Tipu Sultan remains one of the most divisive historical figures in Karnataka’s socio-political landscape. While popular narratives and school textbooks often portray him as a freedom fighter who resisted British expansion, a substantial body of historical evidence documents his role as a ruler who imposed Islamic rule through intimidation, forced conversions, temple destruction, and targeted violence, particularly against Hindus, Kodavas, Konkani, Christians, and Nairs in regions under Mysore control. The selective glorification of Tipu Sultan often overlooks these accounts, creating a complex controversy surrounding how he should be remembered in public life.

Between 2015 and 2025, Karnataka witnessed repeated political and social disputes over state-sponsored celebrations of Tipu Jayanti, naming of public institutions after him, and symbolic public endorsements by political parties and community organisations. These incidents not only triggered mass protests and communal tension but also highlighted how historical narratives are being reshaped, sometimes for ideological or electoral benefit.

The glorification of Tipu Sultan continues despite documented historical records by Kirmani, Lewis Rice, and several colonial-era administrative documents that clearly describe mass conversions, religious persecution, and the destruction of temples and settlements during his campaigns. Many local communities, especially Kodavas of Coorg, still commemorate the atrocities they suffered under Tipu’s reign.

Tipu’s systematic brutality

Tipu Sultan’s cruelty was neither accidental nor exaggerated, it was systematic, ideological, and proudly documented in his own letters. His campaigns in Malabar, Mangalore, and Coorg were defined by mass slaughter, forced conversions, enslavement, and the deliberate destruction of Hindu temples, murthis and cultural identity. In Malabar, contemporary accounts record that thousands of Hindus, especially Nairs, were butchered, families separated, elders executed, and surviving women and children forcibly marched to Mysore as slaves. At Calicut, he wrote to his commanders boasting that “almost all Hindus have been converted to Islam” and vowing to finish those remaining on the Cochin border.

The Coorgs suffered even worse; entire villages were surrounded, men who resisted were hacked to death or hung from trees, and nearly 70,000 Kodavas were captured, branded, shackled, and marched to Srirangapatna, where they were given new Muslim names and forcibly circumcised. Those who failed to convert were tortured, starved, or killed. Many Coorg families still preserve oral histories of their ancestors being tied together with rope and thrown off cliffs or drowned in rivers. In Mangalore, churches and temples were razed, the famous Mangalorean Catholics recounting the deportation of over 20,000 people, half of whom died during the forced march or subsequent imprisonment.

Ideology over governance

Tipu’s violence was not just military; it was ideological. In his own recorded Dreams, Hindus are called kafirs, the land is described as ‘Har ul Harb’ that must be turned into ‘Dar ul Islam’, and he dreams of converting all non Muslims before earning paradise. His administration imposed Farsi and Urdu, banned Kannada from official use, and renamed cities en masse, such as Mangalore to Jalalabad, Mysore to Nazarabad, and Coorg to Zafarabad, revealing his intent to erase local identity. Even Kannada-speaking Muslims in later generations shifted to Urdu because of the linguistic suppression he enforced. Temples were destroyed or disfigured, as seen in Madikeri’s Omkareshwara Temple, whose dome was altered out of fear to resemble a mosque so that it would not be targeted. In Malabar, entire temple towns were emptied, murthis were broken, and sacred sites were converted into garrisons or mosques. Tipu even formed a special cavalry unit, the Khazakh, whose sole duty was to enforce conversions, seize property, and punish those who resisted.

A fanatic, not a patriot

As per First Post, at every step, Tipu Sultan glorified his violence as jihad. He called himself ‘Ghazi’ after each campaign and wrote repeatedly about Allah granting him success in wiping out ‘idolaters.’ His letters to the Afghan ruler Zaman Shah and the Ottoman Caliph, requesting an Islamic invasion of Bharat, clearly show that he did not fight for Bharat; he fought for the supremacy of Islam as he understood it. This combination of violent religious fanaticism, cultural erasure, mass executions, and forced conversions makes Tipu Sultan one of the most ruthless rulers in Southern Bharat history, a truth known best to the communities who endured his terror, the Kodavas, the Malabari Hindus, and the Mangalorean Catholics.

This report compiles 11 major incidents from Karnataka (2015–2025) where political parties, religious organisations, or government bodies attempted to promote or celebrate Tipu Sultan, leading to public backlash, social conflict, or ideological confrontation. The objective is to present a clear, chronological, evidence-based understanding of how Tipu Sultan’s image has been used as a tool in contemporary politics and identity discourse.

