After #ThankMughals, a Tipu Sultan hashtag is the latest to spark historical debate

After #ThankMughals, a Tipu Sultan hashtag is the latest to spark historical debate

After #ThankMughals, a Tipu Sultan hashtag is the latest to spark historical debate

A fiery debate broke out on Twitter on Wednesday as the hashtag #BharatRatnaForTipu trended, with over 33,000 tweets as of Wednesday evening.

Tipu Sultan, the Mysore Ruler who reigned between 11782 and 1799, has left a divisive legacy in India. Though revered by some as an anti-colonial hero who beat the British in the Battle of Pollulur and who managed to slow down their advance, he is also reviled by those who see him a bigot who oppressed and forcibly converted the Hindus and the Kodavas.

While Tipu’s legacy has long been debated, the topic has reached the public of late in particular after the BJP government in Karnataka scrapped the celebration of Tipu’s birth anniversary shortly after taking power. Later, the state’s education minister ordered a report to look into removing him from textbooks in the state.

Recently, on November 7, the Karnataka High Court directed the state government to reconsider its decision after hearing a PIL that challenged it.

On the morning of November 20, the All India Mahila Congress tweeted in praise of Tipu, remembering him for his "valour and resistance" against the East India Company.

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BJP MP Tejasvi Surya speech where he called Tipu a fanatic was widely shared. In it, Surya says where he says, “All that Tipu did was persecute temples, demolish idols, and convert people in thousands.”

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Those who defended Tipu saw him as a freedom fighter defending against the British, and as a ruler who pioneered rocketry.

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Critics of Tipu saw him as a religious bigot and a brutal killer.

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Islamic Scholar Mufti Yasir Nadeem shared several tweets calling for Tipu to receive a Bharat Ratna. He also called for other Mughal rulers to be recognised, including Aurangzeb and Shah Jahan.

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As the debate grew historical, some shared the inscription Tipu Sultan had engraved at Seringapatnam, originally intended against the British.

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Tipu Jayanti is celebrated on November 10.  

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