but to save his own Kingdom
and in the process even entered into secret pact with Dictator Napoleon
of France to attack India. French forces trained Tippu Sultan's soldiers
on using guns rockets,and rifles. His father Hyderali too fought with
neighbouring kings in Maharashtra, Malabar,Kodugu, Bidanur, Travencor
and butchered all people to establish supremacy.
Fra
Bartolomaco, famous traveller and voyager accused Tippu Sultan and he
wrote "First a corps of 30,000 barbarians who butchered everybody on the
way, followed by the Field-Gun Unit under the French Commander, M.
Lally. Tipu Sultan was riding on an elephant behind which another army
of 30,000 soldiers followed. Most of the men and women were hanged in
Calicut. First mothers were hanged with children tied to the necks of
their mothers. That barbarian Tipu Sultan tied the naked Christians and
Hindus to the legs of elephants and made the elephants move about till
the bodies of the helpless victims were tom to pieces. Temples and
Churches were ordered to be burnt, desecrated and destroyed. Christian
and Hindu women were forced to marry Muhammadans and similarly their men
were forced to marry Muhammadan women. Those Christians who refused to
be 'honoured' with Islam, were ordered to be killed by hanging then and
there. The above version of the atrocities was obtained from the
sorrowful narration by the victims who escaped from Tipu's army and
reached Varapuzha (near Alwaye) which is the centre of Carmichael
Christian Mission. I myself helped many victims to cross the Varapuzha
river by boats"
Tipu Sultan
replaced the original names of several places with Muslim names.
Mangalore was changed to Jalalabad, Mysore to Nazarabad, Bepur to
Sultanpatanam, Cannanore to Kusanabad, Gooty to Faiz-Hissar, Dharwar to
Quarshed-Sawad, Dindigul to Khaliqabad, Ratnagiri to Mustafabad,
Kozhikode to Islamabad, and Dindigul to Khaliqabad.
Many
people who suffered at Tippu Sultan hands question angrily on how one
could worship Tippu Sultan on par with national heroes like Chhatrapati
Shivaji, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Rana Pratap Singh, and Pazhassi Raja of
Kerala. He killed many Nambiars and Nairs in Kerala and they loathe him
to the core.The irony is that the ring he owned reads "Ram" and Sultan
hated Hindu religion. Now the ring along with the crown of Tippu Sultan
is with the Britisheers.