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Lot Essay
Inscription:
On the Hilt:
On the grip, side A, in the teardrop shape, Qur'an VIII, sura al-anfal, v.40 (part); LVII, sura al-hadid, v.25 (part); XLVII, sura Muhammad, v.4 (part)
Across the quillon, Qur'an XXXVII, sura as-saffat, vv.172-73 (part); and a prayer hasbi allah wa ni'am al-wakil 'God is sufficient for me and the best Disposer of affairs'
Around the lion's head, Qur'an VIII, sura al-anfal, v.10 (part); VI, sura al-an'am, v.45
In the lion's head, asad allah al-ghalib 'The victorious lion of God (i.e. 'Ali)'
Side B, in the teardrop shape, Qur'an II, sura al-baqarah, v.286 (part); VIII, sura al-anfal, v.12 (part)
Across the quillon, Qur'an LVI, sura al-waqi'ah, v.13 (part); XII, sura yusuf, v.64 (part)
In the lion's head, ya allah [ya] muhammad 'O God! O Muhammad!'
In the mark on the lion's head, 'Haidar'
On the underside of the pommel, in the border, Qur'an LIV, sura al-qamar, v.44 (in part); XXIX, sura al-'ankabut, v.30 (part).
On the underside of the pommel, in the inner band, Qur'an XXXVII, sura as-saffar, v.116; XXX, sura al-rum, vv.4-5 (part).
On the pommel, repeated, allah
On the ends of the quillons, ya allah ya nasir 'O God! O Giver of Victory'; ya muhammad ya 'ali 'O Muhammad! O 'Ali!'
On the underside of the quillons, karkhana-yi huzur sana 1224 mawlud [y]a muhammad 'Imperial workshop Mauludi year 1224. O Muhammad!'
On the pommel, repeated, allah
On the exterior of the knuckle-guard, Qur'an III, sura ali 'imran, v.160 (in part); LIV, sura al-qamar, v.45; XLIII, sura az-zukhruf, v.1
On the exterior of the knuckle-guard in the small bubri devices, allah
On the blade, in the small cartouche at the end of the of the long inscription, sarkar-i khudadadi 'the leader by divine bestowal'
The long inscription, Persian verses, shud barq-i jan-i kafiran tigh-i zafar-bunyad-i man/ sultan-i din haydar buwad dar fath bar imdad-i man 'My sword, the essence of which is victory, became lightning for the souls of the unbelievers/Haidar, the Sultan of Religion, is my assistance in victory.'
Mark on the blade, 'Haidar'
Just two weeks after the fall of Seringapatam in 1799, the Committee of Prize, appointed by the victorious Anglo-Indian army, presented several of the most important or high profile items from Tipu’s capital to senior civil and military personnel as well as to the British Royal family.
As a senior figure whose career had been so shaped by his interractions with Tipu, Cornwallis, the former Governor-General of India, was given some of the richest and most important objects and those most closely and directly associated with Tipu Sultan. These included Tipu’s ‘war turban’, now in the National Army Museum (NAM.1971-07-3-1; illustrated here). The helmet is almost identical in craftsmanship and aesthetic to our sword. Made of blued steel, it is similarly densely decorated with text from the Qur’an, written in a gold cursive script. The guard is decorated with tiger’s heads and the green muslin of the helmet is quilted with a bubri pattern. It was presented to Lord Cornwallis in 1799, and then remained in his family until it was gifted to the NAM in 1971 by his descendants.
The 17th May 1799 Proceedings of Committee of Prizes describes the presentation of a turban, and two swords to Cornwallis as follows, “That the war Turban of Tippoo Sultan, with a sword worn by him, and the sword of Moriah Row, be presented to Marquis Cornwallis through the Commander-in-Chief as a mark of their respect” (‘Proceedings of the Committee of Prize’, Madras Artillery Records, vol. II, 17 May 1799). Cornwallis is only the second individual name listed, perhaps giving some indication of his relative importance. His name comes just above that of Major General Baird, who laid the final siege to Tipu’s capital and received the Bedchamber sword, that was recently sold at Bonhams London, 23 May 2023, lot 175.
