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 inpairs.
Answers
First and foremost, he was not waging any freedom struggle
He and his father Hyder Ali had been fighting Marathas and English East India Company in order to dominate South India.
That makes him an imperialist, not a freedom fighter.
Did he make any contributions to India?
The only contribution he made was that he actually facilitated British conquest of South India! His refusal to enter into an alliance with Marathas (like his father Hyder Ali) ensured that he had British had no problem in smashing him in combat.
His military performance in Third and Fourth Anglo-Mysore Wars were pathetic to say the least- in first war, he lost half of his kingdoms and in second war he was killed and his kingdom is annexed by British.
If Tipu had an upper hand at the end of Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780–84) it was only because his father Hyder Ali - under whom Mysore fought most of this war - had placed Mysore in a strong political and military position.
Tipu’s insensible and harsh policy in Malabar and Coorg triggered years of guerrilla resistance there - thus drained his treasury, bled his army dry and tied down large number of Mysore troops which could have been used against British.
He was a disaster as a political leader and general.
Contrast this with Hyder Ali - he was born in an ordinary family and began as a foot soldier but by merit of his ability and vision ended up dominating much of South India by the time of his death. Whether you like him or not, he was a man of achievement.
It was very clear in 1784 itself - the supposed high point of Tipu Sultan’s career - that Mysore cannot defeat British alone. It was also clear that Mysore could not longer expand any further.
Had he been a realist he would have sensibly accepted the Maratha claims on Northern Karnataka and allied himself with Maratha empire. Had that been the case, British would have twice thought before attacking Mysore. I think Hyder Ali if he had lived longer would have done that.
In a nutshell, Hyder Ali conquered much of South India and Tipu handed it over to British.
the two key contributions of Tipu Sultan to India and England were-
- Tipu Sultan expanded the iron-cased Mysorean rockets. it was during the Anglo-Mysore Wars, he deployed the rockets against the British forces. and he also commissioned the military manual named Fathul Mujahidin. he was the only Indian ruler who fought against the hegemony of British East India Company.
- the death of Tipu Sultan gave the British the oppurtunity to dominate the southern part of India.