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The Tiger of Mysore

105 points by Thevet 10y ago

douche 10y ago
As a relatively entertaining fictional account of events around the downfall of the Tipu Sultan, I have to recommend Sharpe's Tiger[1] [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpe's_Tiger https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpe's_Tiger
quantumtremor 10y ago
Although I don't know for sure, I believe Borges' short story The Zahir [0] refers to Tipu in his usual convoluted way. >In 1832, on the outskirts of Bhuj, Taylor heard the following uncommon expression used to signify madness or saintliness: “Haber visto al Tigre” (Verily he has looked on the tiger) He was told that the reference was to a magic tiger that was the perdition of all who saw it, even from a great distance, for they continued to think of it till the end of their days. Someone mentioned that one of those unfortunates had fled to Mysore, where he had painted the figure of the tiger in a palace. >Years later, Taylor visited the prisons of that kingdom; in the jail at Nithur, the Governor showed him a cell on whose floor, walls and vaulted ceiling a Moslem fakir had designed (in fantastic colors, which time, rather than erasing, refined) of an infinite tiger. It was a tiger composed of many tigers, in the most dizzying of ways; it was crisscrossed with tigers, striped with tigers and included seas and Himalayas and armies that resembled other tigers. [0] http://southerncrossreview.org/66/borges-zahir.htm http://southerncrossreview.org/66/borges-zahir.htm
dleslie 10y ago
> It is ironic that the current Hindu nationalist view of Tipu as a sadistic, fanatical war criminal so closely echoes the narratives of the British officers who fought and defeated him more than two centuries ago. It is equally surprising to find this Muslim autocrat, who revelled in the forced conversion of many thousands of Christian and Hindu prisoners, being hailed as a tolerant, secular nationalist by the Indian left. This is going to be interesting. > According to the memoirs of survivors, 52 British teenage boys were chosen for conversion to Islam in 1783. They were plied with bhang (hashish), held down by their arms and legs and circumcised by a barber. They were then plunged into scalding hot cauldrons of water to disinfect their wounds. Surprisingly, only one of them died. The rest were recruited into Tipu’s European brigades, while the youngest and prettiest became palace servants and dancing boys. Sadly, they were not released under subsequent peace treaties with the Company because Tipu maintained that they were willing converts and therefore his subjects. sigh I suppose that was tolerant for the time.
negamax 10y ago
Not sure how BJP (current ruling party) has come to be identified as anti left. It gained power simply because past governments (lead by Congress) were divisive, had done massive scams and corruptions. Previous parties (who also ruled) fanned religious divisions and kept people as vote banks, promoted caste based policies. India's current reservation system is one such e.g. Hosts of scams are many.
- glasshead969 10y ago
  Not even sure what is left in Indian sense. its not as clear cut as it is in west. And congress really doesn't have a clear ideology it stands right now except may be the misguided notion that Rahul Gandhi is amazing.
  - negamax 10y ago
    Current ruling party (BJP) is left as far as left's ideologies goes
mankash666 10y ago
The initial paragraphs summarize the dichotomy of Tipu's legacy, with the BJP obsessing over his crimes against humanity, which the article itself details. While Tipu might have been a fearsome leader, conqueror, there's no denying his Islamist crimes. There's no way an airport or public holiday can be named after him without controversy, just like one cannot exist in memorial of Hitler.

105 points by Thevet 10y ago

As a relatively entertaining fictional account of events around the downfall of the Tipu Sultan, I have to recommend Sharpe's Tiger[1] [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpe's_Tiger https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpe's_Tiger

quantumtremor 10y ago

Although I don't know for sure, I believe Borges' short story The Zahir [0] refers to Tipu in his usual convoluted way. >In 1832, on the outskirts of Bhuj, Taylor heard the following uncommon expression used to signify madness or saintliness: “Haber visto al Tigre” (Verily he has looked on the tiger) He was told that the reference was to a magic tiger that was the perdition of all who saw it, even from a great distance, for they continued to think of it till the end of their days. Someone mentioned that one of those unfortunates had fled to Mysore, where he had painted the figure of the tiger in a palace. >Years later, Taylor visited the prisons of that kingdom; in the jail at Nithur, the Governor showed him a cell on whose floor, walls and vaulted ceiling a Moslem fakir had designed (in fantastic colors, which time, rather than erasing, refined) of an infinite tiger. It was a tiger composed of many tigers, in the most dizzying of ways; it was crisscrossed with tigers, striped with tigers and included seas and Himalayas and armies that resembled other tigers. [0] http://southerncrossreview.org/66/borges-zahir.htm http://southerncrossreview.org/66/borges-zahir.htm

dleslie 10y ago

> It is ironic that the current Hindu nationalist view of Tipu as a sadistic, fanatical war criminal so closely echoes the narratives of the British officers who fought and defeated him more than two centuries ago. It is equally surprising to find this Muslim autocrat, who revelled in the forced conversion of many thousands of Christian and Hindu prisoners, being hailed as a tolerant, secular nationalist by the Indian left. This is going to be interesting. > According to the memoirs of survivors, 52 British teenage boys were chosen for conversion to Islam in 1783. They were plied with bhang (hashish), held down by their arms and legs and circumcised by a barber. They were then plunged into scalding hot cauldrons of water to disinfect their wounds. Surprisingly, only one of them died. The rest were recruited into Tipu’s European brigades, while the youngest and prettiest became palace servants and dancing boys. Sadly, they were not released under subsequent peace treaties with the Company because Tipu maintained that they were willing converts and therefore his subjects. sigh I suppose that was tolerant for the time.

negamax 10y ago

Not sure how BJP (current ruling party) has come to be identified as anti left. It gained power simply because past governments (lead by Congress) were divisive, had done massive scams and corruptions. Previous parties (who also ruled) fanned religious divisions and kept people as vote banks, promoted caste based policies. India's current reservation system is one such e.g. Hosts of scams are many.

glasshead969 10y ago
Not even sure what is left in Indian sense. its not as clear cut as it is in west. And congress really doesn't have a clear ideology it stands right now except may be the misguided notion that Rahul Gandhi is amazing.
- negamax 10y ago
  Current ruling party (BJP) is left as far as left's ideologies goes

mankash666 10y ago

The initial paragraphs summarize the dichotomy of Tipu's legacy, with the BJP obsessing over his crimes against humanity, which the article itself details. While Tipu might have been a fearsome leader, conqueror, there's no denying his Islamist crimes. There's no way an airport or public holiday can be named after him without controversy, just like one cannot exist in memorial of Hitler.