Kunnamkulam is not a “new” syrian cntre .Christians hve lived there for centuries bfor tipus invasion.

This is a very interesting account on Tipu’s Malabar invasion. Though much has been written about Tipu atrocities against hindus not much is written about the sufferings of Syrian Christians.Good work.

Thanks, that was interesting. Good work.
But there is one further, even more sad,
aspect which apparently was not mentioned -
the loss of several Nazranee Syrian Christians
through forceful conversion by the Muslims…

Thanks for the (guest ?) post. Most of the content is new to me. As I commented at another post, this site is very much useful to the younger generation who being busy in their early days for their career are unaware of many of these and other struggles our forefathers had gone through.

“Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan were formidable adversaries who inflicted a severe defeat on the British and came near to breaking the power of the East India Company. Haider Ali was a remarkable man and one of the notable figures in Indian history. He had some kind of national ideal and possessed the qualities of a leader with vision. He realized, long before others did so, the importance of sea power and the growing menace of the British based on naval strength. He tried to organise a joint effort to drive them out. His son Tipu continued to strengthen his navy. Tipu also sent messages to Napoleon and to the Sultan in Constantinople.”
Jawaharlal Nehru, The Discovery of India.

Actually Independant India always sought to portray Tipu Sultan as a valiant freedom fighter sort of king but he was the extreme opposite. He just fought for his Reign, his Kingdom and his people. He systematically masterminded the maasacre of Konkani Christians and ofcourse forceful conversion of Syrian Christians from Far North to even till Kodungallore. Still the citizens of tomorrow are bound to teach his commendable works through their texts. No historian objects to that?

The church at Thazhekad, Thrissur was also destroyed by Tipu’s army,
it is the location of the Thazhekad Sassanam, ancient edict granting rights to Syrian Christians.

Every Syrian Chrisitan/Nasrani should welcome the brethern to join back the Nasrani fold if they wish to do so.This must be one of the foremost responsibilities of every living Nasrani.

I am unable to agree to Simal Haneef’s view that a person like Hyder Ali who went about burning Nasrani churches and killing them can be called ‘…a leader with a vision’.

Hundreds or even thousands of Nasrani families were displaced and many had to flee to the hills of Travancore for safety. The vast majority were reduced to poverty and a once proud people were made to lick the dust of Travancore.

These are all crimes against humanity and should be clearly treated as one.

Hi George Mathew ,

Please explain what was the role of Christian church in the freedom movement of independent India .

–Simal

So what was the role of Hyder Ali? Mass murder and destruction? Please … it’s fashionable to go back and say that so-and-so was a part of the “freedom movement” … but that’s distortion of reality.

In the final analysis, the British were a necessary step as they freed India from the scourge of other, more backwards colonialists, like the Mughals, the Portuguese, and petty dictators like Hyder/Tippu. And they gave us English and a railway system, which greased the wheels of progress. If only they kept the bureaucracy!

And whatever the British didn’t do (getting Nizam out and freeing Andhra, freeing Goa), our good buddy Patel did.

I think Simal need to study the history of the Indian Independent movement in kerala. Christians were always in the forefront. The Koonan Cross oath in 1653 can be considered as one of the very first movements against the europeans in India !

Hi John Mathew ,

“Petty dictators like Hyder/Tippu” This is an interesting comment . I think both Tipu/Hyder Ali were born and brought up in India And they were Indians . So there is no point in calling them “Petty dictators”.
All over India there were only kingdoms not any democratic rule. In terms of religious tolerance shown by Tipu let me explain about that . He was pious muslim . He didnt try to establish a muslim state . if that was the case , THEN Tipus civil list is full of the names of Hindus who held important posts in the state. .The stories of Tipu Sultan’s religious persecution of Hindus and Christians are largely derived from the work of early British authors such as Kirkpatrick and Wilks which i dont think is reliable . This is for the simple reason that the Britishers wanted an image of Liberators . And John you still trust the Bristish. I agree to the fact that Britisher’s have contributed to India’s development and i respect them in that case . But one thing is there India was always their colony even though it was called “Jewel in the throne of British ” .

Below Temples received patronage from Tipu

1)Lakshmikantha temple at Kalale in Nanjangud taluq of Mysore district
2)Narayanaswamy temple at Melkote
3)The Srikanteswara temple at Nanjangud

Tipu even constructed a Church at the request of the French

Thanks

Simal

Dear Simal Haneef,

My answer is given by John Mathew. Our forefather’s understood the fact that the British were the lesser of the evils. The last time our Prime Minister visted Britain, he made the public statement that the British Raj did do much good to India, he implied that the credit was more than the debit.

