Question

Mysore rockets developed and deployed by Tipu’s army during

the Anglo- Mysore wars, were one of the first weaponised metal

rockets. The British had heavy losses because of these rockets.

Not only did these rockets play a huge role in the Anglo-Mysore

wars, they also helped in the defeat of Napoleon in the battle of

Waterloo. Rockets developed by the British based on Tipu’s

designs even find a mention in American national anthem – the

Star Spangled Banner.History

Following the invention of gun powder, the Chinese and

Europeans had tested rockets using bamboo tubes. As they lacked the range and stability required forlong-range weapons, they were soon replaced by cannons. However, in late the 1700s Tipu experimented by replacing bambootubes with iron tubes, because bamboo was a weaker material, the

amount of gun powder loaded in the tubes waslimited. With the

iron tubes, the Mysore army could load more gun powder in the

rockets, providing them with more speed and additional range.

Tipu’s rockets boasted of ranges of upto 2km, because of the

introduction of high qualityiron.Tipu’s designs also incorporated swords in the rockets,

which served a dual purpose

The rockets had a scientific design as well. The metal tubes

filled with gun powder were closed on one end, and on the

other end a nozzle was provided to propel the rocket using the

gases emitted. Tipu’s designs also incorporated swords in the

rockets, which served a dual purpose. The swords acted as a

guidance mechanism, providing the rocket with stability during

the flight, and towards the end of the flight, the swords became

a weapon. The rockets used to tumble after losing thrust as it

came down towards its target, killing or severely injuring the

soldiers who came under it.

Tipu created a designated force to operate the rockets,

which was as much as 5,000-men strong.

Use in Battles

Tipu Sultan’s forces used rockets with great effect in the four

Anglo-Mysore wars. One of the first mentions of the effective use

of metal rockets was during the battle of Pollilur during the first

Anglo- Mysore war in 1780. The advancing British East India

company forces were repelled by the Mysore army using severalrounds of rocket fire. Several officers of the British army were

taken prisoners following this defeat.Tipu Sultan confronts his British enemies

during the siege of Srirangapattanam

The records of the third Anglo-Mysore war also mention

rockets units being deployed by Tipu Sultan. During the war,

Lt Col Knox, a British officer, and his troops came under heavy

rocket fire while they were advancing towards the Cauvery

River Banks, near Srirangapatana, on 6 February1792.

Battle of Sultanpet Tope

In the battle of Sultanpet Tope, during the fourth Anglo-Mysore

war, Arthur Wellesley, who later became Duke of Wellington and

hero of the battle of Waterloo, was ordered to conduct a night

raid on the fort in April 1799. The troops moving under the cover

of darkness came under heavy rocket fire. Soldiers of the unit

and Wellesley,who had not faced rockets before, were shocked

and left in disarray. Wellesley, in particular, was humiliated after

losing control of his troops.

Influence on History

RottamNarasimha, aerospace scientist and professor,

engineering mechanics unit of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for

Advanced Scientific Research, who studied Tipu’s rockets and

their history, said that the humiliation suffered in Sultanpet

changed Wellesley as a military commander. “According to his

biographer, he never showed fear again on the battlefield.

Wellesley then went to become the commander who defeated

Napoleon in the battle of Waterloo. Thus, Mysore rockets

influenced the great battle of Waterloo,” he said. "Even though rockets were used in other parts of the world,

Tipu was able to take rocket technology to the next level.

India produced one of the best quality irons in the world at

that time and Tipu had highly skilled craftsmen at his disposal.

Using these two, he made bigger rockets with longer ranges,"

saidNarasimha.

The rockets seized from Tipu’s armoury resulted in the

development of Congreve rocket, which were used in Anglo-

American Wars. They even find a mention in the US National

Anthem, the Star- S p a n g l e d Banner: “…the rockets’ red

glare, the bombs bursting in air. According to aerospace

scientist Narasimha, the contribution of Tipu towards rocket

technology will remain unquestioned. He will remain

theoriginal rocket man ofIndia.

1. Read the passage and describe the two key

contributions of Tipu Sultan to India and England. Justify why you

consider them as the key contributions. Work in pairs.

2. Discuss in groups and Comment on the Rocket design and craftsmanship of Tipu Sultan, in comparison with

the rocket designs that are being used in the present-day

context.

3. Suggest two different metals that can beused to

increase the efficiency of rocket technology.

4. Describe the “original rocket man” in comparison with

the “missile-man of India”.​

Answer 1

Answer:

Mysore rockets developed and deployed by Tipu’s army during the Anglo- Mysore wars, were one of the first weaponised metal rockets. The British had heavy losses because of these rockets.

Not only did these rockets play a huge role in the Anglo-Mysore wars, they also helped in the defeat of Napoleon in the battle of Waterloo. Rockets developed by the British based on Tipu’s designs even find a mention in American national anthem.