Marathas, Nizam, British… how many wars did Tipu Sultan fight, what was the result?

Tipu Sultan, the Sultan of Mysore, was one of the rare rulers in Indian history who simultaneously fought against the Maratha Confederacy, the Nizam, and the British East India Company. 

He was known as the Tiger of Mysore in South Indian politics during the late 18th century. To some, he was a freedom fighter, while to others, he was a ruthless ruler.

On the occasion of his birth anniversary, if we examine his battles and the controversy surrounding his birth date, an interesting but complex history emerges. Let's try to understand the times and reasons behind his conflicts with the Marathas, the Nizam, and the British.

How did the Maratha-Mysore conflict begin?

The struggle between Mysore and the Maratha power had begun since the time of Tipu's father, Hyder Ali. The Maratha Peshwa, Madhavrao I, defeated Hyder Ali in 1764 and 1767, but Mysore gradually emerged as a military power. Tipu Sultan was sent on campaigns against the Marathas from his teenage years. 

Tipu's goal was clear: to break the tradition of Maratha extortion (Chauth-Sardeshmukhi) in the Deccan and to maintain Mysore's control over the wealthy regions of Karnataka and Malabar.

During the Maratha-Mysore War (c. 1785-1787), Tipu attacked areas like Nargund, Savanur, and Adoni. The Maratha leadership viewed this as a direct attack on their sphere of influence. 

A settlement was eventually reached through the Treaty of Gajendragad in 1787, but distrust remained. Both the Marathas and Tipu aspired to become the decisive power center in the Deccan, so this conflict was primarily a battle for power and resources, not just religion.

Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan did not accept the Nizam's mixed attitude towards the British.

Relations with the Nizam of Hyderabad

Nizam Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad, periodically shifted alliances with the British and the Marathas. Sometimes he appeared with Hyder Ali and Tipu, and sometimes in their opposing camp. In Tipu's view, the Nizam's greatest mistake was allowing the British East India Company to gain a foothold in the Deccan.

Tipu considered himself a protector of both Muslim power and local autonomy in the Deccan, and therefore the Nizam's mixed attitude towards the British was unacceptable to him. In the Third and Fourth Anglo-Mysore Wars, the Nizam clearly sided with the British, which became a major factor in Tipu's downfall.

Four wars with the British East India Company

The roots of the conflict with the British date back to the time of Hyder Ali, when Mysore allied with France amid the Franco-British rivalry. Tipu furthered this policy and dreamed of ousting the British from South India. 

Tipu participated as a young general in the First and Second Mysore Wars (especially the Second, 1780-1784) and played a decisive role in victories such as the one at Pollilur. In the Battle of Pallilur, Mysore's rockets and deadly siege weapons inflicted heavy losses on the British army.

The immediate cause of the Third Anglo-Mysore War (1789–1792) was Tipu's attack on Travancore, a British ally. The British, Marathas, and Nizam jointly attacked Tipu. The result was the Treaty of Seringapatam (1792), in which Tipu was forced to surrender half his territory and two sons as hostages.

The alliance was further strengthened when the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799) broke out. The British, Marathas, and Nizam allied against Tipu Sultan. In the final battle of Seringapatam on May 4, 1799, Tipu Sultan was killed fighting on the fort walls. 

While fighting the British, Tipu also attempted to secure diplomatic and military support from France, Turkey, and Afghanistan. He is also known for his rocket artillery, a new monetary system, land reforms, and the promotion of industries such as silk, all of which are mentioned in numerous research texts and history books.

There is also controversy over the birth date of Tipu Sultan.

Controversy over Tipu Sultan's birth date: November 20 or December 1?

For a long time, history books and popular writings considered Tipu Sultan's birth date to be November 20, 1750. This date was taken from his biographer, Mir Hussain Ali Khan Kirmani's book, Nishan-e-Haideri (Tarikh-e-Tipu Sultan), in which he recorded Tipu's birth according to the Hijri calendar. 

According to that date, 20 Zilhijja 1163 Hijri corresponds to November 20, 1750, in the Gregorian calendar. However, in recent decades, some researchers have questioned this date and proposed a new date based on Tipu Sultan's own orders and documents.

Kirmani's book, written a few years after Tipu's death and translated into English in the 19th century, remained the primary source for a long time. References such as the Britannica also previously gave Tipu's birth date as November 20, 1750. 

In recent research, historian and researcher Nidhin G. Olikara closely studied Persian manuscripts held in the British Library and other archives. He particularly emphasized two or three original sources.

The military manual prepared by Tipu for his army is called Fatah-ul-Mujahideen. A copy of this is preserved in the British Library. It lists the occasions when gun salutes were to be fired. 

One entry refers to Tipu's birthday, stating that a certain number of gun salutes should be fired on the Sultan's anniversary, on the 14th day of a certain month. 

The manual, obtained and translated by the British officer Colonel John Murry in 1792, contains official regulations of Tipu's reign. It also gives the date of the Sultan's birthday, under his own seal, as the 14th day of the month of Tului/Zakiri, 1165 Hijri.

A slip from the British Library, cited by William Kirkpatrick in his book, also records the same date. All three independent documents mention the 14th Tului/Zaqiri month, the year 1165 Hijri. 

Tului or Zaqiri are actually months of Tipu Sultan's own Mauludi calendar, which he developed based on the Hindu calendar (a 12-month system starting with Chaitra). Using astronomy software and calendar comparison, Olikara demonstrated that this date corresponds to December 1, 1751, in the Gregorian calendar.

A concise, popular version of this research is available in Rewriting History: How I Discovered the True Birth Date of Tipu Sultan. Britannica also accepts Tipu's birth date as December 1, 1751, Devanahalli, in its article until 2025.

What date do historians believe?

Old school historians, especially those who relied heavily on Kirmani's book, still often write 20 November 1750. However, based on documents issued during Tipu's reign, his stamped regulations, and technical analysis of the Mauludi calendar, many prominent researchers and historians of the new generation today believe that Tipu Sultan's correct birth date should be 1 December 1751, while 20 November 1750 is an older date based on indirect information.

Thus, Tipu Sultan's entire life was marked by conflicts with the Maratha Confederacy, the Nizam, Travancore, the local Malabar princely states, and, most importantly, the British East India Company. 

These conflicts were rooted primarily in the politics of power, territorial dominance, revenue, and imperial expansion, further complicated by religious identity. Today, as we celebrate his birth anniversary or debate the controversies, it is important to approach the available historical sources with a balanced perspective.

Drawing on later works like Kirmani's, as well as Persian documents bearing Tipu's own seal and command, contemporary research now suggests that Tipu Sultan was born in Devanahalli on December 1, 1751, and died fighting on the walls of Sirangapatnam on May 4, 1799.