Jacobin Club membership - "Citizen Tipu"
Another aspect which brings out his secular policy was his interest in French
revolutionary ideas. A Jacobin Club of extreme revolutionary ideas of liberty, equality
and fraternity was formed at Srirangapatna. There were 59 members of this club, one of
whom was Tipu Its purpose was to introduce constitutional principles of democratic
nature as enunciated in the Republic of France. He planted the tree of
liberty in front of his palace, and called himself "Citizen Tipu".
Humane treatment for prisoners
A clause in the proposed treaty of alliance with the French stated, "
I demanded that male and female prisoners as well English and Portuguese, who shall be
taken by the republican troops or by mine, shall be treated with humanity, and with regard
to their persons that they shall be transported at our joint expense out of India to some
place for distant from the territories of the allies."
In short Tipu was an enlightened ruler, the sheet-anchor of whose state-policy was the
well-being of all his subjects irrespective of caste, creed or class. He took his stand on
the bedrock of humanity, regarding all his subjects as equal citizen to live in peace,
harmony and concord. |