But we can’t stop there. In the fullness of time, we will have to take our destiny into our hands. The British had to go and we had to become masters of our own destiny. I know as well as all British know that the British had the primary interest of colonizing India, no one denies this.

You know the historic story that the Raja of Travancore ran to the Brtish and asked their help against Tipu Sultan. If at all there was a leaning towards the British by our forefathers, it was laid by the Raja himself. If the British had not itnereered I would not have been today George Mathew. True that the favourite of the British in India were the Iyers/Iyengars, Parsis, Jews and the Syrian Christians and the Iyers/Iyengars. The British did not trust the other communities. The Iyers/Iyengars dominated in numbers. Yet, in course of time the Syrians Christians and the Brahmins rejected the British and followed Gandhi.

You must remember that Central Travancore, was never directly ruled by the British. It was the Rajas coins, laws, taxes, etc. that prevailed for decades. The Congress party was never strong in Travancore as in the Presidencies of India. There was never such an anti British sentiment in Travancore as in Bombay, Calcutta, Lahore, Madras etc.. where the British directly ruled (have you ever wondered why the Keralites are behind in spoken English? the reason is that the British influence was the least in Kerala).

Travancore was already experiencing a far higher degree of political self respect under her own Raja while Malabar was directly under the British. There was not much meaning for the Syrian Christian to scream to the British ‘Quit India’ as there were no singnificant British presence as such in Travancore. In fact Travancore was going towards the status of an Independent Kingdom under the influence of the very powerful Sir C.P.Ramasamy Iyer.

I see from your brief comment to me that you are telling me that the Syrian Christian were Pro British and hence are not true Indians but the muslims fought the British and hence are more true Indians than the Syrian Christians.

I can say one thing, that there is never a case where the Syrian Christians were anit Congress or anti Gandhi. The Marthoma Church stood by Gandhi and practically every Syrian Christian vote went to the Congress.

Many in India do not know the fact that the British influence in Travancore was minimal. The British had an ‘Agent’ stationed in Trivandrum and had no ‘Collectors’ or Army Cantonements as in Banglore or Madras, Mysore etc. The Travancorians enjoyed ‘freedom’ but subject to the authority of a Travancore born and raised Hindu Raja which tradtionally the Syrian Christians fully accepted.

The plight of the Syrian Christians in Travancore before the British Agent’s time was pitiable. Our Metropolitan lamented to Rev. Buchanan that the conditions of the Syrian Christians in Travancore was similar to the conditions of the Hebrews in their captivity days in Egypt.

Dear Simal,

“Patronage to the temples and built churches’.

Every smuggler in Bombay, Calicut, Madras, Calcutta etc. makes large donations to ‘Charitable Institutions’. Many of them start their own hospitals or engineering colleges’.

In the language of mordern management, these activities are called ‘damage control’. What Tippu did was this.

The BJP does the same thing by enlisting Muslims to stand for MLA/MP elections under their banner. Sometimes it is also called ‘To place wool over ones eyes’.

Dear John,

Let me use one unparlimentary word here ‘Patel was the only one who had testicles’.

Nehru was a romantic and had giant charisma. Gandhi wanted Nehru more than Patel. Was Gandhi right?

I read about a fascinating insight into the power of Nehru that when he spoke in/attended Parliment, no body misbehaved. Once Nehru left parliment, it was ‘market place’ again.

Hi George Mathew ,

Its not the question of who are true Indians or not . I just wanted to know the role of the
church in Indian Independence struggle . I dont claim from Tipus behavior that Muslims were true Indians . Tipu was the ruler of Mysore state . He tried his level best to expand his state . Thats the duty of every ruler. Incidentally he was a muslim . Now the question about patriotism in India . Its clear that every muslim have to prove their patriotism every now and then in India thats another case .
The person who was a brutal dictator (Sir C.P.Ramasamy Iyer) .How do you call him a powerful person . you might be knowing P. Krishna Pillai . He was the leader of Congress Socialist Party in Kerala . He lead the famous Punnapra-Vayalar Struggle which lead to the downfall of C. P. Ramaswami Iyer . Our chief minister comrade VS has took part in that .

I hope you took things in the right spirit i am not questioning patriotism .

