How Mysuru King Tipu Sultan Got Calcutta Connection?

Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan has never put his feet in Kolkata, but there are two masjids in Kolkata, of his name, bearing the legacy of the Tiger of Mysore - one at Esplanade/ Dharmatala and another one at Tollyganj. For the uninitiated, Tipu Sultan was a ruler of Mysore, and fought against British during 1700's. Today Kolkata does remember him and his successors. Prince Anwar Shah Road and Prince Golam Mohammad Shah Road in South Kolkata bears the name of his son. But what is the link between Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan and Kolkata?

George Orwell said, “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history."

Fateh Ali Shah Tipu Sultan became the ruler of Mysore in 1782 after the death of his father Hyder Ali. He was a brave fighter and pioneer of Mysorean rockets which he used against the British.* He fought several battles against the British. Eventually he lost the battle of Srirangapatna (or fourth Anglo-Mysore war) against British East India Company and was killed during the war in 1799. After that family of Tipu was captured in Vellore fort. There was another mutiny, and then they were shifted to Calcutta, a city that is not flourished up yet, as Job Charnock just bought three villages (Sutanuti, Gobindapur and Kalikata) from local zaminders and started a British trade settlement from 1690. After Tipu's defeat & death, the old Hindu Wadiyar dynasty was reinstated in Mysore. The reason of shifting the family of Tipu to Calcutta were of two reasons. First in East India the family of Tipu can't provoke a mutiny by instilling heroism of Tipu & Hyder Ali among locals. Second British East India Company had their headquarter (capital in future) in Calcutta, from there they can look into the Royal family of Mysuru. 

*Trivia: The British collected the remainings of Tipu's rockets and they redeveloped the rockets which became the major differentiator against King Napoleon in the war of Waterloo. 

Interestingly there were three Muslim Royal family exiled in Calcutta, the British capital of India of that time. First is Nawab of Awadh Wazir Ali Khan in 1799, second is Tipu's family in 1805-06 and last one is Wajid Ali Shah of Lucknow/Oudh in 1856. Wazir Ali Khan saw nothing of the city, as he was jailed in Fort William till his death in 1817. And Wajid Ali Shah was living at Metiabruz and shared his kitchen with the city, as he can be noted as father of Kolkata Biriyani. 

Tipu's youngest son Prince Ghulam Mohammed Anwar Shah (1795-1872) was a kid when the family arrived here. The Mysore Family was given lands and residence in Rassa Pagla (Russapugly) area, a densely mangrove forested area abounding in Sundari, Byne and Garjan trees. The name 'Russapugla' stems from a unique tree which gave shade to Pugla Pir (the Sufi saint with remarkable powers) who meditated and died in the neighbourhood. You can't imagine that this area is today's posh, elite Tollyganj area, now famous for film park. Colonel William Tolly dredged the Gobindapur Creek in 1773 and reconnected Calcutta Port with the Matla and Bidyadhari rivers. He also built a market (ganj) - that's today's Tollyganj. 

Prince Golam Mohammed Anwar Shah

There are some controversies regarding number of sons Tipu had, some says it was 11, some says 12 or 13. Whatever it was, it is accepted the fact that Gulam Md. was the youngest son of Tipu. He was very prudent man, and saving money from pension given by British, he started buying lands in the developing city. From the south Calcutta to central Calcutta he bought several land assets. He set up Prince Golam Mohammed Trust in 1872 before his death. This trust was one of the richest one in the country, as revenues being generated from the multiple properties from south to central Calcutta. 

Gulam Md's properties were included sizeable in chunks in the central business zones like in Chowringhee, Park Street and Theatre Road, besides the large land assests in south Calcutta. The land assets of Gulam Mohammed confirms the cosmopolitan nature of the city, where a south Indian Muslim Price was behind the development of today's south Calcutta.

It is said, Lower Circular Road Christian Cemetery was formed on the land acquired from him (a small masjid in here suggested that too) in 1840. Gulam Mohammed had became a good friend of the British later on, went to London too. 

Lower Circular Road Cemetery (Christian Burial Board)
During our visit LCR Cemetery was closed for casual visitors. However it is operational burial ground for Christians of the city. 

Shaw Wallace and Co. Ltd, Tollygunge Club and Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) are the notable long term tenants occupying significant locations and areas of Waqf estate*. Royal Calcutta Golf Club, founded in 1829 near Dum Dum, took the lease of 280 bighas in Tollygunge in 1907 and shifted to the present location. 

Tollygunge Club was actually an indigo plantation land alongwith a farmhouse of Richard Johnson, a british merchant since 1781. In 1806 Tipu's family came to Calcutta and probably during 1812-14 Gulam Mohammed purchased the plantation land from Johnson for residential purpose. William Dixon Cruickshank, a Scottish banker, who had a plan build a sports club, leased this land from Gulam Mohammed's descendants and Tollygunge Club was established in 1895. 

In 2008 these three big tenants revised their lease agreement with Waqf estate. It would be interesting to share that the first hole of  Tolly Club’s golf links is named after Tipu Sultan.

