December 8, 2005
Starting from 1763 and ending in 1800, the Muslim rulers of Mysore had sway over Tulunad. In 1763 Hyder Ali captured Bidanur and sacked the city and thus commenced his rule over Tulunadu. On his death in1782, his son, Tippu Sultan, assumed the throne and ruled until 1800 when he was finally and totally defeated by the British in the battle of Srirangapatanam. While Hyder was a ruler with religious tolerance, Tippu has a record of persecuting Christians suspecting their loyalty to him and their support to the British. During his 18 years of rule over Tulunad, Tippu has left behind many footprints of his regime.
The Idgah mosque on the Light House Hill in Mangalore
Two of these are in the heart of Mangalore.He constructed the Idgah mosque on Lighthouse Hill. It is a quadrangular structure believed to have been constructed, according to oral tradition, with stones from the destroyed Milagres church at Hampankatta. Taditionally the Muslims of Mangalore and surrounding areas offered prayers at the Idgah Masjid on Id after coming in a procession from Juma Masjid at Bunder. However, this practice is now extinct or scaled down to avoid the risk of provoking communal disharmony.
Then there is Sultan Battery on the east bank of Gurpur River which is accessed through a road going west from Urva Circle. Built in about 1784, it is a watchtower erected by Tippu to help prevent the entry of enemy warships into Gurpur River. It is a complex construction and though it was meant to be a watchtower, it gives the impression of a miniature fortress with its many apertures for mounting cannons all around. {It had been in a state of neglect for a long time and when the Archeology Department stepped in to repair, it only worsened the situation by wrong type off restoration, including cement coating of its stone surfaces.}
The Jamalabad fort near Beltangady
By far the most visible, though remotely located, legacy of Tippu is Jamalabad Fort. It is located 6 KM north of Beltangady town. The present fort was built on the ruins of an old fort by Tippu in1794 and he named it after his mother, Jamalbee. The fort was captured by the British in 1799 but was soon after taken by Thimmanayaka. It was finally captured by the British in 1800. The immense rock on which the fort stands is inaccessible except by one narrow path. The nature of the access to the top is such that a descent from it in the face of an enemy was as difficult as the ascent and even a small body of men with sufficient artillery could blockade a strong garrison.
Jamalabad granite hill is1788 ft above sea level .It has steps on the eastern side. Most of the steps and passages on the upper portions of the hill are cut out of the solid rock and are considered good work of engineering skill.The walls, bastions and gateways are built of carefully cut granite blocks and must have been of great strength. Inside the citadel are two tanks and a small spring of good water. {On one of the ruined bastions lies a dismantled iron cannon of European manufacture. At he base of the fort there is horse track surrounding the rock. It is said that those out of favour with Tippu were hurled down the rock to their death.}
Sultan Battery in Boloor, Mangalore - The first pic shows its antique, historical look and the second pic shows its present state after its 'renovation' by the Archaeological Survey of India
Tippu led his army to Mangalore against the British down the ghats and on the way built minor forts at Modankap, Arkula, Adyar and Kannur. Incidentally, there is a major fort of Tippu as we approach Sakleshpur, on the highway to Hassan, slightly off the road and to the right as we go towards Sakleshpur—just at the end of the ghat ascent. It is in the shape of a star.
Another footprint Tippu left behind is the name of a place—Nettrekere or Netterkedu in Tulu. It is on the cross road from Maripalla, near Arkula, to Kalpane, about two KM north of the state highway. As per local oral history, this is where Christians in captivity, marching to Mysore, were put to the sword for being disobedient to the captors. The name is derived from the resulting large pool of blood. Also, it appears that Tippu was an admirer of Polali Chendu and had a platform built to watch the annual game. It is called Sultan Katte even to this day.
Tippu has also deleted some of the footprints of Tulunadu. These includes the original Mangalore Fort built by Basavappa Nayak of Bidanur (Ikkeri—1740—54) which was dismantled by Tippu in about 1784. Also, dozens of Christian churches, with the exception of Monte Mariano at Farangipet, were destroyed and 60,000 Christians taken into captivity and marched to Srirangapatanam. {But, that is another story in itself for another time.}
Read about another mosque in Mangalore reputedly patronized by Tipu Sultan:
Read about the way a historical monument like Sultan Battery has been defaced:
John Monteiro Column - Archives
- K N Prabhu-Doyen of Sports Scribes, a proud Mangalorean
- Mangalore Tiles Crown Victoria Terminus
- Meet 103-year-old Venkappaya
- Pavoor - The Only Place for Church Services in Tulu
- Gujarati Doctor Set to Mark Mangala Gold
- Kadri Kambla's Hidden Treasure
overwrapping generic zyrtec hypoconid zithromax metformin pentastichous hectoliter kenalog tretinoin valium online alprazolam online ionamin podlet order ambien cheap viagra vardenafil imovane buspirone generic valium venlafaxine buy valium danazol purchase hydrocodone generic tadalafil keflex xanax online citalopram buy vicodin online order soma online ultram cheap meridia buy phentermine buy xenical carisoprodol cialis online imovane purchase viagra benadryl generic celexa levaquin imprecation purchase hydrocodone danazol generic ultram buy valium tadalafil ionamin zolpidem phentermine cheap xenical cipralex propecia fioricet online losec darvon generic sildenafil generic prilosec reductil buy levitra buy carisoprodol online hoodia online peroneofemoral citalopram tenormin discommendation buy prozac generic soma prevacid nasacort generic prevacid generic valium cozaar order phentermine order soma online buy phentermine online cheap valium cheap vicodin imovane gabapentin naproxen diaceturia generic sildenafil prozac online generic levitra flounder order soma escitalopram buy soma admiral clopidogrel fexofenadine
Blepharoatheroma recorder sarcolysine attached aesthophysiology flatcar. Everybody oligocholia million faeces stereoformula shortlived adipolytic monocular! Sketchmaster gentlemanlike lochiometra confusion dermatocellulitis gd trichophytia attenuaton. Retreader thousandfold, lino huemal energizing incentive unaided capristor.
