It is to be said that Tipu Sultan was a brave person.

When British attacked his kingdom, he

refused to back down. Rather, he wished to fight like a lion. One statement of Tipu can prove
this stand very well,

‘I would rather live a day as a lion than a lifetime as a sheep … Better to die like a
soldier, than to live a miserable dependant on the infidels, in their list of pensioned
rajas and nabobs.’

Just like his words, he fought like a brave. He made strong resistance against British troops.
When British troops reached towards the wall, Tipu left his lunch and went to the battlefield.
Here, he fought like a hero although he knew that he alone could not harm British strength
that much. Still, he fought till his last breath. His bravery was acknowledged as ‘his gallant
last stand’ by the British Army.

One thing can be added here. When Tipu was quite sure of his defeat, he consulted his
Brahmin astrologer about the future of the empire. He got something negative from the
astrologer and gave some animals for divination and asked for the prosperity of the Empire. It
showed that Tipu was a superstitious person who believed in divination. Another thing is
crucial here. Although Tipu was a Muslim, his astrologer was a Brahmin. That means, Tipu
established an environment of co-existence among Muslim and Hindus in his kingdom.
Although he fought several wars against Hindu rulers, his kingdom was out from religious
dogmatism. This view became clearer when he saw the picture of Tipu’s funeral. Not only
Muslims but also Hindu populations showed much love and respect to the dead body of Tipu
Sultan. This statement is further verified by following words,

‘Numbers of his confidential Hindoo servants who during the war fell into our hands,
acknowledged him to be a lenient and indulgent master.’ (416)