oth in India and in the West, the latter half of the 18
century was characterised by a new independence of spirit
and a series of momentous events which swept away the Old
Order. In the West, a second Jacobite challenge (1745) failed
to restore the Stuart line to the British throne; the Seven
Years War (1756-63) confirmed a new balance of power in
Europe; the French Revolution (1789) destroyed the monarchy
in France; the Battle of Camperdown (1797) confirmed British
naval supremacy over the Dutch and confounded French strategies;
and Nelson's victory at the Battle of the Nile (1798) thwarted
Napoleon's territorial ambitions in Egypt and India.
In India, the death of Muhammad Shah (1748) further contributed
to the slow disintegration of the great Mughal empire. In
the south, rival powers began to exercice their own territorial
ambitions: to the east, Nawab Mohammad Ali of the Carnatic;
in the centre, Haidar Ali, ruler of Mysore; northwards,
the Nizam's Dominions, ruled from Hyderabad; and the great
Mahratta powerbase, stretching north and east towards Delhi.
In addition, rivalry between the British and French continued,
although Clive's victories at Plassey (1757) and Wandiwash
(1760) had effectively crushed any French hopes of an empire
in India. The French still actively opposed the growing
political and numerical strength of the British in India,
and found ready allies in both Haidar Ali and his son and
successor, Tipu Sultan.
Until Pitt's India Act (1784) centralised control in Calcutta,
under a single Governor-General, British policy in India
was determined by East India Company officials in the Madras,
Bengal and Bombay Presidencies. They initially regarded
Mysore as a useful buffer between Madras and the Marathas,
until Haidar Ali, a military adventurer who had risen to
power in Mysore, attacked the Carnatic and precipitated
the First Mysore War (1767-69). Increasingly, politics in
Europe began to influence military strategy in India, and
when the British declared war on France in Europe, they
also attacked French possessions in India (1779). Haidar,
fighting with the young Tipu and their French allies, retaliated
by attacking the Carnatic, now a doubtful ally of the British.
The Second Mysore War (1780-84) was curtailed when peace
was declared in Europe (1783) and French troops in India
were immobilised. With Haidar's death in 1782, Tipu had
immediately succeeded his father and continued the campaign.
As 'The Tiger of Mysore,' Tipu would challenge the British
in two further Mysore Wars (1790-92; 1798-99).
1999 marked the two hundredth anniversary of the death
of Tipu Sultan, ruler of the kindom of Mysore, in South
India. He died on 4th May 1799, after the British had stormed
his island capital of Seringapatam. The National Galleries
of Scotland's bi-centennial exhibition The Tiger and the
Thistle: Tipu Suitan and the Scots in India, c 1760-1800,
was held at the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh,
from 29th July to 3rd October 1999, to celebrate the
stirring events of 1799, and their strong associations with
Scotland. More significantly, however, it paid tribute to
the 'Tiger of Mysore' by bringing together some of the textiles,
weapons and jewellery which his craftsmen created. Many
of these are decorated with tiger motifs and stylised tiger
stipes (bubris), which denote Tipu's personal possessions,
and which earned this fierce and brave ruler the name of
'The Tiger of Mysore.'
The exhibition included grand portraits of the leading characters
of the of the period as well as landscape prints and watercolours,
by such famous artists as Turner and Cotman. One of the
largest items on display, and a centrepiece of the exhibition
was the magnificent Battle ofpollilur mural, an Indian artist's
32ft long copy of the surviving mural in Tipu's palace at
Seringapatam. Artefacts such as Tipu's jewelled hawking
ring, his tiger swords and guns; an original manuscript
by Sir Walter Scott; examples of French sculpture and decorative
art, and designs for Sevres porcelain sent to Tipu as a
diplomatic gift ftom Louis Xv' were also included. A
fully illustrated catalogue of the exhibition is available
from the National Galleries of Scotland. It includes four
essays covering new research on the links between Scotland
and Mysore during the second half of the 18 century.
Tipu was a legend in his own lifetime, but that legend
did not die with him. In India today, there is lively
interest in his policies and achievements, with bi-centennial
seminars in Bangalore and Calcutta, both of which included
a contribution from the National Galleries of Scotland.
In the West, one of the most popular Indian objects in London's
Victoria and Albert Museum is Tippoo's Tiger, a life-size
painted wooden figure of a tiger devouring a European soldier.
This too has associations with Scotland, where is full-scale
replica was commissioned in 1986, by the newly established
National Museums of Scotland. It was a Scotsman whose unfortunate
death in 1792, after being mauled by a tiger, is said to
have inspired Tipu to create this most remarkable automaton.
Based on the National Galleries of Scotland exhibition,
this essay offers an interactive introduction to the subject
of Tipu Sultan and the Scots in India. For those whose ancestors
were actually in India at this period, c.1760-1800, and
particularly in South India, we invite you to record on-line
any related facts and family traditions Links are also included
to many other sources of information, for those who wish
to explore their own interests in Tipu and the Scots in
India.
The National Galleries of Scotland thanks The Nehru Trust,
New Delhi; the General Palit Military Studies Trust, The
Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network (SCRAN) and all
those who contributed to The Tiger and the Thistle exhibition
for their enthusiastic support and interest.
