Tipu Sultan (1750-1799), also known as Tipu Sahib, was ruler of the southern Indian state of Mysore from 1782 to 1799. He became known as the Tiger of Mysore because of his opposition to British rule.
Tipu Sultan was born in Devanhalli, Mysore, in what is now the Indian state of Karnataka. At the age of 15, Tipu joined his father, Hyder Ali, on the battlefield. Together they fought the British in the First Mysore War. In 1780, the British were badly beaten. Tipu Sultan continued the struggle against the British and their allies, the Marathas and the nizam of Hyderabad.
In 1789, Tipu made the mistake of allying himself with France, hoping for French military aid. The following year, Tipu invaded the neighboring state of Travancore, which was under British protection. In 1792, he was defeated by General Charles Cornwallis and forced to give up half his territory.
In 1799, Colonel Arthur Wellesley with 16,000 men, General Harris with 21,000 men, and 6,000 men from Bombay, marched to Tipu’s capital Srirangapatnam. In May, the British forces broke through the city wall. Tipu rushed to the spot. He was shot and killed.
