Tipu Sultan the hero from Mysore

• Recently I heard about Tipu Sultan controversy happening in Karnataka and elsewhere.
• Then I did some research which basically included reading about Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan on Wikipedia.
• I also read about Anglo Mysore wars and Mysore Maratha wars.
• Also linked to above  are French-British wars and Anglo Dutch wars and of course Napoleon Bonaparte.
• That more research is required but what I must say is that everything is linked and the present can be traced to the past.
• I will like to say that though Tipu Sultan is controversial he is a hero.
• He is brave hero and the present day Karnataka state owes it's existence to Tipu Sultan.
• He was not working for unity of the country as we know of it today which is India.
• But he was working for freedom and independence of his own Kingdom of Mysore.
• The fact is even after Tipu Sultan was killed in battle with the British, the British preferred to not incorporate Mysore into Madras state like it happened to Nizam state or the territory under the Marathas.
• This "quasi-independence" which Mysore state enjoyed immediately following the death of Tipu gave rise to present day Karnataka which is able to stand on its own.
• British never had the guts to incorporate Mysore with their own Madras Presidency. And it is due to severest fight given by Mysore by Tipu Sultan.
• Karnataka got chance to fully integrate with India only post independence.
• And today Karnataka is home to people from all over the country as well as the world.
• Without heroic fight of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, Karnataka would have been swamped by Telugus and Tamils and be part of Madras state which did not happen.
• Else Karnataka would have swamped by Marathas from up North.
• Mysore was at war with Marathas, Nizam as well as British during Tipu Sultan time.
• Hence we have to appreciate what has happened in history and not force distorted versions.
• Particularly those versions which were written by British appointed writers sought to demonise Tipu following his defeat to show that British rule was better.
• Under Tipu Sultan the Mysore state was the most developed portion of India with lot of trading happening which was taken over by British following 1799.
• Else those who do not appreciate the differences are bound to face them again and again.