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| Profile of
Tipu Sultan |
Source: Tipu Sultan Bi-Centenary
Commemorative International Seminar
By Prof. Sheik Ali
Tipu Sultan is a fascinating figure of Indian History,
who has attracted both appreciative and adverse attention. His fans say he offered blood
to write the history of free India, and that he had a vision and a mission. The vision was
to make his people progressive, prosperous and enlightened and the mission was to
liberate his land from the yoke of the colonials. Resistance to British expansion
and modernisation of his State are two basic features of his administration. His
regime begins in the midst of war against the English, and ends in the midst of war
against them. Despite the hectic military involvement he did not ignore the main
task of improving the life and conditions of his people. His short but stormy rule is
significant because of his view that all history is nothing but unfolding the drama of
human freedom, political freedom, social freedom, economic freedom, cultural freedom and
freedom from want, hungar, ignorance, inertia and superstition. He would say the
life of a lion for a day was far better than the life of a jackal for a hundred years,
and that death should be preferred to dishonour. The British had never been confronted
with a more formidable foe, who never compromised his ideals and never deviated from his
goal. Even in his dreams he was engaged in a bitter fight against the English. He was the
only ruler who had the distinction of dying in the battle field for the liberty of the
land.
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