Social Scientist

Sunset at Srirangapatnam
Sunset at Srirangapatnam: After the Death of Tipu Sultan by Mohammad Moienuddin
Review by: Santosh Kumar Rai and Shalin Jain
Social Scientist, Vol. 30, No. 11/12 (Nov. - Dec., 2002), pp. 92-94
Published by: Social Scientist
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3518201 .
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BOOK REVIEW

Sunset at Srirangapatnam

Sunset at Srirangapatnam:After the Death of Tipu Sultan, Mohammad

Moienuddin,OrientLongman,2000, pages xiii + 153 with 48 plates,
Rs. 675
This work is basically an attempt to read the character of Tipu
Sultan through the assessment of his artifacts and present the history
of his times. Mohammad Moienuddin, founder chairman of the Tipu
Sultan Research Institute and Musuem, Bangalore has followed the
trail of the historical relics looted by the British in 1799 after the fall
of Tipu's capital Srirangapatnam. The volume provides us a chance
to glance through and rethink over another chapter of 'India's initial
confrontation with the British'. Professor Irfan Habib has noted in
the for ward that Tipu tried to confront the British aggrandisement
in India at every level-either economic, technological or ideological
front.
The initial two chapters discuss Tipu as a ruler, fall of
Srirangapatnam, the great loot and the British presentation of Tipu.
The rest of the book is devoted to the description of Tipu Sultan's
relics plundered by the British, their symbolic message as well as
legacy. Though majority of these artefacts are not available in India,
they have been depicted by forty-eight plates, photographed by the
author over a period of ten years from various museums and archives
in India and abroad. A magnificent work done by the author is to
decipher the inscriptions on the relics of Tipu.
Challenging the Eurocentric colonial perceptions about India
particularly in the context of Tipu Sultan, the writer has tried to
project his personality through every act of his administrative orders,
personal belongings, weapons, armour and flags. Presenting Tipu as
a multidimensional character, Moienuddin's observations explore an
eighteenth-century Indian ruler, who realizing the imperialist
ambitions of the East India company challenged its designs and
simultaneously not relented from the task of welfare of his subjects.
This must have been the reason that his people not only shared their
sultan's dream of freedom but remained loyal to him even in the
most adverse circumstances. In fact ideas and implementation of land

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 SUNSETAT SRIRANGAPATNAM 93

reforms, a co-ordinated banking system, loan schemes for farmers

and irrigation system and initiatives taken in the fields of horticulture,
animal husbandry, sericulture, social reforms, commerce and
industries not only put this visionary centuries ahead of his time, but
also belie the charge of imitating the Europeans. A careful study of
Mysore's commercial regulations, export and import policies and state
intervention in economy puts Tipu's economic concepts at par with
British mercantilism and German commercialism.
Some writings have described 'destruction of temples and
confiscation of temple lands' in the territory of Tipu. These accounts
have been countered by his religious policy declaration of 1787 which
announce that 'Religious tolerance is the fundamental tenet of the
holy Quran'. Forty-six letters written by Tipu Sultan to Sri
Sacchidananda Bharti, the thirtieth Shankaracharya of Sringeri Math
bear testimony to his approach of religious harmony and
accommodation. His various grants and gifts to temples, which
included one Shiv linga also, are discussed at length.
The use of motifs of tiger and sun as royal insignia on standards
and flags was a measure to synthesize the Hindu and Islamic beliefs
and cultural concepts. The tiger symbolizes the Vahana of
Chamundeshwari Devi while the sun representsdivine power in Hindu
mythology. On the other hand a very detailed narrative of Tipu's
personal arms of offence and defence reflects that Tipu's swords
carrying inscriptions from the Quran, talismic Arabic signs and verses
invoking the prophet, the Caliphs and the family of Fatima were
used as vigorously against the army of Nizam of Hyderabad as against
the British and the Marathas. While maintaining a homogenous
religious environment in his state, Tipu believed that religion was a
personal matter.
Describing the great loot of Srirangapatnam by the British army
after the 'sunset' of 4 May 1799, the writer has highlighted the process
of drain of wealth through force. He emphasizes that the British
projection of Tipu as a 'tyrant' was the result of their complex against
an indomitable foe. Though the British themselves did not leave a
single house unplundered at Srirangapatnam; even the tyrant's
hankerchiefs had to be gifted to the court of directors of the company.
Every detail of Tipu's available swords, firearms and war dresses
is furnished here. The use of war rockets by Mysore army is well
known but generally historians have noted this as a failed experiment.
Quoting the British sources the author has contended that Mysore
army used these technologically superior products to win the battles,

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94 SOCIALSCIENTIST

makinga deepimpressionon the Britishadministrationwhichadopted

and improvedTipu's rockets to such an extent that they were used
duringthe firstWorldWarby the nameof Bangalorerockets.But the
issue that why Tipu'sarmyfailed to use these rockets at a large scale
aiming at winning the war has not been touched upon.
Tipu'smusical toy tiger maulinga Britishsoldier is well known.
The book has also discussed the toy's history, the British notions
associatedwith it and its real symbolicact of representingthe defeat
of the common foe of the French and Tipu. The Company had
plunderedfrom the palace of Tipu Sultan;jewels, gold, silver and
other precious pieces of art, the jewelleryalone was estimatedat ?
2,50,000. Detail of everyitem mostlywith plates is given in the work.
The artefacts like tiger throne, the fabulous huma bird at the gold
canopy of the throne and pieces of jewelleryas well as swords are
excellent specimenof the eighteenth-centuryIndiancraftsmanship.
In fact duringthe turbulenttimes of the eighteenthcenturywhose
history has been just seen with the prefix of the 'dark age' or a
'collaboration'of rulers,tradersand zamindarswith the Company,
Tipu Sultan'sMysore becomes the symbol of everythingthat could
be explainedas progressive,and mindit, this developmentwas taking
place amidsta confrontationwith colonialismeven if it meant'sunset
at Srirangapatnam'.

SantoshKumarRai, ShalinJain
Departmentof History,Universityof Delhi

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