Review: The Mysore Sultans

Reviewed Work(s): State and Diplomacy under Tipu Sultan: Documents and Essays by Irfan
Habib
Review by: A. Satyanarayana
Source: Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 39, No. 24 (Jun. 12-18, 2004), pp. 2445-2447
Published by: Economic and Political Weekly
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4415146
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 Rviewes _

The Mysore Sultans

memoirs of Lieutenant-Colonel Russel
in French concerning Mysore, was trans-
lated by Jean-Marie Lafont. Taken to-
gether, these documents provide valuable
magnitude as to make both state and information pertaining to statecraft
State and Diplomacy under Tipu economy different from what each hadunder Tipu Sultan. They also substantially
Sultan: Documents and Essays earlier been. The dominant mainstream enhance our knowledge of the political,
edited by Irfan Habib; military and diplomatic events as well as
historiography characterised the 18th cen-
Tulika Books, New Delhi, 2001; personalities
tury as a 'chaotic and dark' century. It has and general forces at
pp 164, Rs 325. been argued that the decline of imperial
work in south India during the late 18th
power had brought about changes in thecentury.
provincial system, which resulted in chaos, The state of Mysore under Haider Ali
A SATYANARAYANA decadence and decline in administrative and Tipu Sultan had exceptional and strik-
efficiency. It was an age of 'political andingly conspicuous features of its own.
n recent years the problem of 18th moral decay' and the political and eco- Unlike the Mughal state, it introduced and
century socio-economic and political nomic changes in this century had onlyeffectivelya managed the method of direct
transformation in India has attracted much negative value. Thus "with the death of revenue collection - the chief source of
scholarly attention. There has been a great Mughal empire the middle ages in India income - abolished absentee landlord sys-
deal of writing on the history of state ended and the modern age began". tem (shambogs) and recognised the rights
formation and political process in 18th In contradistinction to the above inter- of ryots. It was perhaps the first Indian
century and these studies have contributed pretations, the present volume under re- state that adopted advanced methods and
new insights. In the general analysis of the view edited and introduced by Irfan Habib
techniques of European warfare. It was
nature and character of 18th century India offers new perspectives on the basis of also the foremost Indian state which pro-
one can identify divergent and conflicting fresh material in terms of translation of duced modern firearms within its territo-
notions and interpretations. Yet there are manuscripts/documents, memoirs both in ries by importing foreign (mainly French)
few comprehensive and systematic re- Persian and French, hitherto not trans- skilled workers as instructors and super-
gional-level studies, especially on south lated, commentaries on documents and visors. The most significant and remark-
India. Unless there is a detailed and con- interpretative research articles on various able aspect of this indigenous regime was
crete historical research into different
aspects of the history of 18th century the state's direct intervention in agricul-
regions of India it is not possible to con-Mysore under Tipu Sultan. An endeavour
tural production, commerce and
vincingly and conclusively answer theis made in this book to add new contri- industrialisation. It also established fac-
various issues and questions raised by the butions and to present to the scholarly tories and state-owned and controlled
debates about the nature and pace of changeworld documentary evidence that has not trading companies and factories outside
in 18th century India. It was a unique yet received its due in south Indian studies, the territories of Mysore as well as abroad
century 'sandwiched' between the politi- with special reference to the period of in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf ports.
cal glory of the Mughals and the humili-Haider Ali ai ' Tipu Sultan. It certainly The Mysore state had also the unique
ations of colonial domination. Available marks a significant step forward in the distinction of having successfully com-
studies reveal that the performance ofcollection, exploration and use of source bined trade with government as it was
Indian economy varied from region to material on the regime of Tipu Sultan. In done by the East India Company during
region: they have indicated that since thethis volume, four very important docu- the mercantilist phase. The main object of
middle of 18th century socio-economicments and three essays are included. The Tipu Sultan's state policy was the collec-
transformation varied across the Indian document on War and Peace is Tipu tive well-being of his subjects and in that
sub-continent incorporating in it differentSultan's own memoir written around 1792. he was driven by a desire to improve their
areas of buoyant expansion and areas ofIt was translated by William Kirkpatrick. economic conditions. Hence he was per-
stagnation/crisis. Many historical studiesIt provides Tipu Sultan's account of the ceived and revered by his subjects as a
have described the 18th century as a period last phase of the second Anglo-Mysore popular ruler and enjoyed their unstinted
of drastic and far-reaching changes in the war ( 1783-84) and his perceptions of events support and loyalty. His 'short but stormy'
course of Indian history. Some haveleading to the Treaty of Mangalore in rule was eventful and memorable in many
stressed a more evolutionary pattern of1784. The diplomatic vision of Tipu Sultan respects. The source material and the
change and perceived an important degreeis contained in the briefs for embassies to articles included in the present volume
of continuity of pre-colonial political andTurkey and France, 1785-86. It was trans- capture the multifarious dimensions of the
economic structures under colonialism,lated by Iqbal Hussain. The third docu- state and diplomacy of Mysore under
while others maintain that a fundamentalment on State Intervention in the Economy
Tipu Sultan.
break and disjunction occurred betweencontain Tipu's orders to revenue collec- There has been a great deal of writing
the Mughal empire and early colonial rule. tors, between 1792-97, and it was trans- about the responses of native Indian rulers
It was supposed to be a change of such lated by I G Khan. The fourth one, the to British territorial aggrandisement and