The quote indicates that Cornwallis was gifted not only a helmet but also two swords, one worn by Tipu Sultan. So closely linked are the two objects, and their provenances, that it seems almost inconceivable that the sword offered here is not that mentioned in the Proceedings of 1799. That it was described by them as a ‘sword worn by him’ indicates that it was a personal sword of Tipu. Indeed if one looks at the watercolour of Tipu on his throne, by Anna Tonelli who accompanied Lady Henrietta Clive, wife of Edward, on her trip around South India as governess to the Clive children in 1800, one sees the Sultan seated on his throne holding in one hand a sword that looks remarkably similar to that offered here, of the same shape, and with a tiger head at the base of the hilt, where it meets the blade (illustrated on the previous page). Although Tonelli's watercolour was painted in 1800 following the siege of Seringapatam, her depiction of Tipu, his appearance and the throne is based upon sketches and accounts from British soldiers present at the siege and information from Tipu Sultan's treasurer (Archer, Rowell and Skelton, op.cit., p.134). Informed as it was by one of Tipu's closest officials, it must be as accurate a posthumous representation of the Sultan and his royal accoutrements as one could achieve.
Two other swords, almost identical to this were presented to another senior member of the East India Company and to the British monarchy. One is in Powis Castle, presented to the Edward, 1st Earl of Powys, Governor of Madras from 1798-1803 and son of Robert ‘Clive of India’ (published in Archer, Rowell and Skelton, op.cit., no.34, p.47 attributed there to the period between 1782 and 1799). The other is in the Royal Collection loosely attributed there to 1750 to 1799, the years of Tipu’s lifetime (RCIN 67211; currently on view in the Grand Vestibule in Windsor Castle). The Powis sword was presented to Clive in November 1799 with a letter from Captain Allan Grant ("Prize and Batta Rolls: Seringapatam 1799 (1800)", British Library, IOR/L/MIL/5/159) whilst the Windsor sword was presented to George III (r. 1760-1820) by General Lord Adam Gordon before his death in 1801. The three share the same overall form with a hilt culminating in a tiger’s head and all are covered in similar inscriptions which convey the fundamental Islamic concepts of victory in war.
The Powis sword lacks its original sheath. However Allan Grant who was responsible for sending the sword to Edward Clive, wrote not only that he was sending the examples of the best workmanship found after the siege, but also that 'I have alter'd the mounting of the Sword, as it would not have been possible for your Lordship to have worn it with the original Scabbard & I have preferr'd covering it with Green Velvet instead of Red to make it Correspond with the Facings worn by the Shropshire Militia in case your Lordship should at any time be disposed to bear it' (ibid, British Library, IOR/L/MIL/5/159). This indicates that the original sheath of the Powis sword was red, like ours. Our sheath also bears the Haidar stamp on the gold mounts further demonstrating that it is the original sheath conceived for the sword.
There are subtle differences between the three swords. One feature that the present sword has, seemingly not shared by the others, is a date which is inscribed on the underside of the quillons, and given according to the mauludi calendar. As mentioned above, although there is some ambiguity, the most likely reading is 1224, which is the equivalent of 1796-97 AD. In Arabic, maulud means ‘birth’, and Tipu Sultan marked the birth of the Prophet in the year 572 which he marked as the first year in his calendar. The Mauludi calendar was not based on the Lunar Islamic Hijri calendar but entirely on the Luni-Solar Hindu Panchanga calendar followed by his subjects across Mysore. This matching of calendars proved helpful in his administration, as things like harvesting seasons, festival periods and tax deadlines matched. On the basis of the date on our sword, even if there is some question of a period of two years, a more precise date can be suggested for the two previously published examples. Another feature that sets our sword apart from its closest comparables is a small control stamp with the name Haidar contained within a small bubri motif that is found on both the blade and the hilt.
