Tipu was a visionary and a liberal, historians say on Tiger of Mysore’s Jayanthi

NOTA TYRANT

- NT Correspondent AAMIR SOHAIL | NT

While his date of birth is disputed, Tipu Jayanthi is generally celebrated on the 10th of November. On this occasion of remembering the Tiger of Mysore, we recall his contributions and his ideals which were quite different from many of his contemporary monarchs.

For one, Tipu Sultan was a highly educated person. His father, Hyder Ali was illiterate but ensured that his son would get a good education. Thus, Tipu Sultan was educated in multiple subjects and was found to be a good learner.

When he later became the ruler of Mysore Kingdom, he was influenced by ideas of the Enlightenment, such as justice and equality, and can be seen as an enlightened ruler. “He called himself Citizen Tipu. He was a member of the Jacobite club and he planted the Liberty Tree in Srirangapatna.