| Some 50 historians assembled here for a three-day national-level seminar to discuss 'Tipu Sultan "" State, Economy and Modernisation' in Mysore. |
| Called the 'Tiger of Mysore' for his valour against the British army, Tipu had brought about far-reaching changes during his 13-year rule from the then island capital of the Mysore maharajas between 1782-1799. |
| Despite his frequent engagements in war with the British, Tipu, who succeeded his father Hyder Ali had an excellent scheme of resource mobilisation. He brought about land reforms, took up manufacturing and attained self-sufficiency in armaments, gave an impetus to industrial production and sericulture, purchased foodgrains and built storage houses. |
| "During Tipu's period, Mysore had a unique place in India. Almost every armament in use in the 18th century was manufactured in Tipu's area of command. Investments were made in different economic activities. The state was a model state," said Mysore University's department of studies in history professor and chairman Sebastian Joseph while addressing the media. |
| He said, "Tipu was perhaps the only ruler of the 18th century Asia who understood the inner logic of colonialism and its myriad facets. His answer to colonialism was not only resistance but also modernisation of the content and process of governance with emphasis on a strong state and sound economy." |
| "Under the canopy of such a state system with its ever-expanding secular domain and religious co-existence was an essential plan of survival," he added. |
| Even before Europe could see the basic material changes of renaissance, Tipu had sown the seeds of renaissance. He had laid the foundation for the change with an underlying emphasis on state investment and self-sufficiency. His was a model society and model economy, he said. |
| "Time has come to rewrite the history of India with this in the background," the professor said. |
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