This is one of the three swords that were considered as the most important of all Tipu’s weapons at the time, indicated by the identities of the three recipients. Of the three, this is the only dated example and the only one remaining in private hands; a spectacular weapon that was regarded as the ultimate prize just a few years after its creation.
Port Eliot
Port Eliot is one of the most historic and romantic buildings in Cornwall. The ancestral seat of the 11th Earl of St Germans and now the home of the Eliot family, the house has been occupied for over 1,000 years and is believed to the oldest continually inhabited dwelling in the UK. The collection there reflects many lifetimes of collecting and the rich history of the house. The rooms are adorned with paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Van Dyck, as well as a vast mural by Robert Lenkiewicz, one of the most celebrated 20th century artists of South West England. Originally built as a priory with the adjoining St Germans Priory Church, parts of the current house date back to the twelfth century. The earliest written reference to Port Eliot however is in a ninth century Cornish liturgical fragment, now in the Bodleian in Oxford - it refers to Ecclesia Lnanledensia, considered the early name of the location. The house was remodelled by Sir John Soane in the eighteenth century, and the renowned landscape gardener Humphrey Repton created the gardens and the park. Since March 2008, the house has been open to the public.
Jemima, the granddaughter of Charles, 1st Marquess and 2nd Earl Cornwallis, married Edward Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans on 24 December 1803. Since that time, the history of the two families has been entwined and many works of art associated with Charles Cornwallis are now housed at Port Eliot.
Charles, 1st Marquess Cornwallis and 2nd Earl Cornwallis (1738-1805)
Charles, 1st Marquess and 2nd Earl Cornwallis, KG PC (1738-1805), to whom this sword was presented following the death of Tipu Sultan at fall of Seringapatam, was a British Army officer, politician and colonial administrator of considerable ability. He was appointed Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of British India in February 1786. He oversaw the consolidation of British control over much of India, and was responsible for ‘laying the foundation for British rule throughout India and setting standards for the services, courts and revenue collection that remained remarkably unaltered almost to the end of the British era’ (Jerry Dupont, The Common Law Abroad: Constitution and Legal Legacy of the British Empire, London, 2001).
As Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in India, he played a substantial role in the conflict between Tipu Sultan and the East India Company. He led the British forces during the Third Anglo-Mysore war (1789-1792) and though unsuccessful in the first siege of Seringapatam in 1791, the following year he encouraged Tipu to sign a peace treaty in which half of the territory of Mysore was handed over to the Company and its allies. He famously also received Tipu’s sons, Abdul Khaliq and Mohin-ud-Din, as surety on the peace treaty that ended the war. This scene is famously depicted in Robert Home’s painting, The Reception of the Mysorean Hostage Princes by Marquis Cornwallis, 26 February 1792 (illustrated here) and is described in some detail in A Narrative of the Campaign in India, which terminated the war with Tippoo Sultan in 1792, London, 1793, pp.228-229.
Cornwallis is said to have gifted the young princes gold watches, and they, in return, gave him a sword. Close examination of the hilt of lot 100 has revealed a date. Though by no means illegible, there is some ambiguity about the final numeral – it could be read either as a 2 or a 4. The earliest possible reading is maulaui 1222, which represents the period April 1794 to February 1795, placing it a month after the return of the young princes to Tipu in March 1794. It is, therefore, possible that this is the very sword they gave to Cornwallis on the occasion of them being released to their father. The gift presented to Cornwallis is described in some records as a ‘jewelled sword’, which opens up the alternative possibility that the following lot, 101, is the one that he received from Tipu’s sons.
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (1750-99), ‘The Tiger of Mysore’ served as Sultan of Mysore from 1782 until his death in 1799. The son of Sultan Haidar ‘Ali, Tipu demonstrated his military and diplomatic skills from an early age against the British and Mahrattas. The East India Company recognised that Tipu was probably their most formidable enemy and that his army was one of the greatest threats to their expansion in India. They fought three wars against Tipu and his father, Haidar ‘Ali, between 1767 and 1792. His reputation as the great enemy of the British in India was cemented during the Second Anglo-Mysore War when Tipu humiliated the British with crushing victories at the Pollipur in 1780 and Annagudi in 1782.