Economic and Political Weekly June 12, 2004 2445

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colonial expansion during the second half of Sen's The French in India. From the instructions occur anywhere in the briefs
of the 18th century. The Bengal nawabs, evidence presented in this volume itfor is his ambassadors. Tipu does not even
in particular Sirajuddaula and the Mysore clear that there was no uniform French designate the Ottoman ruler as khalifa
sultans seemed to have a definite policy policy vis-a-vis the Mysore rulers. Ray's (caliph), or recognise his authority outside
to overthrow the British and they consis- study brings out the competing interests his dominions in any way whatsoever.
tently worked towards it. The memoirs of and multiple voices in the French policies, Throughout his instructions to his ambas-
Tipu Sultan provide a vivid description of especially in a context when France itself sadors he treats the ruler of Islambol
his efforts in the second Anglo-Mysore underwent far-reaching transformations (Istanbul) as an equal, not a superior"
war to defeat the British with the help of both internally and externally. The various (p xii). The instructions of Tipu amply
the French and the Marathas. The anti-
memoirs and reports of French officers make it clear that as an independent ruler
British attitude and perception of the
serving the Mysore rulers also reveal that he proposed to drive away the British from
the French government was advised to India with the military and diplomatic
Mysore ruler and his resolve to confront
and oust the English power is superbly
follow many different and often contradic- support of Turkey and France. In the case
portrayed in this document. "I wanttory
to policies towards India. For instance, of the embassy to Turkey, though he urged
the policies of the French government at Turkish military expedition to India, his
expel them from India. I want to be a friend
the time of Dupleix (1742-54) were main object was commercial. In order to
of the French in all my life" (p 99). Tipu
substantially different from the policies effectively implement a trade blockade
told a French officer. In spite of the un-
dependable and uncertain nature of alli-pursued in the 1780s and 1790s, in par- against the British East India Company he
ances with the Marathas and the Nizam, ticular, during the second and third Anglo- sought an alternative overseas market. He
Tipu Sultan was determined to go to war Mysore wars. It has been mentioned in the hoped to secure such markets in west Asia
with the British and defeat them. He was French official documents that the instruc- and the Ottoman empire. Hence, he pro-
also unhappy with the vacillating attitudes tions of Louis XVI in 1781 clearly stated posed to obtain the port of Basra and its
and dilatory tactics of the French and theirthat the object of the French expedition to adjoining places on lease (ijara)
non-cooperation, faithlessness and disloy-India was to liberate the Indian rulers from Tipu Sultan's instructions to his ambas-
alty. Yet he was not vindictive and re- the grip of the English, and not to imake sadors who proceeded to France mainly
vengeful against them. About a Frenchany territorial conquests. As Lafont points dealt with issues concerning British occu-
commander he remarked, "there would out, unlike in the 1750s there was no pation of Indian territories as well as the
have been but little difficulty in puttingintention on the part of the French in theattitudes and activities of the French
Cossigny and his companions to death;1780s to colonise India the way they hadmilitary commanders in Mysore. He gave
but, in as much as they (had) eaten (my)done in North America. Following Bussy' sa detailed account, with a sense of bitter-
