07-30-2004, 06:22 AM
TIPU'S ENDOWMENTS TO HINDUS AND HINDU INSTITUTIONS
A. Subbaraya Chetty
(From Irfan Habib's "Resistence and Modernization under Haider Ali and Tipu
Sultan")
Writers on Tipu can be said to belong to three schools. The first school, led by
foreign writers like Wilks, asserts that Tipu was an unmitigated Muslim fanatic
like Aurangazeb or even worse. To the second school of writers belongs Mr
S.N.Sen who, commenting on Tipu's letters to the Swami of Sringeri Mutt writes,
'Tipu tolerated the practice of Hindu Religion within his own territory and
became popular with all his subjects, but the same toleration was not allowed to
the population of the enemy countries by the zealous Mohammedan ruler of
Mysore.' Writers of the third school say that since his letters to the Sringeri
Mutt date from 1791, Tipu came to have a certain amount of faith in the Hindus
in the later part of his reign only as a result of his faith in efficacy of
Hindu ceremonies of incantation, etc., to destroy his enemies which became from
1791 his one obsession.
But these writers have not gone deep enough into the matter. If they had done
so, they could have found out that Tipu from the very beginning of his rule was
as sympathetic and faithful to the Hindus as to the Muslims. The numerous
charities and endowments he made to several Hindus and Hindu institutions are
given below:
1782 (i) An order directing Haridasayya, Amildar of the Baramahal Territory to
resume for the Sarkar all the lands and franchises, except Devadayam and
Brhamadayam (Temple and Brahmin Endowments). (See Baramahal Records (B.R), Section V, p. 39).
(ii) Grant of Kothanuthala, a village in the present Cudappah district, to one Ramachar, son of Komachar, for the puja of the Anjaneyaswami temple of Gandikota (Local Records (L.R.), Vol IV, p.434).
(iii) A sanad in Marathi issued to his Amildar Konappa directing him
to allow the Swamiji of Pushpagiri Mutt to enjoy the revenues of Thongapalli and
Golapalli. (L.R., Vol. IV, p.474).
(iv) A sanad ordering the continuation of the usual worship of Venkatachalapali temple and restoration of the discontinued puja of Anjaneyaswami temple at Pulivendla in Cuddapah district (L.R., Vol. IV, p. 280).
(v) Grant of Gattupet Agraharam as 'Serva Manayam' for the expenses of
Narsimhaswami temple of that place at a lesser rate than in his predecessor's
time (L.R., Vol. IV, p.289).
1783 (i) An Agraharam grant to Himakuntala Laksminarasimha Somayyaji and five
other in the south of the village of Potladurthi, Kamalapuram taluqa (L.R..,
Vol. II, pp. 294-95).
1784 (i) A sanad granting Venktampali Agraharam to Venkatachala Sastri and a
number of Brahmins, requiring them to dedicate their time praying for the length
of his life and prosperity (B.R., Vol. V, p. 135).
(ii) On Baba Budangiri, there is what is called Dattatreya Peetah, an
inscription referring to Tipu's restoration of twenty villages given originally
by the Kings of Anegondi to the Pettah (Mysore Archaeological Report (M.A.R.) of
1931, p. 21).
1785 (i) A grant to the Naraswami Temple of Melukote of 12 elephants sent
through the naik Srinivasachar (S.R. 77, Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. 3).
(ii) Grant of Chintagunta to Krinampatu (L.R.., Vol. 3, p. 32).
1786 (i) Grant of kettledrum to the temple of Narasimhaswami of Melkota (M.A.R.,
1916, p.39).
(ii) A Sanskrit verse in the Canarese script recording the grant of
lands to the temples and Brahmins on the banks of the Tungabhadra (L.R., Vol.
24, p. 16).
(iii) Grant of village of Ramakrishnam Botlupalli as shortryam to
Ramakrishnam Botlu (L.R., Vol. 3, pp. 31-32).