Meanwhile, Tipu oversaw a period of great wealth for Mysore, with the Sultanate replacing Bengal as the dominant economic power in India and facilitating a blossoming of architectural and artistic patronage. A fine example of this wealth is Tipu’s throne made of gold, jewels and situated below a pearl canopy (a painting of it, by Anna Tonelli in 1800 is illustrated here). Tipu adopted the symbol and iconography of a tiger, an animal with which he held an enduring fascination, as a core part of his royal visual identity. Although the image of the royal tiger was previously used by Indian dynasties such as the Cholas and Hoysalas, Tipu Sultan really made it his own. As Archer, Rowell and Skelton wrote in the catalogue on the Treasures of Powis Castle, Tipu ‘was a consummate self-publicist’ (Mildred Archer, Christopher Rowell and Robert Skelton, Treasures from India. The Clive Collection at Powis Castle, New York, 1987, p.28). The extent and variety of usage of tiger motifs and bubri (tiger-stripe) patterns made the tiger immediately personally emblematic of Tipu Sultan. Images of tigers and bubri motifs were employed in the architecture of palaces and mosques, on hilts, helmets, armour and cannon, and on the uniforms of his personal guard and palace staff (Anne Buddle, The Tiger and the Thistle: Tipu Sultan and the Scots in India 1760-1800, Edinburgh, 1999, pp.22-25). The ruler is famously quoted as saying it is better ‘to live two days as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep’ (Alexander Beatson, A View of the Origin & Conduct of the War with the Late Tippoo Sultaun, London, 1800, p.153).
The British finally overthrew Tipu in 1799 at the Siege of Seringapatam, a few years after Cornwallis had left India. Betrayed by his ministers, who conspired with the British to weaken the walls of his fortress, Tipu rejected the suggestion of his French military advisors to escape and chose to die fighting. The fall of Seringapatam is remembered as much for the opulence of the fine works of art and courtly objects that were removed from the city after the siege as for the final defeat of this long-standing opponent.
On the Hilt:
On the grip, side A, in the teardrop shape, Qur'an VIII, sura al-anfal, v.40 (part); LVII, sura al-hadid, v.25 (part); XLVII, sura Muhammad, v.4 (part)
Across the quillon, Qur'an XXXVII, sura as-saffat, vv.172-73 (part); and a prayer hasbi allah wa ni'am al-wakil 'God is sufficient for me and the best Disposer of affairs'
Around the lion's head, Qur'an VIII, sura al-anfal, v.10 (part); VI, sura al-an'am, v.45
In the lion's head, asad allah al-ghalib 'The victorious lion of God (i.e. 'Ali)'
Side B, in the teardrop shape, Qur'an II, sura al-baqarah, v.286 (part); VIII, sura al-anfal, v.12 (part)
Across the quillon, Qur'an LVI, sura al-waqi'ah, v.13 (part); XII, sura yusuf, v.64 (part)
In the lion's head, ya allah [ya] muhammad 'O God! O Muhammad!'
In the mark on the lion's head, 'Haidar'
On the underside of the pommel, in the border, Qur'an LIV, sura al-qamar, v.44 (in part); XXIX, sura al-'ankabut, v.30 (part).
On the underside of the pommel, in the inner band, Qur'an XXXVII, sura as-saffar, v.116; XXX, sura al-rum, vv.4-5 (part).
On the pommel, repeated, allah
On the ends of the quillons, ya allah ya nasir 'O God! O Giver of Victory'; ya muhammad ya 'ali 'O Muhammad! O 'Ali!'
On the underside of the quillons, karkhana-yi huzur sana 1224 mawlud [y]a muhammad 'Imperial workshop Mauludi year 1224. O Muhammad!'
