Read Book Online : http://www.archive.org/stream/historyreigntip00milegoog#page/n3/mode/2up

Download pdf Book : http://ia700306.us.archive.org/13/items/historyreigntip00milegoog/historyreigntip00milegoog.pdf

I love his exquisite little palace in Bangalore.

On my last visit to my father-in-law before he died, I was recording some of his memories of his 70+ years in India. He told me which of his cousins had married a descendant of Tipu. And later, because I am not very good with things technical, and because I'm half blind and was not wearing my reading glasses, I pressed the wrong button and recorded-over that information. It's lost and gone - which is a pity.

I would recommend anyone who gets the opportunity, to visit it. The palace is mostly built of wood - and is quite charming. The best part of Bangalore, I thought!!

its a Pity that the descendants of a Hero are living a life of penury in Independent India

Tipu Sultan and his father were quite the innovators of rockets... BTW can any of you polyglots point me to the 20 highest peaks south of the Vindhyas?

The rise and fall of Tipu Sultan certainly makes for gripping history ! The British are often accused of a needless and agressive 'expansionist' policy in their dealings with Mysore and this is often held up as an example of their "thirst" for conquest. I tend to disagree. One factor in their decision to eliminate Tipu that is rarely remarked upon, though to my mind it is possibly the most significant , was his courtship of relations with France. Here, Tipu, was certainly guilty of enormous political naivety... By seeking French support he assured his own destruction. It is not wise to put your faith in an "invincible" army several thousand miles and an ocean away while underestimating the intentions of the one camped outside your city walls. The British, at the time, would not permit even the sniff of a French resurgence on the sub-continent - certainly not during a period of conflict in Europe. Below is an extract from a letter written by Napoleon Bonaparte to Tipu Sultan ~ January 26, 1799 : "...You have already been informed of my arrival on the borders of the Red Sea with an innumerable and Invincible Army, full of the desire of delivering you from the Iron yoke of England. I eagerly embrace this opportunity of testifying to ...you the desire I have of being informed by you, by the way of Muscat and Mocha, as to your political situation. I would even wish that you could send some intelligent person to Suez or Cairo, possessing your confidence, with whom I may confer. May the Almighty increase your power and destroy your Enemies..." This letter was never recieved, having been intercepted by the Royal Navy off Jeddah. Its contents provided incontrovertible proof, long suspected, of the liason between France and Mysore and set in the motion the process that resulted in Tipu's destruction.

@ Amita : The Tipu Fort in Banglore is still there and now privately owned by the Mysore Royal Family and had been converted to a museum and open for public display which helps in the maintenance of the property. Sorry the link actually shows Daria Daulat Bagh in Srirnagapatana. Fort at Bangalore was built by Mysore King Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar after he purchased it for 3 lakhs from Maratha/ Mughals. The Temple of Venkataramana was also built by him. The Palace there in is said to have been built by Hyder/ Tipu. But i have grave doubts.A king who built a fort, Temple obviously would have be built a Palace too ! The fact it is very close to the Temple also gives credence to it . IT natural after Hyder got it Jahgir he would have modified the Palace to conform to his liking and ditto with Tipu. But even the fort was completely destroyed by Tipu himself after Mysore War III ! IT was rebuilt after restoration of the Kingdom to Wodeyars. Even KRW III once had his Durbar there . But after British Commissioner took over it functioned as the Administrative Head quarters till the present High Court was built by Bowring . Even when Rendition of power to the adopted son of KRW III was accepted by the British parliament, Chamaraja Wadiyar needed a place to stay in Bangalore it was never contemplated to convert the old palace as a Residence. Instead the current Bangalore palace premises was purchased by Rev. Garret and developed later to be fit for the King. As such your statement :The Tipu Fort in Banglore is still there and now privately owned by the Mysore Royal Family is without basis.

In this fort, if I remember correctly, there are images of Ganesha and Hanuman.

@ Gauri Satya . Yes Sir!

Thanks dear Raja for confirming my comment. I had seen the fort long back and hence remembered the presence of two images vaguely.

@ Amita, Again the picture shown is not that of Bangalore Fort and palace. Yes, there was a fort built my Kempe Gowda ( around 1537) . After Ranadullah Khan of Bijapur defeated the Kempe Gowda II in 1638. Shahji Bhonsley ( father of Chatrpathi Shivaji) was the second in command and Bangalore was given to him as Jahgir. He Ruled till his death in 1664. His son Venkaji ( aka Ekoji) ( by his second wife Tuka Bai) continued the Jahgir till he sold it Mysore King Chikka Deva Raja Wodeyar around 1687. This was because he had usurped Tanjore in 1675 and was finding it difficult to hold on to Bangalore simultaneously. There is some Grey area as as some say Mughal's under Kasim Khan had a fleeting control over banaglore and Chikka Devaraja actually paid 3 lakhs to Mughals ! But the end result was the same ! Obviously there was a Palace of Kempe Gowda and one of Marathas too. If it was one and the same is not clear. However the Palace of Shahji is mentioned as Gowri Vilas in some records! But Chikka Devaraja is credited with building a larger oval fort and also the famous Temple of Venkataramana which was slightly damaged during Cornwallis conquest in 1792. As already stated the Fort may have been strengthened Hyder/ Tipu's de-facto Rule. But after 1792 it was destroyed by piqued Tipu and was rebuilt after 1799 by Dewan Purniah who was the Regent during the minority of KRW III. The link given by you also states that The Wodeyars then built the famous Lal Bagh in 1759 ! There is no evidence to support this ! But some sources state that there was indeed a old Garden where Hyder develped initially what is now called as Lal-Bagh. Ironically he never called it as La-Bagh. This was the name given actually to a garden developed by him at Ganjam/ Srirnagapatana. Again this was at a place where the Dalvoy's had developed a Garden known A Sita sarovar ( as a canal built by Ranadhira Kanteerva Narasraja Wodeyar known as Bangara Doddi Nala culminates at this point). Again Daria Daulat was the location of the original Mahanavami Mantap and a branch of the canal mentioned above culminates at this location. But the above Lal Bagh at Ganjam was practically destroyed by British for forage in the prolonged war. Even the Garden at Bangalore was practically non-existent after 1799 till it was developed by successive Superintendent like Cameron, Krumbigal etc. Even the famed Kempe Gowda Towers are not what they look today. On the locations of the original Towers, Kengal Hanumanthiah (CM of Mysore 52-56 and built the Vidhana Soudha) ) seems to have practically rebuilt and recast the Towers as they look today. Hope i have clarified the doubts raised by you.