1787 Grant of permission for the construction of a mosque on the side of a Hindu
temple got from the Brahmins with their goodwill (M.A.R., 1935), p. 61, and
Miles' History of the Reign of Tipu Sultan.
1788 (i) A Marathi inscription ordering Asuf Mohamed to continue the enjoyment
of the villages of Oballapet and Koppolu to Rangacharlu and Sumati
Srinivasacharlu togrther with other allowances (Inscriptions of Madras
Presidency by Rangachari, Cud. 364).
(ii) Continuation of all manyams to Chennekeswaraswami Temple of
Machunur (L.R., Vol. 2, p. 275).
(iii) A sanad of Tipu granting a hereditary annual pension of ten
pagodas to one Narasimhajoshi, a panchangi (B.R., Section 18, p. 98).
(iv) Continuation of grant of life pension to Rama pandit, physician
(B.R., Section 18, p.98).
1789 Grant of pension to Venkannachari and Srinivasa Moorthi Achari (B.R.,
Section 18, p.111).
1790 (i) A Canarese inscription recording Tipu's grant as Inam of Kamalapuram to
Lakshmikanthachari (L.R., Vol. 10, p. 258).
(ii) An order of Tipu to Haridasayya, Amildar of Baramahal, directing
the restoration of the land attached to the Devasthanam of Chandramowliswara in
the village of Kaveripatti for the purpose of Paditharam and Dhiparadhanam on
the representation of the fact by Sankarayya Pujari of Salem District, with all
the produce that may have been collected from it in the interim, agreeable to
the established custom. (B.R., Section 5, p. 116).
1791-1799 Letters to Sringeri Mutt. 1. (1792) Supply of men and money necessary
for the reconstruction of the Saraswathi Idol pulled out during the Mahratta
raid on Mysore (M.A.R., 19 [sic], p. 74).
1793 Letter to Sringeri Swami requesting him to live in his [Tipu's] country
only and to pray to God for the increase of his prosperity.
1782-92 Directing that 1/64 of the grant made to Anandabhatt Gopalabhat of
Anyampettah must be used for the maintenance of Lakshminarasimha Pagoda of that village (B.R., Section V, p. 10).
(ii) Presentation of a Dutch bell (carried from the Christian churches of Malabar) to the Venkaramana Temple of Nagar (N.R.78, Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. VIII, Part II).
(iii) Presentation of a silver jeweled cup to the Srikanteswara Temple at Nanjangud. (M.A.R., 1918).
(iv) A proverb in vogue in Kanakala of South Canara Didtrict----
'Tipu Sultan Ale Ruppe', referring to the silver jewels that Tipu presented to
Veera Hanuman Temple of Kanakala.
(v) Babayya Durga at Penukonda and the Durga of Sayyad Salar Masul
Sahib near Tonnur (Mysore Archaeological Survey Report of 1939, Part II, p. 27).
(vi) Pervali Kyfit--- During the rule of Tipu, at the temple of Sri Ranga of that village all the daily, annual and other periodical pujas, festivals, processions, worships, with all facilities and privileges provided for everyone connected with that temple according to traditions and all the court officials personally supported all the performances of the pujas (L.R.,Vol. 40, pp. 462-63).
(vii) In Tipu's time, the idol was installed in the Prasanna Venkateswara temple in Uratur in Kommaditima and provision was made for the expenses of daily worship and inam lands were granted to the Archakars and other servants of the temple (L.R., Vol. 10, p. 180).
(ix) On Bababudangiri there is what is called Dattatreya Peetah an inscription referring to Tipu's restoration of 20 villages given by the Kings of Aregundi to the Mutt (M.A.R., 1931, p. 21).
(x) Tipu's sanad for an annual allowance of 85 chakras to the two Pagodas of Lakshminarayana and Somasundaraswami of Doulatabad (B.R., Vol. 22, p.8).
Notes and References
S.N. Sen, Indian Antiquary, Vol. 48, p. 102.
