Tipu as he really was by Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale

"Tipu as he really was" by Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale - Horrible! 

This book was published in 2018 and has 100 pages.  

Tipu Sultan is one of the most controversial characters from pre-independence India. Some hail him as a just ruler who respected all religions and fought to get rid of British, who donated to all the religious places of worship and was a model secular. Some call him an epic proselytizer, a cruel ruler and the one who directed and executed forced conversions and atrocities. So when a friend gave me this book written by a well known historian, whose life goal was to find the truth, however uncomfortable or shameful it was, I started reading it straight away.

Was Tipu a good king? Was he secular or proselytizer? Was he kind or cruel? Did he keep his promises? Did he commit atrocities on the name of religion? Was he a tyrant?

The book starts from Haider, Tipu's father, a soldier in Maysore kingdom who rose in ranks and kicked out his mentors to usurp the throne and kill the kings. Proselytizing started in Haider's reign.

Tipu continued and intensified what his father started. He forcibly converted the local populace of every other religion. This included the captured British soldiers and citizens. The scale was so large, running into several tens of thousands, that British, Marathas and Principality of Travancore had to join forces to restrict him.

After reading the book, I was horrified. Firstly for the scale and severity of the atrocities and secondly because a section of politicians still tries to portray him as a good, just ruler.

Tipu made an elaborate arrangement to capture all the Christian's in his domain on the same day, move them to Seringapatanam and forcibly convert them and destroyed the churches. So this was not a spur of the moment act, it was a well thought out, immaculately planned and ruthlessly executed conversion.

Around 50,000 to 70,000 Hindus were captured from Coorg and converted forcibly. Sisters of the Raja were forcibly inducted into Tipu's harem. Several thousand Nair's faced the same fate. Their elders were hung, able bodied men and children were converted and women become the property of Tipu and his army.

Several forcibly converted Christian's returned to their original religion at the first opportunity. Hindu religion did not have the concept of conversion or re-conversion. So the forcibly converted Hindu's remained converted.

The book is disturbing. One can't imagine what the Hindu and Christians had to go through in Tipu's reign.

Author gives the facts in the form of excerpts from various sources like letters and accounts. Several of them are Tipu's own correspondence. So, the authenticity can't be challenged.

Gajanan Mehendale is a revered historian and a voice of authority in Indian history. He passed away recently.

Why I read this book? Curious title.

What did I like? Something different.  

What didn’t like? Pace is slow.

Read if you liked the review.