Tipu Sultan

Abstract

I have read a great deal of history on the ‘legend’ Tipu Sultan since my childhood. I am happy that I got an opportunity to read one more book on Tipu Sultan authored by historian Dr Vikram Sampath and to write the foreword for the same. Before I elaborate, I can only say that among the many books that I have read on the subject, this book is exceptional, for it is an exhaustive, intense and well-researched book with factual accounts and a captivating narrative style. As I was reading this book, my memories went back to the articles I had written in a leading Kannada daily long ago when controversy erupted in Karnataka over the celebration of Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary (jayanthi). These articles give a critical view of Tipu Sultan’s rule and legacy, covering religious persecution, forcible conversion and its impact on our culture. During 1969–70, the Central government under Indira Gandhi, with a mission