1. IUML pressured Karnataka government to resume Tipu Jayanti celebrations

On November 5, 2025, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) publicly urged the Karnataka Congress government to conduct a grand Tipu Jayanti celebration on November 10. The party accused the government of deliberately neglecting the event for the past two years despite previously endorsing it during earlier political tenures.

IUML leader C. Abdul Rahiman stated that Tipu Sultan should be acknowledged as a patriot and claimed that the state government was attempting to erase the ruler’s legacy by allegedly modifying the content of school textbooks. He further warned that Congress leaders should resign from their posts if the Tipu Jayanti celebration was not held. The demand reignited long-standing ideological disputes over state-sponsored commemoration of historical figures viewed differently by various communities.

This episode highlighted the continued politicisation of historical memory in Karnataka, where Tipu Sultan’s legacy remains a deeply contested subject, often mobilised during election cycles and communal mobilisations.

2. Minister claimed Tipu Sultan, not Wadiyar, laid foundation for KRS dam

On August 4, 2025, Karnataka Social Welfare Minister H.C. Mahadevappa claimed that Tipu Sultan, rather than Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, was responsible for laying the foundation of the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam in Mandya. The statement was delivered during the observation of Wadiyar’s death anniversary, a moment usually reserved for acknowledging Wadiyar’s contributions to the state.

Mahadevappa argued that “clear evidence” existed at the dam’s entrance supporting his claim and went on to credit Tipu Sultan with initiating social reforms such as the abolition of the devadasi system and the promotion of sericulture in Mysore. His remarks contradicted widely documented historical narratives that celebrate the Wadiyars and engineer Sir M. Visvesvaraya for conceptualizing and constructing the KRS dam.

3. Tipu Sultan portrait desecration triggered protests in Raichur

On January 31, 2025, a portrait of Tipu Sultan was found garlanded with footwear in Sirwar, a town in Raichur district. The act, perceived as deliberate desecration, triggered immediate outrage among members of the Islamic community, who organised protests, blocked traffic, and burned tyres to demand strict action against the perpetrators.

The local police filed an FIR against unidentified individuals and assured protesters that arrests would be made within 24 hours. Only after this assurance were the demonstrations withdrawn. The incident unfolded against the backdrop of ongoing tensions over the portrayal of Tipu Sultan in public and political discourse within Karnataka.

4. Kannada Rajyotsava and Tipu Jayanti were jointly celebrated in Mysuru

On November 11, 2023, the Tipu Kannada Rajyotsava Vedike organised an event in Mysuru combining the celebration of Kannada Rajyotsava with Tipu Jayanti at the Milan Function Hall. The programme featured cultural performances, including patriotic songs and group dances by students, presenting Tipu Sultan as a heroic figure within Karnataka’s cultural history.

Former MLA Tanveer Sait and former CM S.A. Ramdas’ associate Vishwanath praised Tipu Sultan’s military resistance against the British, describing him as a symbol of courage and state pride. The speakers highlighted Tipu’s administrative and cultural influence, attempting to align his legacy with Kannada nationalism.

The event concluded with a public parade where participants dressed in Tipu Sultan’s attire, illustrating the ongoing attempts to mainstream and glorify Tipu Sultan as part of regional identity, despite the continuing public debate surrounding his historical role and treatment of local communities.

5. AIMIM granted permission to hold Tipu Jayanti event in Hubballi

On November 10, 2022, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) received permission from the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation to celebrate Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary at the Eidgah Grounds. The approval came after internal discussions in the civic body, which clarified that the venue could be used for religious and cultural gatherings.

However, the authorities placed restrictions by disallowing attendance by major political leaders, seeking to prevent large-scale mobilisation and potential unrest. The move still triggered discussion within the city’s political circles, given the sensitive and polarising nature of Tipu Jayanti celebrations in northern Karnataka.

6. Karnataka textbook panel recommended retaining Tipu Sultan chapter

On May 27, 2022, a government-appointed textbook review committee in Karnataka recommended that the chapter on Tipu Sultan should continue to be included in Classes 6–10 social science textbooks. The panel advised maintaining the content but suggested a neutral historical narrative, correcting factual discrepancies and avoiding one-sided glorification.

The committee also recommended including lessons on other regional rulers to provide balance and prevent the portrayal of Tipu Sultan as the sole symbol of resistance from Karnataka. This recommendation came at a time when demands to remove Tipu from the curriculum were intensifying across political and community groups.

The decision highlighted the continued sensitivity of Tipu Sultan’s portrayal within academic spaces, where factual history, ideological interpretation, and regional identity intersect.

7. Statewide protests erupted during Tipu Sultan Jayanti observance

On April 12, 2022, the Congress-led Karnataka government proceeded with state-level Tipu Jayanti celebrations, commemorating Tipu Sultan as a freedom fighter who resisted British colonial expansion. The events were organised under heavy security deployment across multiple districts.

