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| History of Tipu Sultan |
The Biography
"History
of the reign of Tipu Sultan" by Mir Hussein Ali Khan Kirmani. This biography was written in 1802 (approximately 3 years after the death of Tipu ) .
Kirmani's biography of Tipu sultan is a sycophantic account (he uses
expletives like "Lion" , "Conqueror of world" ,
"Dispenser of justice", "Pious" abundantly while
describing Tipu) . This biography is also a boastful account of an "Islamist" who genuinely believes that forceful
conversion and barbarism against "Infidels" is justified.
There are
plenty of evidences of Tipu's barbarism in
this sycophantic biography, Tipu's
coorg conquest is one such act of barbarism. Below is the
excerpts from this book regarding Coorg conquest.
Note :-
1.This blogger has put appropriate headings, removed irrelevant parts ,
added some notes where ever necessary
2.This book is available in many sites including google books .
Excerpts from
Chapter VI from "Rebillion of people of Coorg" 1783 AD
Momuti Náír and Runga Náír revolts against the governor appointed by
Tipu :-
Zein ool Abidín Khán, Mehdivi, the Foujdár(governor) of
Koorg (Coorg/Kodagu) , from his intimacy
with the Sultán, and the confidence he reposed in him was placed in
uncontrolled authority there, he filled all parts of the kingdom with
rebellion, and regulated the affairs of the government according merely to his
caprice and folly ; in so much that from the inherent vices of his disposition, he extended the hand of lust to the women of the
peasantry, and compelled the hand some among them to submit to his will and
pleasure. In consequence of this tyrannical conduct, the
whole of the people of Koorg advanced into the field of enmity and defiance,
and everyone in his own district prepared for battle, and Momuti Náír and Runga
Náír, the ministers of the Poligar (Palayagara) of that place, who eagerly
looked out for such an opportunity to attack the Sultán’s
troops, assembled all their retainers and peasantry, surrounded and
besieged Zufurabád(Madikeri), plundered all
the country in its vicinity, and had reduced the besieged to such
extremities, that even during the light of day they were afraid to quit the
walls of the fort. In addition to these misfortunes, they had neglected to
provide themselves with a sufficient stock of provisions and ammunition. The
Khân, who was the source and origin of these troubles, at these occurrences
began to be ashamed of himself, he being shut up with the rest; however, by
disguising a Jasoos, (spy) , he despatched him to the presence, with an account
of what had occurred and the insolence of the besiegers.
Note: Zein ool Abidín Khán, Mehdivi was
governor appointed by Tipu to look after affairs in Coorg
. Mehdivi's attrocities specially against women folks forced
the people of Coorg to revolt against tipu.
Tipu orders his forces to combat the rebellion :-
When the Jasoos had delivered the letter, and and had detailed
the situation of affairs, the Sultán determined himself to punish the people of
Koorg, who had frequently before rebelled against his government, and had
blocked up the path of duty and obedience with the thorns and stakes of
sedition and rebellion, and had also given the troops of the Sultán unceasing
trouble.
He therefore issued orders to the quarter
master general, to proceed with the Tiger standard and the blue Pavilion,
and pitch them in the vicinity of Sultán Peeth, a
town lately built at the distance of one fursung and a half west from the
capital, and Zein ul Abidin Shoostn, Sipahdár (brigadier) with his Kushoon
(brigade) and abundance of stores, and two thousand Ahzhám or irregular foot
was sent in advance as a warning to the rebels. The Sultán giving him orders to
proceed without delay, by forced marches to the fort of Zufurabád, and give the
rebels such a lesson as would in some measure restore the peace of the country
until the arrival of the royal army, and likewise to inform the inexperienced
Foujdãr there of the speedy arrival of the Sultán, and to give him every
assurance of succor and support.
Note: Tiger standard and Blue pavilion are names of Tipu's
infantry units.