Thanks

Simal Haneef

Dear George
That should be the reason why NSS, SNDP, Catholics and other communities are maintaining this “Damage Control”.. End of the day, the equations brings up the same answer. Meanwhile I am going through the book “The Career and Legend of Vasco da Gama. By Sanjay Subrahmanyam”.

Dear Simal,

Sir C.P.Ramasamy Iyer was not a good man. Maybe God will judge him differently. But in the eyes of many he was evil. I wanted to avoid strong words so ‘used powerful’ man. What I meant was that he was an evil man.

i now apprieciate the spirit of your question and the tone of your response. I hope Christians and Muslims can learn to live together. You will find me very critical of the West, but at the same time I am well aware that they were Christians once and we as Nasranis have the God given responsibility to bring them back to the Christian fold. Remember, we gave the world the ‘Way of Jesus’ and what we created, we will try to preserve.

We may not achieve it, but we will try.

The other day a Lebaneese muslim told me ‘If the Jews and the Arabs get together, what will the world be!’. The same thought went through my mind during the past few weeks even before the Lebanees made that remark.

Keep in touch.

Dear all,
I made a pleasant discovery the other day that the ‘Church of the East’ indeed has church in Kerala and is called ‘The Chaldean Church’. I have indeed heard about the Chaldean church and that it should not be confused with the Chaldean Church of the Middle East which is subject to the Vatican.

This means that our Mother Church has been in Kerala for some time and sadly was not there when the Portugeese ‘took over’ our religious affairs. We are not now left as ‘orphans in the storm’ as our mother church is very much amongst us in Kerala.
I also read an astonishing matter that the COE was wooed by the Anglicans in London to join with them but the COE later showed disinterest upon the grounds that the Anglicans were permitting women into the clergy. Even more astonishing was the knowledge that the Vatican was herself showing interest in the COE and some join declarations have already been made. Two extreme powerful and active churches, namely the Anglcians and the Vatican showing great interest in the COE. This seems unbelievable.

I hope the COE will not join anyone one of them but will remain proud and independent. She is the original church in this world and have suffered terrible persecutions. I was sad to know that only a puny 100000 remain in the COE plus the few in Kerala. I think God has great plans for the COE. Even a Marthomite like me hopes one day to be with the original mother church. But if people get the smell that the COE may join up with the Anglicans or with the Vatican then they will show disinterest. The COE has during these tumultous past centuries survived and suffered terribly, let her please be patient for a little longer and continue to remain independent. The other large churhes wil come to her and not she go to them.

I have read some biblican prophesies to mean that the ‘Women from the Wilderness’ is indeed the Church of the East . I kind of feel that God has a great purpose for this great Church. Though they may be ‘hilly billies’ but God has often shown himself through rustic men and not through sleek men. If at all they are really hillybillies, it is because they have kept the faith and not sold their souls to the devil. This is what I want to believe.

From the book of Dr. Grant, I learn that the memebers of the COE are ‘Nasranis/Nasereans’ and that they are Jewish/Hebrew too! We St. Thomas Christians are a mix of them with the Jews of Malabar.

Reading the writings of Dr. Asahel Grant and Dr. Nathan Katz, the interesting point that stands out is that while the St. Thomas Christians of Persia did not get along well with their cousins the Persian Jews, the St. Thomas Christians of Malabar got along well with the Malabar Jews. This is the basic reason when we Malabari Christians are acknowledging our Jewish heritage. The Persian Nasranis very reluctantly accept the Jews as their kinsmens.

Me think Syrian Christianity is becomming interesting.

To some measure which we will never for sure, Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan undoubedly inherited their hostility towards the native Thomas Christians or Nazaranis from the the tumultous interfaith struggles among Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Middle East besides their own political ambitions and fear of the European ‘Christian’ colonizers who were sympathetic to the surival of the native Thomas Christians.

History is a tricky thing, no matter who writes the chronicles of the past! Isn’t it interesting that in the post-colonial 21st century India, Muslims and Christians must learn to live in peace among other both larger and smaller faith traditions?

Dear JT Mathew,
If you look around, you will see that two or more religions can not co-exist together. If at all it does so, then one dominates the other. Even we Nasranis, for all our past freedom in Malabar, still did not enjoy ‘full liberty’ to practise our faith. We were most often subject to our Hindu rulers/customs. No complaints, but I only want to tell that we were not equals.

In the short term such as co-existance is possible, but in the long run it is impossible.
The idea of ‘religions co-existing’ is a Gandhian idealism which is not practical. We were taught in our schools that religions must/will co-exist. Such teachings made us ethically correct but alas also made us naive of the ways of the world.
Yes, History is tricky, because it is ‘his-story’ and he (mankind) is tricky.

