A View of the Origin and Conduct of the War with Tippoo Sultaun by Alexander Beatson, 1800
Tipu Sultan (1750-1799) was the ruler of the Sultanate of Mysore. In addition to his role as ruler, he was a scholar, soldier, and poet. He was also a devout Muslim, but the majority of his subjects were Hindus. Proficient in many languages, he formed an alliance with the French against their common enemy--the British--and regularly corresponded with Napoleon. His formidable victories against the British on the battlefield led him to become a legendary phantom figure in the British colonial imagination. He earned the name “Tiger of Mysore” due to his powerful persona, which he encouraged by adorning his clothes, the upholstery of his throne, and the cushions of his chamber with tiger stripes. He was finally defeated in 1799 by the British at the Battle of Seringapatam. In fact, the founding collection of the British Library consisted of a vast number of valuable manuscripts taken from Tipu’s personal library after the fall of Seringapatam.
Seringapatam was known for its resplendent beauty and wealth. It was the seat of Tipu Sultan’s power, in the Kingdom of Mysore. Seringapatam is also famous as the scene of the last confrontation between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore. After years of legendary victory against the British, Tipu Sultan was killed in action at the Battle of Seringapatam, and the Kingdom of Mysore defeated.
Over the span of 13 years, Tipu Sultan kept a private dream diary. He did not show this diary to even his closest associates, and hid it away in his bedroom. After the fall of Seringapatam, the British found Tipu’s dream diary in his bedroom and published it. The dreams, and Tipu’s interpretations of them, are often religious in nature and reflect his devotion to the Islamic faith. They provide a glimpse into the thoughts of this complex, ambitious, and devout man.
