Tipu's fort falling to our indifference The deplorable condition of structure built by Tipu Sultan and neglect of other heritage buildings in Bangalore are proof of our apathy to history, says B S Ramesh. Tipu Sultan was among the first to fight against the British in India when the British Empire was at the peak of its power. Unmindful of the consequences and determined to safeguard his independence, Tipu waged a lone battle against the numerically superior forces of the British who allied themselves with the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas to put him down. Tipu's early exploits earned him the name the "Tiger of Mysore". Born in Devanahalli near Bangalore, Tipu proved to be a "thorn in the flesh" and scourge of the British as he stood between them and total subjugation of South India. Determined to crush him once and for  all, the British and their local allies marched to Srirangapatna in 1799 and stormed the City after a long siege. Tipu was accidentally killed near the water gate beneath the ramparts of the fort. Today, Two hundred years after his death, people forgot that Tipu was among the first to fight against the British. And sadly, they have also forgotten the many monuments and buildings constructed by Tipu Sultan and his father Haider Ali. Unfortunately, local history has received scant attention in India, and Bangalore is no exception. The callous attitude to history is best exemplified by the almost total neglect of historical monuments and heritage buildings in Bangalore. Remains of an Era: The ruins of  the Devanahalli fort, built in 1501, which passed into the hands of Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan.-- Photo by K. Bhagya Prakash.                                                        --- The Hindu --- The Hindu, Monday, April 26, 1999