Dear George Mathew

Islam and Christianity/ Judaism cannot coexist . They are contradicting each other.

Simal Haneef

Don’t use psuedo-patriotism to cover up the massacres of Tippu Sultan and Hyder ali:::::::::::::

James C J

History is always biased ….

Dear George Mathew

Your COE is the Assyrian Church of the East -a former Nestorian Church.

Dear James C.J.

I think it will be convinient if you can contact me at ‘georgemathew58@hotmail.com’, so that I can reply to your comment.

Dear Olikara & all,

Your article about Tippu sultan & Nazranies is quite interesting. Conventional image about Tippu as a freedom fighter is nothing but a creation of vested interest. A detailed study about tippu’s padayottam with respect to demographic analysis will show the intention of his endeavours into Malabar. There are documentations along with demographic studies which clearly indicate that the attitude of Jonaka Mappilas towards the Hindu population has changed by this attack which even lead to Malabar lahala of 1921.The original motivation of Tippu was to plunder the wealth of Malabar and to build a unified Islamic state. It is the pity that some of our historians consider him as freedom fighter when his activities were against common people beliefs and their wealth. It is so happened that he was forced to fight against British when they came for the rescue of people.

The atrocities against Nazranies were intensified after the information of an advance of 330000 rupees to General Mathews by Nazranies reached Tippu sultan .This was happened when a sea man called James Scurry translated the information scribbled by general Mathews on the back of plates he used before his death( by poison) under captivity to Tippu. This JAMES SCURRY had written a book called ’ THE CAPTIVITY SUFFERINGS AND ESCAPE ‘published in 1824 London (a hard copy is with me; net copy is also available; you may search by the name in Google).A picturesque description of atrocities inflicted on Nazranies is given in that book in chapter IV.

‘’Now followed the fate of the poor Malabar Christians of which I shall ever consider myself the innocent cause, in reading what was written by general Mathews ………………………they were driven, men, women, and children to the number of 30000 to Seringapatam ,where ………………….the sufferings of these poor creatures were most excruciating………………their daughters were many of them beautiful girls, and Tippu was determined to have them for his seraglio; but this they refused …………..The Chumbars or Sandalmakers were then sent for, and their noses, ears, and upper lips were cut off; they were then mounted on asses……………….’’

Please read yourself.

But British helped Malankara Nazranies to escape from Malabar to southern part of Kochi and Travancore .Many ships were used to take fleeing Nazranies and Hindu royals to south .It is also noted that Hindu royals paid around 20 lakhs to British for taking them to south by sea. The money which paid by Nazranies was probably for the safe exit to south by sea route.

Did British pay back the debt? The general Mathews scribbling is to inform the British authorities about the work he could not complete.

There is an interesting argument put forward by a known historian P V Mathew in his book’ Keralathile Nazrani Christhianikal ‘vol.2.He says that British paid back the debt as VATTIPANAM. It is quite interesting to note that popular belief about Vattipanam (trust fund) said to have been deposited by MARTHOMA VI (VALIYAMAR DIVANNASIYOSE) or MARTHOMA VII with British. But NIRANAM GRANDHAVARI-which includes the diary of Marthoma VI do not give any information about this deposit (though it is a large amount).

The second point is that the receipt given by col. Macaulay,

Travancore
1st December 1808
18th vrichigam 984.
Colonel Macaulay, the Resident in Travancore do hereby certify to have this day received from Mar Thomas Metran, acting metropolitan of the Syrian Church in Malabar, the amount of 3000 star pagodas in the Hon’ble Company’s loan in perpetuity and agreed to pay in Travancore, as long as this ancient church lasts, to Metropolitan or Metran, or any other regularly constituted prelate annually, the interest of the above amount at 8 percent, by obtaining receipt for the same.
(Signature)

In this receipt colonel refer

 Mar Thomas Metran as acting metropolitan of the Syrian church in Malabar
 Agreed to pay in Travancore.
 3000-poovarahan-star pagodas.

Star pagoda was the coin prevalent in Malabar (Samoothiri’s land) and Kalippanam (kaliyan-from Niranam Grandhavari) was the coin prevalent in Travancore during this period .One star pagoda is equivalent to little more than three rupees. Why did Macaulay give a receipt stating that the interest paid in Travancore when the deposit was made in star pagodas?