The celebrations triggered widespread protests, particularly in Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, and parts of Bengaluru, where local groups objected to glorification of Tipu Sultan due to his recorded atrocities against regional communities. Authorities imposed Section 144 in sensitive areas and deployed additional forces to prevent clashes.

The incident once again revealed how biased the anti-Hindu Congress government-sponsored celebration of Tipu Sultan continues to polarise Karnataka.

8. Public gatherings honoured Tipu Sultan despite government refusal

On November 11, 2019, thousands of individuals in Mandya and the surrounding regions gathered to commemorate Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary, despite the Karnataka government’s formal refusal to observe the event at the state level. Local groups organised floral tributes, cultural programmes, and memorial meetings asserting Tipu Sultan’s role in resisting British expansion in southern Bharat.

Supporters argued that honouring Tipu Sultan preserved a historical legacy of anti-colonial resistance and celebrated Karnataka’s heritage. Several speakers at these events referred to him as a symbol of bravery and administrative capability. The independent celebrations demonstrated strong mobilisation at the community level, particularly among groups that viewed Tipu Jayanti as a marker of identity assertion.

However, the gatherings also highlighted the persistent ideological divide surrounding Tipu Sultan’s legacy in Karnataka. While one section regarded him as a freedom fighter, others supported the government’s stance that state-sponsored celebration of Tipu Sultan fuelled political and communal tensions in the region. But the truth remains that only the communities who suffered under Tipu Sultan’s harsh campaigns, especially the Kodavas and Malabar Hindus

9. Karnataka government held Tipu Jayanti amid heavy security deployment

On November 10, 2018, the Karnataka state government observed Tipu Sultan Jayanti across districts including Kodagu, Chitradurga, and Bengaluru. The celebrations were conducted under tight police security due to expected protests from organisations opposed to the glorification of Tipu Sultan. Prohibitory orders were imposed, and both pro- and anti-Tipu processions were banned to prevent possible clashes.

This marked the first Tipu Jayanti celebration under the Congress–JD(S) coalition government, which justified the event by reiterating its position that Tipu Sultan represented armed resistance to British imperialism. Government offices, minority welfare departments, and cultural groups coordinated the official commemorations.

Opposition parties, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party, condemned the decision, branding Tipu Sultan as a religious bigot responsible for atrocities against Kodavas, Christians, and Hindus.

10. President Ram Nath Kovind referred to Tipu Sultan’s death as historic

On October 25, 2017, during the 60th anniversary celebration of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, then-President Ram Nath Kovind praised Tipu Sultan, describing his death in battle against the British as a historic event. He highlighted Tipu’s development of iron-cased Mysore rockets, which are considered a significant technological innovation of the time.

The President’s remarks were delivered during a formal legislative assembly session, giving the acknowledgment a national and institutional character. The reference to Tipu Sultan as a pioneering military strategist drew both appreciation and criticism.

The statement reignited debate across Karnataka, as glorifying Tipu Sultan overlooked historical records of forced conversions and violence under his rule. Supporters, however, viewed the President’s statement as recognition of Tipu’s role in anti-colonial resistance, illustrating how interpretations of his legacy remain sharply contested.

Tipu Sultan’s rule is marked by a long record of brutality that continues to spark sharp historical debate. Numerous contemporary accounts describe his campaigns in Kodagu, Malabar, and Mangalore as periods of violent coercion, forced conversions, mass deportations, temple destruction, and systematic suppression of local Hindu communities. Chronicles from that era detail how villages were burned, families uprooted, and captives marched in chains to Seringapatam, where refusal to convert resulted in severe punishment.

His military expeditions were not merely territorial conflicts but deliberate exercises of domination that left irreversible demographic, cultural, and religious scars across regions under his control. While later narratives attempted to glorify him as a patriot, the lived experiences recorded by victims and observers of the time present a starkly different picture, one of a ruler whose governance relied heavily on fear, violence, and ideological intolerance, making his legacy deeply painful for many communities even today.

A society that builds public memory on distortion cannot build trust. Karnataka does not need a state-sponsored hero whose legacy is soaked in documented violence, forced conversions, cultural suppression, and ideological fanaticism. It needs honesty, sensitivity, and the courage to confront uncomfortable truths. Any political attempt to recast Tipu Sultan as a benign patriot is not just historically inaccurate, it is morally irresponsible. Karnataka’s diverse communities deserve better than symbolic provocations masquerading as heritage. They deserve a truthful reckoning with history, free from political convenience and ideological manipulation.