India is a country with a rich cultural heritage and history that has been sanitised to suit a certain narrative. The country’s past must be unearthed to reveal the truth and reinstate its lost heritage and cultural values. However, the account of Islamic tyrant Tipu Sultan, dubbed the “Warrior of India” by Indian leftists and hardline Islamists, must be investigated further to reveal the true nature of his reign.
Historian Lewis B. Boury noted that the devastation Tipu Sultan inflicted on southern India was harsher and more barbaric than that of other infamous rulers in India’s history. Sandeep Balakrishna, author of ‘Tipu Sultan: The Tyrant of Mysore,’ said that Tipu Sultan’s 17-year reign was a unified image of military, economic, and religious torment for the Hindu population. Tipu had declared openly that he would wage a Jihad against Hindus, and Malabar was the place of most atrocities and anti-Hindu actions of Tipu Sultan.
Tipu Sultan’s invasion of Kodagu in 1788 resulted in the burning of hundreds of villages, depopulating the already sparsely inhabited province. He forcibly relocated about 7,000 Muslim families from other places to Islamize Coorg. The depiction of Tipu Sultan’s invasion of the Malabar region is a little murkier, but remnants of his murderous assaults may still be seen in the region today.
Tipu Sultan demolished temples and his military activities caused extensive damage to Hindu temples on an unprecedented scale. Tipu Sultan and his ruthless warriors enjoyed demolishing temples, smashing idols placed within, and chopping the heads of animals over the temple deity. The Portuguese missionary Fr Bartholomew gives us a basic sight of Tipu Sultan’s catastrophic attacks, including the slaughter of thousands of people and the conversion of Hindus to Islam.
Tipu Sultan’s genocides were devout acts in the interest of Islam, and his letters reveal his contempt for Hindus. His hatred for them is evident in the 2000 letters written in Farsi discovered in his palace following his death. Tipu Sultan’s reign extinguished the pepper and spice industries in the Malabar area, which had previously been a booming international centre.
In conclusion, much remains to be done to unearth India’s past, including Tipu Sultan’s true nature. Tipu Sultan’s reign was one of violence, torture, and religious fanaticism. His brutal tactics and destruction of temples and towns forever changed the history and culture of the Malabar region and caused immense harm to the people who lived there. It is essential to reveal the truth about Tipu Sultan’s reign and to learn from this history to prevent such atrocities from happening again.
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