Nazranies history mainly deals with Nazranies settled between Kunnamkulam to Kollam. But travelers and foreign prelates talk about Nazranies presence in Kannur, Kozhikode and Mangalapuram in many records .James Scurry talk about 30000 Nazranies captured and ill-treated by Tippu in his book .How come the Malankara historians avoided the said incident took place under Tippu. It is possible that majority of Malankara Nazranies fled along with their Hindu royals to Travancore .Majority of these families settled among their brothers in south.(probably this gives a part of the answer to the enquiry by John Mathew about the demographics of the Malankaranazrani split.)

In your article you describe about Chattukulangara /Kunnamkulam as a new Nazrani settlement which is absolutely against the facts. Kunnamkulam is the place where Hyder Ali once referred as a Nazrani Gour. Kunnamkulam has an important place in Malankaranazrani history that there is no other Nazrani trading village exist any where in Malankara. It is just like an AGRAHARAM OF MALANKARANZRANIES.

To understand the importance of Kunnamkulam/Chattukulangara, we should consider the writings of two visitors. Dr. Francis Buchanan visited Kunnamkulam during 1800A D. When he visited he found a magnificent palli without roof. This was the palli burnt by Tippu-chattukulangara palli.(Dr.Francis Buchaninte Keralam,p.44)Before the attack of Tippu this church was shared by Malankaranazranies and Romo- Syrians .After the attack the palli was kept vacant due to the quarrel between Malankara Nazranies and Romo –Syrians. During this visit the said (in your article) Pulikkottil Ittup malpan met Dr. Francis Buchanan along with his assistants. Francis Buchanan also talks about palli at Chavakkattu and residents of Chavakkattu town. This palli is now known as Palayur palli which was originally known as Chavakkattu pally(at the time of Buchanan visit).During this time Chattukulangara palli and Chavakkattu palli were shared by Malankaranazranies and Romo-syrians.But it was not a peaceful situation .Then came the Shakthan thampuran initiative to solve the issue and Malankara Nazranies got their mother church and Romo-syrians got Chavakkattu palli (which was a Kurisupalli of Chattukulangara palli).It is also noted that Chattukulangara palli named after St. Mary and Chavakkattu pally named after Kuriakose sahada who was a 4th century martyr.

Then came the visit of Rev. Dr.Claudius Buchanan (1806) the great scholar who described about Nazrani district in his famous book’ Memoirs of Dr. Buchanan’. He describes about the Chattukulangara palli as most important and he presented a gift of a large gold medal to this mother church in the name of all Syrian church in Malayalam. On this visit Rev. Buchanan was shown the trees where the Nazranies were hanged (by Tippu) .

There is logic to believe that the 7 church stories were created during this period by vested interest like Chavakkattu pally as Palayur pally. But history has its strange ways to reveal the truth!

Dear Olikara,

This is continuation of my earlier post: 6174. There is an interesting book describes about the Nazranies warriors in Hider Ali’s period. SAINTS, GODDESSES, AND KINGS by SUSAN BAYLY –a copy is available in google search.*During the eighteenth century when the rajas of Travancore and Cochin were transforming the region’s loosely structured chiefdoms into powerful warrior kingdoms, the Syrians maintained and expanded their privileged role in Hindu society. Their military skills and bearing impressed a wide range of European observers in this period . One of Haider Ali’s French mercenary commanders described a typical band of Syrian warriors

“The deputies (of the Syrian Christian) who came to Coilmatour were stout men with a ferocious air and manner. They had the figure of a small cross above their nose punctured in the skin, and a large scar on the right cheek caused b the recoil of their musquets”*

Please read this along with the captivity, sufferings and escape by James Scurry.

Tipu Sultan and his fanatic Muslim army who converted thousands of Hindus and Christians to Islam all along the invasion route and occupied areas in North Kerala, Coorg, Mangalore, and other parts of Karnataka.

A Voyage to the East Indies by Fra Barthoelomeo, a renowned Portuguese traveller and historian, who was present in Tipu’s war zone in early 1790 quotes:

“First a corps of 30,000 barbarians who butchered everybody on the way … followed by the field gun unit under the French commander, M. Lally. Tipu was riding on an elephant behind which another army of 30,000 soldiers followed. Most of the men and women were hanged in Calicut, first mothers were hanged with their children tied to necks of mothers. That barbarian Tipu Sultan tied the naked Christian and Hindus to the legs of elephants and made the elephants to move around till the bodies of the helpless victims were torn to pieces. Temples and churches were ordered to be burned down, desecrated, and destroyed. … Those Christians who refused to be honoured with Islam were ordered to be killed by hanging immediately. These atrocities were told to me by the victims of Tipu Sultan who escaped from the clutches of his army and reached Varapphuza, which is the centre of Carmichael Christian Mission. I myself helped many victims to cross the Varapphuza river by boats.”