Tipu's forces retreat:-
The Sipahdár(brigadier) above mentioned, who was a notorious
coward, although, according to the Sultán’s orders he marched on quickly,
and arrived at the gate of the Ghaut; still, as the rebels, as soon as they became aware of his arrival
attacked him on all sides with their arrows and muskets, they soon dissipated
his senses and manhood. He,
therefore, being a person who had never before seen fighting, but bad spent his
life in religious studies, lost all confidence, and retired under the
protection of the Kotul or pass of Sudapoor; and there fortified his
encampment, and notwithstanding all the Risaldárs and Sipahdárs
accompanying him, men who had been trained to war under the instruction of
the brave commandant, Muhammad Ali, could say, in prompting and urging him
to move on, still the Sipahdar, struck with fear, made the ague and fever
and a pain in the stomach his excuse, and refused to move forward a step.
“Truly, — how can the hard duties of soldiers be expected from luxurious and
effeminate men :“ — when these circumstances became known the Sultán,
bestowed a few maledictions on his worthless officer, and after making his
arrangements and paying his troops all which took up a fortnight, the dispenser
of justice with twenty thousand regular infantry, twelve thousand irregular
foot, ten thousand good horse, and twenty-two guns on the fifteenth of the
month of Zi-huj, with all the pomp and circumstance of war marched towards that
quarter. After the Sultán had arrived and encamped near the stockade, or bound
hedge of the Koorg district, leaving all his horse at the Ghaut of Sudapoor,
Puria Puttun( probably current peryapatna), and Munzurabád; he with his
irregular foot, Kushoons and artillery, crossing the Ghaut(western ghat) ,
threw himself like a raging lion into the midst of that frightful forest, the
Koorg country.
Additional Mysore forces arrive
which forces rebel Coorg forces on back foot :-
When the pious Sultán entered that Jungulistán (forest), by the
route of the Turkul Ghaut , he encamped on this side the gate of the
stockade, called Mundul. The next day he gave orders to his two Sipahdárs with
their Kushoons to assault the stockade gate, before which the infidels had dug
a deep ditch and had built a wall on each flank, and from these with their
arrows and matchlocks they completely blocked up the road : — they accordingly
commenced the action, but on this day the infidels displayed the utmost
intrepidity and not only repelled their assaults, but drove the two Kushoons
(brigades) before them and killed and wounded the greatest part. The conquering
Sultán however with his victorious troops by a route by which the wind and rain
could scarcely penetrate, now with the rapidity of lightening fell upon the
infidels, and dispatched a great number of them to the infernal regions. On the
other side, the French under Monsieur Lally and the Assud Ilahi Risalas or
regiments of Chelahs made numbers of these Pagans food for the musket and
bayonet ;—on the other flank also, the infantry of the body guards with the
greatest intrepidity took up their enemies one by one on the points of their
spears or bayonets and threw them head foremost into the depths of hell, and many of the infidels were made prisoners. Notwithstanding ail this, they still
stood firm and made many vigorous attacks on the Sultan’s army and dispersed
them. At this time, therefore, the select of the body guard and certain of the
sipahdárs seeing the bravery of the enemy, assembled those who still remained,
and determining by successive charges to make an impression, threw themselves
at once on the enemy. In the twinkling of an eye, therefore, the bonds which
kept together the infidels were broken and they lost their stability and
firmness, and placed their feet in the desert of flight.
Women and children of "Infidels" as POW:-
The soldiers of the Sultán’s army now,
therefore,closely pursued them and troops of them were slain with the unpitying
sword. When the Sultán had thus conquered his enemies, he advanced and encamped
in the vicinity of Hulkulmar, and the Shoostri who has been before mentioned,
when he saw the plain cleared of the enemy, to do away with the impression of
his former misconduct made an attack on the village of Khooshalpoor
( Kushalanagara ) and plundered and burned
it, making prisoners of a great number of the infidels, with their wives and
children ;—he then returned to the presence. From this place now,
agreeably to the Sultan’s orders, four Risalas, or regiments, with a large
supply of stores and provisions, marched to the fort of Zuffürabád (Madikeri),
while the Sultan himself remained encamped where he was until the thirteenth of
the month of Mohurrum il Huram (this refers to name of year ) . On the
fifteenth of that month, A. H. 1199, the Sultan marched by several stages
to the capital of Koorg, and encamped on the eastern side of the town, by the
road, by which, according to the orders of the Sultán, the Amírs and Kháns had
entered the jungles, and with hatchets and saws had daily cut away and burned
the jungle to the distance of three miles, and in this way had cleared the
country to the distance of seven or eight miles.