S. Krishnaswami Iyengar, 'Sidelights on Character of Haider Ali and Tipu', The
Hindu, Madras, 2 April 1939.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
A. Subbaraya Chetty
(From Irfan Habib's "Resistence and Modernization under Haider Ali and Tipu
Sultan")
Writers on Tipu can be said to belong to three schools. The first school, led by
foreign writers like Wilks, asserts that Tipu was an unmitigated Muslim fanatic
like Aurangazeb or even worse. To the second school of writers belongs Mr
S.N.Sen who, commenting on Tipu's letters to the Swami of Sringeri Mutt writes,
'Tipu tolerated the practice of Hindu Religion within his own territory and
became popular with all his subjects, but the same toleration was not allowed to
the population of the enemy countries by the zealous Mohammedan ruler of
Mysore.' Writers of the third school say that since his letters to the Sringeri
Mutt date from 1791, Tipu came to have a certain amount of faith in the Hindus
in the later part of his reign only as a result of his faith in efficacy of
Hindu ceremonies of incantation, etc., to destroy his enemies which became from
1791 his one obsession.
But these writers have not gone deep enough into the matter. If they had done
so, they could have found out that Tipu from the very beginning of his rule was
as sympathetic and faithful to the Hindus as to the Muslims. The numerous
charities and endowments he made to several Hindus and Hindu institutions are
given below:
1782 (i) An order directing Haridasayya, Amildar of the Baramahal Territory to
resume for the Sarkar all the lands and franchises, except Devadayam and
Brhamadayam (Temple and Brahmin Endowments). (See Baramahal Records (B.R), Section V, p. 39).
(ii) Grant of Kothanuthala, a village in the present Cudappah district, to one Ramachar, son of Komachar, for the puja of the Anjaneyaswami temple of Gandikota (Local Records (L.R.), Vol IV, p.434).
(iii) A sanad in Marathi issued to his Amildar Konappa directing him
to allow the Swamiji of Pushpagiri Mutt to enjoy the revenues of Thongapalli and
Golapalli. (L.R., Vol. IV, p.474).
(iv) A sanad ordering the continuation of the usual worship of Venkatachalapali temple and restoration of the discontinued puja of Anjaneyaswami temple at Pulivendla in Cuddapah district (L.R., Vol. IV, p. 280).
(v) Grant of Gattupet Agraharam as 'Serva Manayam' for the expenses of
Narsimhaswami temple of that place at a lesser rate than in his predecessor's
time (L.R., Vol. IV, p.289).
1783 (i) An Agraharam grant to Himakuntala Laksminarasimha Somayyaji and five
other in the south of the village of Potladurthi, Kamalapuram taluqa (L.R..,
Vol. II, pp. 294-95).
1784 (i) A sanad granting Venktampali Agraharam to Venkatachala Sastri and a
number of Brahmins, requiring them to dedicate their time praying for the length
of his life and prosperity (B.R., Vol. V, p. 135).
(ii) On Baba Budangiri, there is what is called Dattatreya Peetah, an
inscription referring to Tipu's restoration of twenty villages given originally
by the Kings of Anegondi to the Pettah (Mysore Archaeological Report (M.A.R.) of
1931, p. 21).
1785 (i) A grant to the Naraswami Temple of Melukote of 12 elephants sent
through the naik Srinivasachar (S.R. 77, Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. 3).
(ii) Grant of Chintagunta to Krinampatu (L.R.., Vol. 3, p. 32).
1786 (i) Grant of kettledrum to the temple of Narasimhaswami of Melkota (M.A.R.,
1916, p.39).
(ii) A Sanskrit verse in the Canarese script recording the grant of
lands to the temples and Brahmins on the banks of the Tungabhadra (L.R., Vol.
24, p. 16).
(iii) Grant of village of Ramakrishnam Botlupalli as shortryam to
Ramakrishnam Botlu (L.R., Vol. 3, pp. 31-32).
1787 Grant of permission for the construction of a mosque on the side of a Hindu
temple got from the Brahmins with their goodwill (M.A.R., 1935), p. 61, and
Miles' History of the Reign of Tipu Sultan.