Moreover, evidence of Tipu’s atrocities abounds in many contemporary church records in Mangalore, Calicut, and Varapphuza.

It is an insult that motivated historians of Jawaharlal Nehru, Aligarh, and Islamia universities project him as a secular national hero.

Can a list of books in major topics such as early history, Syond of Daimper etc , of course with how to get one be given.. ?

James C J ,

what you mean by pseudo-patriotism ? If Tipu and Hyder Ali have done anything in the past , tell me one how does the current population responsible for that …

Thanks
Simal Haneef

Can a list of books be given pls………………

Vinod, do you lack the skills to do a search on the internet or NSC?

Haneef, The current population is not responsible for that, and nobody should hold them responsible either.

We can be proud that our fellow Nasranis and Muslims are presently serving in the army.

Thats the right way forward and what i think is people should accept the fact that human race exists as tribes ..And what is past is past dont think too much on that

What about the moplah rebellion of 1924 Mr. Haneef ? Muslims were just murdering,raping and plundering Hindu Nairs. It took the full might of the Malabar (Malappuram) Special Police plus the British Indian Army to neutralize the murderous. It is a shame that today something as disgusting as the moplah rebellion is officially regarded as a part of the Indian freedom struggle; just because the then British administration intervened albeit belatedly to stop a genocide. And how can you (I could have ignored your ignorance) accuse Syrian Christians of siding with the British ?

History repeats itself so I must remember the past and act accordingly, that I may prevent you from committing the same crimes as your forefathers.

Hello all,

I was very much interested in reading the comments rather than the text itself. The text does not say much more than the´traditional´ perception about the colonial presentation of Tippu Sultan. But the comments reveal that our Kerala people are deeply ignorant of modern Historical analysis. It is obvious that ´freedom struggle´ title attributed to all anti-British ( or in that sense ´all Europeans) before the emergence of a national ´sense´ by the beginning of the twentieth century is purely a part of ´modern politic´. It is not important that whether Tippu was a freedom fighter or not, but he was obviously a late-medieval monarch in India. And his behaviour was like any other rulers in medieval India; to kill, conquer and dominate. He did that in Kerala too. It is not very importnat whether he killed ´Hindus´ or ´Christians´. What about Sivaji? He was a plunderer and massacred thousands of people, both Hindus and Muslims in India. He had ships which were used to plunder (piracy) ships along the West Coast. If he can be qualified as a ´National Hero´, then Tippu is obviously one. It is pitty that Tippu´s religious identity became the important factor in criticizing him and Sivaji, being qualified as a `Hindu´ is treated differently in discussions. It is interesting to note that the British accouns about Tippu are still being used and taken as the only ( because they destroyed all native accounts after burning Srirangapatanam) sources for Tippu analysis. Only fools will think that they could have described about their enemy in a positive way.

It is not to argue that Tippu did good by killing thousands of people ( whether Hindu or Muslim) and for that matter Sivaji is a great man only because he is ´Hindu´ but did the same degree of violance like Tippu. Historical events need to be analyed from the ideological framework of that time, and there is no need to look at Sivaji and Tippu from a modern perspective. Historically there are no ´Indian´ freedom fighters before Indian Nationalism. It is anachronism. Tippu and Sivaji ( and for that matter all other kings of that period) were mere medieval monarchs who fought with each other and killed many. Dont try to value-judge them from a modern point of view.

BUT ONE THING; IF SIVAJI CAN BE QUALIFIED AND CELEBRATED AS A NATIONAL HERO THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT TIPPU TOO CAN BE A NATIONAL HERO. After all, all histories are political histories. The only question is whether we need to quarrel for those cruelties committed by these medieval fighters or do we need to ´create´ a harmonious Indian society? Obviously harmony cannot be achieved through the present-day ´religious´ line politics, but by creating a political history where all people need to be treated ´historically´, not emotionally.

why should we respect tipu sultan? For the brutal murder of more than 100000 christians from manglore? he was not a freedom fighter.He was just a muslim converter. Never consider him as a hero..consider manglorian christians who lost their life for christianity as heroes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_India

Muslim-Christian conflict

The Jamalabad fort route. Mangalorean Catholics had traveled through this route on their way to SeringapatamIn spite of the fact that there have been relatively fewer conflicts between Muslims and Christians in India in comparison to those between Muslims and Hindus, or Muslims and Sikhs, the relationship between Muslims and Christians have also been occasionally turbulent. With the advent of European colonialism in India throughout the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, Christians were systematically persecuted in a few Muslim ruled kingdoms in India.