On the pommel, repeated, allah
On the exterior of the knuckle-guard, Qur'an III, sura ali 'imran, v.160 (in part); LIV, sura al-qamar, v.45; XLIII, sura az-zukhruf, v.1
On the exterior of the knuckle-guard in the small bubri devices, allah
On the blade, in the small cartouche at the end of the of the long inscription, sarkar-i khudadadi 'the leader by divine bestowal'
The long inscription, Persian verses, shud barq-i jan-i kafiran tigh-i zafar-bunyad-i man/ sultan-i din haydar buwad dar fath bar imdad-i man 'My sword, the essence of which is victory, became lightning for the souls of the unbelievers/Haidar, the Sultan of Religion, is my assistance in victory.'
Mark on the blade, 'Haidar'
Just two weeks after the fall of Seringapatam in 1799, the Committee of Prize, appointed by the victorious Anglo-Indian army, presented several of the most important or high profile items from Tipu’s capital to senior civil and military personnel as well as to the British Royal family.
As a senior figure whose career had been so shaped by his interractions with Tipu, Cornwallis, the former Governor-General of India, was given some of the richest and most important objects and those most closely and directly associated with Tipu Sultan. These included Tipu’s ‘war turban’, now in the National Army Museum (NAM.1971-07-3-1; illustrated here). The helmet is almost identical in craftsmanship and aesthetic to our sword. Made of blued steel, it is similarly densely decorated with text from the Qur’an, written in a gold cursive script. The guard is decorated with tiger’s heads and the green muslin of the helmet is quilted with a bubri pattern. It was presented to Lord Cornwallis in 1799, and then remained in his family until it was gifted to the NAM in 1971 by his descendants.
The 17th May 1799 Proceedings of Committee of Prizes describes the presentation of a turban, and two swords to Cornwallis as follows, “That the war Turban of Tippoo Sultan, with a sword worn by him, and the sword of Moriah Row, be presented to Marquis Cornwallis through the Commander-in-Chief as a mark of their respect” (‘Proceedings of the Committee of Prize’, Madras Artillery Records, vol. II, 17 May 1799). Cornwallis is only the second individual name listed, perhaps giving some indication of his relative importance. His name comes just above that of Major General Baird, who laid the final siege to Tipu’s capital and received the Bedchamber sword, that was recently sold at Bonhams London, 23 May 2023, lot 175.
The quote indicates that Cornwallis was gifted not only a helmet but also two swords, one worn by Tipu Sultan. So closely linked are the two objects, and their provenances, that it seems almost inconceivable that the sword offered here is not that mentioned in the Proceedings of 1799. That it was described by them as a ‘sword worn by him’ indicates that it was a personal sword of Tipu. Indeed if one looks at the watercolour of Tipu on his throne, by Anna Tonelli who accompanied Lady Henrietta Clive, wife of Edward, on her trip around South India as governess to the Clive children in 1800, one sees the Sultan seated on his throne holding in one hand a sword that looks remarkably similar to that offered here, of the same shape, and with a tiger head at the base of the hilt, where it meets the blade (illustrated on the previous page). Although Tonelli's watercolour was painted in 1800 following the siege of Seringapatam, her depiction of Tipu, his appearance and the throne is based upon sketches and accounts from British soldiers present at the siege and information from Tipu Sultan's treasurer (Archer, Rowell and Skelton, op.cit., p.134). Informed as it was by one of Tipu's closest officials, it must be as accurate a posthumous representation of the Sultan and his royal accoutrements as one could achieve.
Two other swords, almost identical to this were presented to another senior member of the East India Company and to the British monarchy. One is in Powis Castle, presented to the Edward, 1st Earl of Powys, Governor of Madras from 1798-1803 and son of Robert ‘Clive of India’ (published in Archer, Rowell and Skelton, op.cit., no.34, p.47 attributed there to the period between 1782 and 1799). The other is in the Royal Collection loosely attributed there to 1750 to 1799, the years of Tipu’s lifetime (RCIN 67211; currently on view in the Grand Vestibule in Windsor Castle). The Powis sword was presented to Clive in November 1799 with a letter from Captain Allan Grant ("Prize and Batta Rolls: Seringapatam 1799 (1800)", British Library, IOR/L/MIL/5/159) whilst the Windsor sword was presented to George III (r. 1760-1820) by General Lord Adam Gordon before his death in 1801. The three share the same overall form with a hilt culminating in a tiger’s head and all are covered in similar inscriptions which convey the fundamental Islamic concepts of victory in war.