salt, I did not think proper to act by them instructions (1780-83) the French onlyness, of the indifferent behaviour of cer-
in that manner" (pl3). aimed to destroy the British power in Indiatain French officials and the unilateral with-
by forming a league of Indian princes anddrawal of French help at a very critical time
restore the territories to the native rulers. during the second Anglo-Mysore war. Tipu
War and Diplomacy in Mysore
The diplomatic visions of Tipu Sultaninformed the French king Louis XVI about
The memoirs -of Tipu Sultan and were represented in the very revealingthe "breach of promise and acts of disloy-
Lieutenant-Colonel Russel are indeed an briefs/instructions (hukumnamas) to hisalty committed by your servants, since
excellent testimony to the war and diplo-envoys to Turkey and France in 1785-86.these unreasonable acts have perhaps been
He prepared these briefs to be followedcommitted without your knowledge. Oth-
matic policies of the Mysore rulers during
the second half of the 18th century. Theyby ambassadors in their negotiations witherwise, this is not (according to) the ways
contain valuable information pertaining to
the Turkish sultan and they were instructedof statesmen and persons of nobility" (p 48).
the Anglo-Mysore wars and the relationsto follow them 'in letter and in spirit'. HisHe further proposed mutual military assis-
of the French with the Mysore sultans.embassy to Constantinople (Islambol) wastance, friendship and a "war of 10 years
Russel' s memoirs have great military value
intended to promote diplomatic relationsagainst the enemy" (the British). These
and it is an authentic statement regardingwith Turkey in order to secure both com-instructions also reflect the anti-British
the involvement of the French command- mercial and military assistance. This docu-attitude of Tipu Sultan and his commit-
ers in modernising the army of Mysore andment, among other things, throws interest-ment to liberate India from the yoke of
fighting along with the Mysore forces. The
ing light pertaining to the generally ac- British domination. He had written to both
Russel papers also provide certain rarecepted notion that Tipu tried to securekings of France and England, about the
insights into the colonial policies of the
legitimacy for his rule of Mysore from the'deceipt and treachery' as well as the
French in India. If this memoirs are read Turkish sultan and also his permission to
"unlimited atrocities and oppression"
along with Aniruddha Ray's essay on assume the title of independent king ascommitted by the East India Company on
'France and Mysore: A History of Diverse well as the right to strike coins and to haveIndian people. Compared to many Indian
French Strategies', (ppl20-40) it is pos- the khutba read in the name of Ottoman potentates of the 18th century, Tipu Sultan
sible to arrive at a meaningful understand-caliph. Irfan Habib contradicts the state-stands as an exceptional personality on
ing of the whole range of French projects ments of Mohibbul Hasan and Kate account of his consistent and resolute
contestation of British dominion over
and policies about Mysore during the reignBrittlebank that Tipu's ambassadors 'were
of Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan. Both ofinstructed to seek the Ottoman ruler's Indian people.
them add more information and insightsconfirmation, in his role as caliph of le- It is evident from Tipu Sultan's instruc-
into French policies towards Mysore than gitimacy of Tipu's claim and his rule of tions that along with diplomatic and mili-
at present available in the pioneering workMysore". He remarks, "Nowhere do such tary help from Turkey and France he also

