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Tipu Sultan
Secular ruler beyond doubt
By Prof. Sheik Ali
(Former Vice Chancellor of Goa & Mangalore Universities)


Secular Policy

Secular Policy
Restoration of Sringeri Mutt
Other temples patronised by Tipu
Hindus in important civil posts
Hindus in important army posts

 

 


Fair policies
The French alliance
Policy towards prisoners of war
Some more on his impartiality...

Secularism
Other temples patronised by Tipu

Sringeri was not the only holy place, which received the patronage of Tipu. To the Lakshmikantha temple at Kalale in Nanjangud taluq of Mysore district, he gave four silver cups, a silver plate and a silver spittoon. To the Narayanaswamy temple at Melkote he presented gold and silver vessels besides an elephant and a few jewels.
The Srikanteswara temple at Nanjangud was presented with a jewelled cup and a few precious stones together with a greenish linga which was installed by his orders.
Within his own capital, a stone-throw from his palace stood the famous Ranganatha temple which still stands to-day, to which he presented seven silver cups and silver camphor banners. Earlier in 1774 when a portion of it was damaged in a fire it was rebuilt within a month.
Tipu listened with equal respect to the ringing of the bells from the temple, and the call of Azan from the mosque. There were two other temples near the mosque, the Narasimha temple and the Gangadhareswara temple where daily pujas were performed which were never interfered with. He fixed an allowance to the temple at Rayakottai. By paying 10,000 huns he ordered the completion of the temple of Gopur in Conjeevaram whose foundations had been laid in 1780 by Haider. As Haider died before the completion of the temple, Tipu not only ordered its completion but also participated in its opening ceremony. When a dispute arose in Melkote in matters of some religious implications he offered his good offices to settle the issue to which both parties agreed and he solved the problem to the satisfaction of both. Thus the attempts of a few British historians to depict Tipu as intolerant are highly erroneous.

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