The Powis sword lacks its original sheath. However Allan Grant who was responsible for sending the sword to Edward Clive, wrote not only that he was sending the examples of the best workmanship found after the siege, but also that 'I have alter'd the mounting of the Sword, as it would not have been possible for your Lordship to have worn it with the original Scabbard & I have preferr'd covering it with Green Velvet instead of Red to make it Correspond with the Facings worn by the Shropshire Militia in case your Lordship should at any time be disposed to bear it' (ibid, British Library, IOR/L/MIL/5/159). This indicates that the original sheath of the Powis sword was red, like ours. Our sheath also bears the Haidar stamp on the gold mounts further demonstrating that it is the original sheath conceived for the sword.
There are subtle differences between the three swords. One feature that the present sword has, seemingly not shared by the others, is a date which is inscribed on the underside of the quillons, and given according to the mauludi calendar. As mentioned above, although there is some ambiguity, the most likely reading is 1224, which is the equivalent of 1796-97 AD. In Arabic, maulud means ‘birth’, and Tipu Sultan marked the birth of the Prophet in the year 572 which he marked as the first year in his calendar. The Mauludi calendar was not based on the Lunar Islamic Hijri calendar but entirely on the Luni-Solar Hindu Panchanga calendar followed by his subjects across Mysore. This matching of calendars proved helpful in his administration, as things like harvesting seasons, festival periods and tax deadlines matched. On the basis of the date on our sword, even if there is some question of a period of two years, a more precise date can be suggested for the two previously published examples. Another feature that sets our sword apart from its closest comparables is a small control stamp with the name Haidar contained within a small bubri motif that is found on both the blade and the hilt.
This is one of the three swords that were considered as the most important of all Tipu’s weapons at the time, indicated by the identities of the three recipients. Of the three, this is the only dated example and the only one remaining in private hands; a spectacular weapon that was regarded as the ultimate prize just a few years after its creation.
Port Eliot
Port Eliot is one of the most historic and romantic buildings in Cornwall. The ancestral seat of the 11th Earl of St Germans and now the home of the Eliot family, the house has been occupied for over 1,000 years and is believed to the oldest continually inhabited dwelling in the UK. The collection there reflects many lifetimes of collecting and the rich history of the house. The rooms are adorned with paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Van Dyck, as well as a vast mural by Robert Lenkiewicz, one of the most celebrated 20th century artists of South West England. Originally built as a priory with the adjoining St Germans Priory Church, parts of the current house date back to the twelfth century. The earliest written reference to Port Eliot however is in a ninth century Cornish liturgical fragment, now in the Bodleian in Oxford - it refers to Ecclesia Lnanledensia, considered the early name of the location. The house was remodelled by Sir John Soane in the eighteenth century, and the renowned landscape gardener Humphrey Repton created the gardens and the park. Since March 2008, the house has been open to the public.
Jemima, the granddaughter of Charles, 1st Marquess and 2nd Earl Cornwallis, married Edward Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans on 24 December 1803. Since that time, the history of the two families has been entwined and many works of art associated with Charles Cornwallis are now housed at Port Eliot.
Charles, 1st Marquess Cornwallis and 2nd Earl Cornwallis (1738-1805)
Charles, 1st Marquess and 2nd Earl Cornwallis, KG PC (1738-1805), to whom this sword was presented following the death of Tipu Sultan at fall of Seringapatam, was a British Army officer, politician and colonial administrator of considerable ability. He was appointed Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of British India in February 1786. He oversaw the consolidation of British control over much of India, and was responsible for ‘laying the foundation for British rule throughout India and setting standards for the services, courts and revenue collection that remained remarkably unaltered almost to the end of the British era’ (Jerry Dupont, The Common Law Abroad: Constitution and Legal Legacy of the British Empire, London, 2001).
As Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in India, he played a substantial role in the conflict between Tipu Sultan and the East India Company. He led the British forces during the Third Anglo-Mysore war (1789-1792) and though unsuccessful in the first siege of Seringapatam in 1791, the following year he encouraged Tipu to sign a peace treaty in which half of the territory of Mysore was handed over to the Company and its allies. He famously also received Tipu’s sons, Abdul Khaliq and Mohin-ud-Din, as surety on the peace treaty that ended the war. This scene is famously depicted in Robert Home’s painting, The Reception of the Mysorean Hostage Princes by Marquis Cornwallis, 26 February 1792 (illustrated here) and is described in some detail in A Narrative of the Campaign in India, which terminated the war with Tippoo Sultan in 1792, London, 1793, pp.228-229.
Cornwallis is said to have gifted the young princes gold watches, and they, in return, gave him a sword. Close examination of the hilt of lot 100 has revealed a date. Though by no means illegible, there is some ambiguity about the final numeral – it could be read either as a 2 or a 4. The earliest possible reading is maulaui 1222, which represents the period April 1794 to February 1795, placing it a month after the return of the young princes to Tipu in March 1794. It is, therefore, possible that this is the very sword they gave to Cornwallis on the occasion of them being released to their father. The gift presented to Cornwallis is described in some records as a ‘jewelled sword’, which opens up the alternative possibility that the following lot, 101, is the one that he received from Tipu’s sons.
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (1750-99), ‘The Tiger of Mysore’ served as Sultan of Mysore from 1782 until his death in 1799. The son of Sultan Haidar ‘Ali, Tipu demonstrated his military and diplomatic skills from an early age against the British and Mahrattas. The East India Company recognised that Tipu was probably their most formidable enemy and that his army was one of the greatest threats to their expansion in India. They fought three wars against Tipu and his father, Haidar ‘Ali, between 1767 and 1792. His reputation as the great enemy of the British in India was cemented during the Second Anglo-Mysore War when Tipu humiliated the British with crushing victories at the Pollipur in 1780 and Annagudi in 1782.
Meanwhile, Tipu oversaw a period of great wealth for Mysore, with the Sultanate replacing Bengal as the dominant economic power in India and facilitating a blossoming of architectural and artistic patronage. A fine example of this wealth is Tipu’s throne made of gold, jewels and situated below a pearl canopy (a painting of it, by Anna Tonelli in 1800 is illustrated here). Tipu adopted the symbol and iconography of a tiger, an animal with which he held an enduring fascination, as a core part of his royal visual identity. Although the image of the royal tiger was previously used by Indian dynasties such as the Cholas and Hoysalas, Tipu Sultan really made it his own. As Archer, Rowell and Skelton wrote in the catalogue on the Treasures of Powis Castle, Tipu ‘was a consummate self-publicist’ (Mildred Archer, Christopher Rowell and Robert Skelton, Treasures from India. The Clive Collection at Powis Castle, New York, 1987, p.28). The extent and variety of usage of tiger motifs and bubri (tiger-stripe) patterns made the tiger immediately personally emblematic of Tipu Sultan. Images of tigers and bubri motifs were employed in the architecture of palaces and mosques, on hilts, helmets, armour and cannon, and on the uniforms of his personal guard and palace staff (Anne Buddle, The Tiger and the Thistle: Tipu Sultan and the Scots in India 1760-1800, Edinburgh, 1999, pp.22-25). The ruler is famously quoted as saying it is better ‘to live two days as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep’ (Alexander Beatson, A View of the Origin & Conduct of the War with the Late Tippoo Sultaun, London, 1800, p.153).
The British finally overthrew Tipu in 1799 at the Siege of Seringapatam, a few years after Cornwallis had left India. Betrayed by his ministers, who conspired with the British to weaken the walls of his fortress, Tipu rejected the suggestion of his French military advisors to escape and chose to die fighting. The fall of Seringapatam is remembered as much for the opulence of the fine works of art and courtly objects that were removed from the city after the siege as for the final defeat of this long-standing opponent.