History

Tipu Sultan: Tiger or Tyrant?

Was Tipu Sultan a hero of India, beating back the British, or a tyrant, brutally punishing those who didn't share his religious beliefs?

History is full of messy figures and rarely is one so controversial as Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore. Even the question of whether his birthday should be officially celebrated in India caused protests in 2015. So what makes him so controversial? Tipu Sultan was one of the few rulers able to go toe to toe with the East India Trading Company. He fought against British control, and his artillery was so advanced, the British even stole remains off the battlefield to study for their own use. He brought his region of Mysore into an era of prosperity. But outside of Mysore, people knew him as a tyrant. Those religious beliefs not compatible with his own were persecuted, including members of his own religion. A tiger or a tyrant, which one is the true Tipu Sultan?