Coorg forces flee after heavy damage:-
In these operations the tenants of the jungles had been reduced to
great extremities and in different battles also of the infidels two or three thousand men had been
destroyed. When,
therefore, the chiefs of Koorg saw the signs of weakness and debility on the
forehead of the condition of their men, and that they no longer had the power
to oppose the army of Isam, they dispersed to all parts of the mountains and
jungles, and sought refuge in the most difficult and inaccessible parts of the
country.
The conquering Sultán now therefore appointed and dispatched his Amírs and Khãns with large bodies of troops to punish these "idolaters" and reduce the whole of the country to subjection. As for instance, Monsieur Lally was sent for that purpose to the Ilaichee or Cardamum Ghauts, (the western Ghats according to Colonel Marriott) and the Kushoon of the Shoostri with another was sent under the command of Hussein All Khan Bukhshi towards Akrubnar. The rest of the Sipahsirdárs that is to say MIr Mahmood, Imám Khán, &c. were despatched to the Thul Kauveri,(tala Kaveri) and Khooshalpoora, and for two or three months, the Sultán remained encamped on the same ground.
The war ends with 80,000 kodava Men , women and children as
prisoners:-
The Bukhshi before mentioned however by good management and
exertion carried distress and confusion among the rebels of that quarter
(Akrubnad), and in a short time attacked and destroyed many of their towns, returning with
eight thousand men and women with their children prisoners. In the same way Monsieur
Lally collected from the Ilaichee Mountains an immense crowd of these wild men,like a flock of
sheep or a herd of bullocks, and returned with them to the presence. The Sultán after this
moved forward and pitched his tents and standards on ground to the southward of
the bill of Thul Kauveri, (the fountain or source of the River Kauveri,
arising from the same bill) and dispatched his troops in advance, giving them
orders to pursue the rebels, that is to capture their chiefs. The brave
Sipahdárs in consequence advanced to the attack on all sides, and as they knew
that to cut off these infidels, the seed of disobedience and rebellion, was the
policy of the Sultán’s government, and likewise that most profitable to
themselves, they with great labor and exertions captured and brought in troops
upon troops of the rebels, and in
the course of seven months and a few days eighty thousand, men, women and
children were made prisoners. At
length both the before mentioned chiefs (Momuti and Runga Nair) were taken on
the Ilaichee Mountains by the exertions of Monsieur Laity. The war, therefore,
was now at an end and the rest of the disobedient being humbled, became
enrolled among the faithful servants of the Sultán. The Sultán after making
arrangements for the security of his conquests, and the erection of several
wooden or stockaded forts (called in this country Lukkur Kote) being now free
from all apprehension, returned victorious to his capital by the route of
Sudapoor.
Of the two chiefs, one Mumoti Nair in a short time died, (note: he died after taken as POW ) and Runga Nair was honoured by being circumcised and made a Mussulman by the Sultán, and named Shaíkh Ahmud, and appointed a Risaldar. — The Sultán also adopted him as his son. When the Sultán arrived at Seringaputtun, the prisoners taken in the country of Koorg, who had been all made Mussulmans and were styled Ahmedis were formed into eight Risalas or regiments, and veteran officers were appointed to train and discipline them, and they with very little labour having instructed these wild men, soon made them perfect in their military exercises and movements. About this time the Sultán caused gorgets of gold, silver and jewels to be made, and they were presented to the officers of horse and foot, the Assud flahi and Ahmudi regiments, according to their different ranks, and the uniforms of these regiments being also made up of tiger cloth, (a new invention in weaving) they were
clothed in it.
Re-Settlement of Coorg with
followers of Islam faith:-
About this time also, from the whole of the Sultan’s
servants, six or seven thousand men of the Shaíkh and Syud tribes were selected and
dispatched to Koorg to re-people that district : —The air and water, however,
not agreeing with them, some fell sick with the fever and ague, and after
repeated applications to the presence were allowed to return ; — but some with
whom the climate agreed, remained there.
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1. This blog is not used for commercial purpose ,
2.Blog is excerpts with appropriate comments,bracket
notes, notes and headings wherever necessary.
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