The Story Behind Tippu's Death Place (Tippu Sultan Death Place)

The body of Tippu Sultan was found here Historical Context: The Fall of Srirangapatna, 1799 By the late 18th century, Tippu Sultan (often called the “Tiger of Mysore”) was one of the major resistors to British expansion in southern India. During the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1798–99), British East India Company forces laid siege to the fortress city of Srirangapatna (also known as Seringapatam) in an effort to defeat Tipu and secure control of Mysore territory. On May 5th, 1799 (some sources say May 4th), Tippu Sultan died in battle while defending the fort against a British assault. Tippu Sultan fell during a fierce fight near one of the gateways (often referred to as the Water Gate) of the fort, where British troops managed to breach the defences. Once Tippu Sultan was killed, his body was found among the fallen on the battlefield, and one of the British officers recognised his remains. To mark that location, Colonel Wellesley is said to have fixed a stone tablet denoting “the body of...