1788 (i) A Marathi inscription ordering Asuf Mohamed to continue the enjoyment
of the villages of Oballapet and Koppolu to Rangacharlu and Sumati
Srinivasacharlu togrther with other allowances (Inscriptions of Madras
Presidency by Rangachari, Cud. 364).
(ii) Continuation of all manyams to Chennekeswaraswami Temple of
Machunur (L.R., Vol. 2, p. 275).
(iii) A sanad of Tipu granting a hereditary annual pension of ten
pagodas to one Narasimhajoshi, a panchangi (B.R., Section 18, p. 98).
(iv) Continuation of grant of life pension to Rama pandit, physician
(B.R., Section 18, p.98).
1789 Grant of pension to Venkannachari and Srinivasa Moorthi Achari (B.R.,
Section 18, p.111).
1790 (i) A Canarese inscription recording Tipu's grant as Inam of Kamalapuram to
Lakshmikanthachari (L.R., Vol. 10, p. 258).
(ii) An order of Tipu to Haridasayya, Amildar of Baramahal, directing
the restoration of the land attached to the Devasthanam of Chandramowliswara in
the village of Kaveripatti for the purpose of Paditharam and Dhiparadhanam on
the representation of the fact by Sankarayya Pujari of Salem District, with all
the produce that may have been collected from it in the interim, agreeable to
the established custom. (B.R., Section 5, p. 116).
1791-1799 Letters to Sringeri Mutt. 1. (1792) Supply of men and money necessary
for the reconstruction of the Saraswathi Idol pulled out during the Mahratta
raid on Mysore (M.A.R., 19 [sic], p. 74).
1793 Letter to Sringeri Swami requesting him to live in his [Tipu's] country
only and to pray to God for the increase of his prosperity.
1782-92 Directing that 1/64 of the grant made to Anandabhatt Gopalabhat of
Anyampettah must be used for the maintenance of Lakshminarasimha Pagoda of that village (B.R., Section V, p. 10).
(ii) Presentation of a Dutch bell (carried from the Christian churches of Malabar) to the Venkaramana Temple of Nagar (N.R.78, Epigraphia Carnatica, Vol. VIII, Part II).
(iii) Presentation of a silver jeweled cup to the Srikanteswara Temple at Nanjangud. (M.A.R., 1918).
(iv) A proverb in vogue in Kanakala of South Canara Didtrict----
'Tipu Sultan Ale Ruppe', referring to the silver jewels that Tipu presented to
Veera Hanuman Temple of Kanakala.
(v) Babayya Durga at Penukonda and the Durga of Sayyad Salar Masul
Sahib near Tonnur (Mysore Archaeological Survey Report of 1939, Part II, p. 27).
(vi) Pervali Kyfit--- During the rule of Tipu, at the temple of Sri Ranga of that village all the daily, annual and other periodical pujas, festivals, processions, worships, with all facilities and privileges provided for everyone connected with that temple according to traditions and all the court officials personally supported all the performances of the pujas (L.R.,Vol. 40, pp. 462-63).
(vii) In Tipu's time, the idol was installed in the Prasanna Venkateswara temple in Uratur in Kommaditima and provision was made for the expenses of daily worship and inam lands were granted to the Archakars and other servants of the temple (L.R., Vol. 10, p. 180).
(ix) On Bababudangiri there is what is called Dattatreya Peetah an inscription referring to Tipu's restoration of 20 villages given by the Kings of Aregundi to the Mutt (M.A.R., 1931, p. 21).
(x) Tipu's sanad for an annual allowance of 85 chakras to the two Pagodas of Lakshminarayana and Somasundaraswami of Doulatabad (B.R., Vol. 22, p.8).
Notes and References
S.N. Sen, Indian Antiquary, Vol. 48, p. 102.
S. Krishnaswami Iyengar, 'Sidelights on Character of Haider Ali and Tipu', The
Hindu, Madras, 2 April 1939.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]