Perhaps the most infamous acts of anti-Christian persecution by Muslims was committed by Tippu Sultan, the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore against the Mangalorean Catholic community from Mangalore and the erstwhile South Canara district on the southwestern coast of India. Tippu was widely reputed to be anti-Christian. The captivity of Mangalorean Catholics at Seringapatam, which began on 24 February 1784 and ended on 4 May 1799, remains the most disconsolate memory in their history.[60]

The Bakur Manuscript reports him as having said: “All Musalmans should unite together, and considering the annihilation of infidels as a sacred duty, labor to the utmost of their power, to accomplish that subject.”[61] Soon after the Treaty of Mangalore in 1784, Tippu gained control of Canara.[62] He issued orders to seize the Christians in Canara, confiscate their estates,[63] and deport them to Seringapatam, the capital of his empire, through the Jamalabad fort route.[64] However, there were no priests among the captives. Together with Fr Miranda, all the 21 arrested priests were issued orders of expulsion to Goa, fined Rs 2 lakhs, and threatened death by hanging if they ever returned.[61]

Tippu ordered the destruction of 27 Catholic churches, all beautifully carved with statues depicting various saints. Among them included the Church of Nossa Senhora de Rosario Milagres at Mangalore, Fr Miranda’s Seminary at Monte Mariano, Church of Jesu Marie Jose at Omzoor, Chapel at Bolar, Church of Merces at Ullal, Imaculata Conceiciao at Mulki, San Jose at Perar, Nossa Senhora dos Remedios at Kirem, Sao Lawrence at Karkal, Rosario at Barkur, Immaculata Conceciao at Baidnur.[61] All were razed to the ground, with the exception of the The Church of Holy Cross at Hospet,owing to the friendly offices of the Chauta Raja of Moodbidri.[65]

According to Thomas Munro, a Scottish soldier and the first collector of Canara, around 60,000 of them,[66] nearly 92 percent of the entire Mangalorean Catholic community, were captured, only 7,000 escaped. Francis Buchanan gives the numbers as 70,000 captured, from a population of 80,000, with 10,000 escaping. They were forced to climb nearly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) through the jungles of the Western Ghat mountain ranges. It was 210 miles (340 km) from Mangalore to Seringapatam, and the journey took six weeks. According to British Government records, 20,000 of them died on the march to Seringapatam. According to James Scurry, a British officer, who was held captive along with Mangalorean Catholics, 30,000 of them were forcibly converted to Islam. The young women and girls were forcibly made wives of the Muslims living there.[67] The young men who offered resistance were disfigured by cutting their noses, upper lips, and ears.[68] According to Mr. Silva of Gangolim, a survivor of the captivity, if a person who had escaped from Seringapatam was found, the punishment under the orders of Tippu was the cutting off of the ears, nose, the feet and one hand.[69]

The Archbishop of Goa wrote in 1800, “It is notoriously known in all Asia and all other parts of the globe of the oppression and sufferings experienced by the Christians in the Dominion of the King of Kanara, during the usurpation of that country by Tipu Sultan from an implacable hatred he had against them who professed Christianity.”[61]

Tippu Sultan’s invasion of the Malabar had an adverse impact on the Syrian Malabar Nasrani community of the Malabar coast. Many churches in the Malabar and Cochin were damaged. The old Syrian Nasrani seminary at Angamaly which had been the center of Catholic religious education for several centuries was razed to the ground by Tippu’s soldiers. A lot of centuries old religious manuscripts were lost forever. The church was later relocated to Kottayam where it still exists to this date. The Mor Sabor church at Akaparambu and the Martha Mariam Church attached to the seminary were destroyed as well. Tippu’s army set fire to the church at Palayoor and attacked the Ollur Church in 1790. Furthernmore, the Arthat church and the Ambazhakkad seminary was also destroyed. Over the course of this invasion, many Syrian Malabar Nasrani were killed or forcibly converted to Islam. Most of the coconut, arecanut, pepper and cashew plantations held by the Syrian Malabar farmers were also indiscriminately destroyed by the invading army. As a result, when Tippu’s army invaded Guruvayur and adjacent areas, the Syrian Christian community fled Calicut and small towns like Arthat to new centres like Kunnamkulam, Chalakudi, Ennakadu, Cheppadu, Kannankode, Mavelikkara, etc. where there were already Christians. They were given refuge by Sakthan Tamburan, the ruler of Cochin and Karthika Thirunal, the ruler of Travancore, who gave them lands, plantations and encouraged their businesses. Colonel Macqulay, the British resident of Travancore also helped them.[70]

