20 November - Tipu Sultan Birthday Special story

Hyderabad, Nov 20: Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu popularly known as Tipu Sultan, who was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore was born on 20th November, 1750. Let us get into more details on Tipu Sultan s birthday.

Tipu s father, Hyder Ali, rose to power capturing Mysore, and Tipu succeeded Mysore upon his father s death in 1782. He won important victories against the British in the Second Anglo-Mysore War and negotiated the 1784 Treaty of Mangalore with them after his father died.

Tipu Sultan was one of the few South Indian kings to provide stiff resistance to British imperialism, along with Hyder Ali. He is applauded as a ruler who fought against British colonialism.

He also embarked on an ambitious economic development program that established Mysore as a major economic power, with some of the world s highest real wages and living standards in the late 18th century.

Sultan remained an implacable enemy of the British East India Company, sparking conflict with his attack on British-allied Travancore in 1789. He was one of the few South Indian kings to provide stiff resistance to British imperialism, along with Hyder Ali. He is applauded as a ruler who fought against British colonialism.

Tipu has been a controversial figure and criticized for his repression of Hindus and Christians. However, the other sources mention the appointment of Hindu officers in his administration and his endowments to Hindu temples which are cited as evidence for his religious tolerance.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, in his Tipu Sultan Shaheed Memorial Lecture in Bangalore (30 November 1991), called Tipu Sultan the innovator of the world s first war rocket.