2446 Economic and Political Weekly June 12, 2004

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wished to secure experts and skilled arti- develop a comprehensive framework atoproper perspective and present them
sans for manufacturing firearms (muskets, analyse the pattern and pace of political
clearly to take the readers through the
guns matchlock, etc,) and luxury items formations, territorial chieftaincies and
arguments and counter arguments and
(clocks, glass, chinaware, etc). He also letting them judge for themselves, what
petty principalities. In fact, such an analy-
desired to import astronomers, physicians kind of policies actually work and what
sis, he said, will by virtue of its variegated
and other technicians. Tipu Sultan sought regional and linguistic diversity require do not. He is not an ideologue nor does
the expertise of foreign artisans because reference, exploration and use of originalhe try to propagate any particular line of
he wanted to modernise his army and reasoning about the acceptability of one
sources, not only in Persian but also in the
economy. Tipu Sultan's agrarian and eco- regional vernacular, English and other set of propositions more than another.
nomic policies, his keenness to develop European languages. Viewed in this per-Indeed the first three sections dealing
commercial ventures, foreign trade, indig- spective, the present volume under review with the concept of development econo-
enous factories and so on have been at- which contains rare documents and a mics, and planning models and implement-
valuable and a thought-provoking intro-
tested by the material included in the present ation and then the experience of develop-
volume. On the whole, the memoirs and
duction by Irfan Habib sheds new light and
ment strategies, demonstrate his ability to
documents in this volume will certainly adds a mass of specific data pertainingpresent
to different sides of an argument
help the scholars in putting the history the
of socio-economic formation and politi- dispassionately, debating the issues that
Mysore under Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan cal culture in the far south of the Indianoccupied the thinking on economic
in a proper perspective and immensely peninsula. This volume is a welcome development between the 1950s, 1960s
addition to the growing literature on the and 1970s and their relevance to the con-
contribute to correct many historiographic
inaccuracies and distortions. late pre-colonial and early colonial history ditions of today. In fact, these three sec-
In his presidential address to the 49th of south India. It is also a significant tions constitute, in the opinion of the
session of the Indian history congress at addition to the recent historical scholar- reviewer, the finest exposition of devel-
Dharwad Barun De dealt with the prob- ship on south India as it examines the opment economics. Many of these issues
lems of the study of Indian history with dynamics of how from the middle of the are not only still relevant, but also impor-
special reference to the 18th century. He 18th century the post-Mughal political tant for understanding recent developments.
opined that the specifics of the socio- order represented by the regional states I believe every student of development
economic and political formation deserve was subjected to an inexorable process of economics would gain very much by going
a more detailed and systematic examina- subjugation and annexation by the East through those chapters.
tion. He also underlined the need to India Company. [1] The three essays, one on 'Development
of the Labour Surplus Economy', the
second on 'Concepts and Measurement of

Debating Development
Unemployment and Underemployment in
Developing Economies' and a third on the
'External Economies and Balanced
Growth', provide an excellent survey of
protection, cost and benefits of investment the issues that were taught and practised
Voices in Development Management and agricultural development. After the in those decades. The existence of surplus
Series by Nurnll Islam; Bangladesh war he became deputy chair- labour in underdeveloped economies, due
Ashgate Publishing Company, 2003; man of Bangladesh Planning Commis- to the rigidity of production structure
pp 568, $104.15. sion, leaving an unmistakable mark of his allowing little substitutability between
expertise and understanding of political labour and capital in response to lower
economy on the Bangladesh planning relative prices of labour, and also due to
ARJUN SENGUPTA process. From there he went to serve as the rigidity in the relative factor prices
deputy director general of FAO and during themselves was regarded as the main
This is an extraordinary book written that period he produced major writings on characteristics of underdevelopment. That
by one of the finest analytical econo- agricultural policies for development. After was also a possible source of economic
mists of south Asia, engaged in formulat- retirement from FAO he joined IFPRI and growth, making use of the implicit sav-
ing, implementing and thinking about has continued to work there till today on ings from the elastic supply of labour
developmentpolicy.Nurul Islam aftercom- food and agricultural problems. Nurul Islam force at constant real wages. An increase
pleting his PhD at Harvard, started his saw how policies are made from the close in agricultural productivity by reducing
career as professor of economics at Dhaka proximity of highest authorities. He brought labour requirement would also increase
University, but decided soon in his life to in his analytical writings on development
the supply of labour for industry at given
actively engage in policy-making, and policies, his enormous experience of the real wages. But is it always possible to
policy-reviews, first in Pakistan then in political economy of policy-making. And remove the surplus agricultural labour to
Bangladesh, later in the FAO and after- throughout his busy and active role of a urban areas without reorganising agricul-
wards in the Food Policy Research Insti- policy-maker, Nurul Islam kept producing tural operations that may be costly, time-
tute at Washington. He was head of the major research papers on all the subjects consuming and requiring additional in-
Pakistan Institute of Development Studies he dealt with. vestment? Some attempts were made by
during a period when that institute pro- This volume is a collection of many of the author to quantify underemployment
duced seminal work in development policy, those papers. They reflect his very sharp from Bangladesh data of 1960s to
particularly related to effective rates of mind, the ability to see different issues in illustrate the conceptual difficulties in

Economic and Political Weekly June 12, 2004 2447

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