His persecution of Christians also extended to captured British soldiers. For instance, there were a significant amount of forced conversions of British captives between 1780 and 1784. Following their disastrous defeat at the battle of Pollilur, 7,000 British men along with an unknown number of women were held captive by Tipu in the fortress of Seringapatnam. Of these, over 300 were circumcised and given Muslim names and clothes and several British regimental drummer boys were made to wear ghagra cholis and entertain the court as nautch girls or dancing girls. After the 10 year long captivity ended, James Scurry, one of those prisoners, recounted that he had forgotten how to sit in a chair and use a knife and fork. His English was broken and stilted, having lost all his vernacular idiom. His skin had darkened to the swarthy complexion of negroes, and moreover, he had developed an aversion to wearing European clothes.[71] During the surrender of the Mangalore fort which was delievered in an armistice by the British and their subsequent withdrawal, all the Mestizos and remaining non-British foreigners were killed, together with 5,600 Mangalorean Catholics. Those condemned by Tipu Sultan for treachery were hanged instantly, the gibbets being weighed down by the number of bodies they carried. The Netravati River was so putrid with the stench of dying bodies, that the local residents were forced to leave their riverside homes.[61]

Thank you Georgekutty,
For highlighting the plight of nearly 60,000 Mangalorean Catholics (Men, Women and even Children) who were taken captive upon the explicit instructions of Tipu (this he has recorded in his diary) and were herded to Srirangapattana, where they languished for 15 long years and only 10,000 survived to return to Mangalore as refugees. James Scurry referes to ‘Malabar Christians, and money borrowed by Gen. Matthews’ He must be referring to Mangalore Catholics as Matthews reached Bedenore but before that, he needed food grain and money as he wasted time and money taking smaller forts that were not in the agenda. He may have likely to have borrowed grain and money from Mangalorean Catholics as well, as at that time, they were wealthy landlords, agriculturists.

Matthew was sent on a specific mission from Bombay, to land south of Goa, proceed to take Bedanore and then take Mangalore and proceed to Mysore, the plan was to unseat Hyder (who was dead by then and the Brits did not know of this), and another contingent from Madras would proceed, as per the plan the Rani of the deposed Rajah of Mysore had secretly made with the British to unseat Tipu.

The very fact that Tipu also fought fellow Muslim rulers, had French artillery contingent, sought Nepolean’s help to unseat British and the British at that time, took over ports in Goa and Anjediva island near Karwar as a precaution against Nepolean, does not make one much of a patriot and at that time, there was no sense of India as a nation, there were too many principalities, who were always quarrelling among themselves anyway and the British subdued and brought vast area under one rule.

Can some one tell me, what is ‘Padayottam’ (is this mean to say ‘to beat a hasty retreat’ on foot?), but I do not know who did the ‘padayottam!?

About the St. Thomas Cross, I feel many are confused with St. Thomas and Mar Thoma Cana who arrived from Syria, who must have brought the cross and introduced Syriac liturgy? Thomas Christians were supposedly converted by St. Thomas, the Apostle, but until the arrival of Mar Thoma with his followers, the earlier Christian converts may have almost forgotton the earlier rituals. Since the Thomas Christians of Malabar were ruled by the Chaldean Church (which is said to have received Nestorianism in the 5th century) from 7th century until 16th century, many people suspect Nestorianism in the Malabar Church. But the Chaldean church was subject to Pope.

Also, the inscription in Arabic on the cross (Mar Thoma Sleeba (saleeb=cross) offers the following reading: “In punishment by the cross was the suffering of this one, Who is the true Christ, God above and Guide ever pure.”

British Museum has a large collection consisting of several folio volumes containing manuscripts, letters, reports, etc., of Jesuit missions in India and elsewhere; among these in additional volume 9853, beginning with the leaf 86 in pencil and 525 in ink, there is a “Report” on the “Serra” (the name by which the Portuguese designated Malabar), written in Portuguese by a Jesuit missionary, bearing the date 1604 but not signed by the writer.