*Waqf is a permanent dedication of movable or immovable properties for religious or charitable purposes recognized by Islamic law. It is quite similar to Debottar properties in Hindu religion. 

He built Tipu Sultan Shahi Masjid at 185 Dhartamtalla Street, today we see it at the crossing of Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Dharmatala St at Esplanade, just opposite to KC Das's sweets store of Esplanade. The mosjid is now surrounded by multiple street shops and true beauty of its architecture is now lost.

Tipu Sultan Shahi Masjid at Esplanade, Calcutta (1945) 

Built in 1842, the masjid was damaged during 80's due to construction work by Metro Railway of Calcutta. Later it was restored by Metro Railway and Tipu Sultan Shahi Masjid Protection & Welfare Committee. Today Tipu Sultan Masjid stands as an architectural and cultural heritage of the city.  

Tipu Sultan Shahi Mosque as seen these days

An identical masjid was also built earlier in 1835 in Tollygunge, at the crossing of SP Mukherjee Road and Prince Anwar Shah Road. Both carries the Byzantine architecture. Two mosques have been managed by Prince Gulam Mohammed Waqf Estate. This south masjid is better managed and better looking, thanks to the serene garden around it. The complex has the main Masjid, an Imambara, the burials of some of Tipu's descendents, garden and a pond. Back in 2013 the masjid and Imambara were renovated. I spoke with the visitors at Tollygunge Tipu Sultan Masjid, the burials from Mysore Family Fateha Waqf Estate are now reserved there, but this information is not verified. 

Tipu Sultan Masjid, Tollygunge - Side view

Tipu Sultan Masjid, Tollygunge - notice the canon in memory of Tipu Sultan

Imambara in the Tipu Sultan Mosque, Tollygunge 
(Imambara is a place or a building with a hall where people assemble for "Majlis" (Mourning Congregations) of Imam Husain and Martyrs of Karbala.)

Many of Tipu's descendents were buried in this city, at 51/1A Satish Mukherjee Road, which is known as Mysore Family Fateha Waqf Estate. It is located on the east side of Kalighat Park. Several family members of Tipu Sultan including five sons, two daughters and son-in law Nizamuddin were buried in this burial ground. 

There is a mosque with two towers and two domes, but in a very poor condition now. Now the burial ground as well as the mosque area is encroached by local people's makeshift housings since 1990's. On the papers of KMC, it is noted as Grade I Heritage Spot. Shahid Alam, one of the descendants of Tipu Sultan expressed his frustration that KMC did not take any step to remove these encroachment. 

In Photos: One Minar/Tower and One Dome of the mosque at 51/1A Satish Mukherjee Road

The neighbourhood I don't find friendly enough to take more photos. 

The burials of several descendants of Tipu is now a slum and it's a public disrespect to the departed souls. 

Nearby there are two roads - Prince Gulam Mohammed Street and Mysore Street. Also in Mudiali, there is a road named, Tipu Sultan Road. 

Entrance of a house at Mysore Road

There is another burial ground at Prince Anwar Shah Road - known as Prince Gulam Muhammad Shah Muslim Burial Ground at Rajendra Prasad Colony. It is active burial ground, which makes to think that this burial ground was not built by him, rather it was built later to accommodate more bodies in future. 

In the July 2009 edition of Kolkata Purashree it was published that there are 10 roads named after the descendants of Tipu Sultan - Prince Golam Mohammad Road, Mysore Road, Prince Baktiar Shah Road, Price Golam Hussain Shah Road, Tipu Sultan Road, Prince Rahimuddin Lane, Sultan Alam Road, Prince Anwar Shah Road, Anjuman Ara Begum Row. All these roads are in Tollyguange. Last road, named Price Golam Mohammed Shah Road is located in Kalighat area. Even there is road called Russa Road, which reminds of old Tollygaunge which was being called as Russa Pagla. 

It is said there was 13 mosques built by Tipu's family members across the city, many went into the debris. However I found there are two mosques are still maintained well. 

1. Shahni Begum Mosque (Ekbalpur) - built by Shahni Begum, the daughter of Prince Shararuddin, the son of Tipu Sultan in Hijri 1256 (1840 AD). 

2. Zohra Begum Mosque (Mahabirtala) - Built in a Dakhani style, this mosque was built by Zohra Begum, the second wife of Tipu Sultan in 1841. 

Tipu's descendants are still living in Kolkata and it's now fifth generation after Tipu. Tipu's family members have been living for last 215 years, today nearly 50 persons are carrying that blue blood in that veins, many of them shifted to East Bengal or Bangladesh or other cities of India. Those stayed back in Kolkata, have now become ordinary folk of the city, speaks Bangla, and most of them are grappling with poverty. 

The post which provoked me to research on Tipu and take a visit to these places: 
https://www.anandabazar.com/calcutta/people-are-illegally-occupying-the-burying-land-of-tipu-sultan-1.1106062  

Disclaimer: Some photos are taken from the internet