The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : `Tipu Sultan's administration was bilingual'

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Sunday, Oct 01, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

`Tipu Sultan's administration was bilingual'

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Gandhian and former Minister Harnahalli Ramaswamy has said that Tipu Sultan did not attach much importance to the language of administration. Historians and researchers should try to understand the fundamental method he adopted in his administration in the background of the problems he faced during the last ten years of his rule, he said.

He was speaking at a seminar on `Tipu Kannada Premiye?' (Did Tipu love Kannada?) at a meeting organised by Varthamana, an intellectual forum, here on Saturday.

Differing with the statement made by the noted historian S. Shettar, Mr. Ramaswamy said the view held by some Leftist scholars that invaders looted temples for money was only a half-truth. The truth was that apart from the money, temples were attacked with the sole purpose of desecrating idols.

Court language

Prof. Shettar said Tipu was one among the outstanding rulers of the State. He used Persian as his court language and employed Kannada for day-to-day administration. If Tipu was discarded from the pages of history because his administration was bilingual, then it would become necessary to discard many other important rulers as well.

Hatred for Tipu was irrational as there were no records to prove that he was against Kannada. His letters to the Sringeri seer would move anyone with the humility they reflect, Prof. Shettar said.

Tipu, like many other rulers, also committed blunders. Kings, in those times, were always waging war and looting temples to augment revenue, he said.

The noted historian Suryanath Kamath said Persian would have been the language of the State had the British decided to allow Tipu's son to ascend the throne. The Mysore kings saved Kannada, he said. According to him, Tipu had no concern for the local people. His decision to isolate himself and his administration from the people initially resulted in the loss of revenue and finally to his downfall.

The noted scholar M. Chidananda Murthy and retired professor of social science Mamtaz Ali Khan spoke.

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