Muslim bias was blatantly evident, especially in the matter of taxation policy. "Muslimswere exempted from all taxes. Even those who were converted to Islamic faith were alsoallowed the same concessions," says Gopal Rao. In the case of employment, Hindus wereeliminated to the maximum extent possible.
"Kozhikode was then a centre of Brahmins. There were around 7000 Namboodiri housesof which more than 2000 houses were destroyed by Tipu Sultan in Kozhikode alone.Sultan did not spare even children and women. Menfolk escaped to forests andneighbouring principalities. Mappilas increased many fold (due to forcible conversion)."During the military regime of Tipu Sultan, Hindus were forcibly circumcised andconverted to Muhammadan faith. As a result the number of Nairs and Brahmins declinedsubstantially."
Tipu had committed a variety of atrocities on the Hindus in Malabar - barbarous mass-killing, wholesale forcible circumcision and conversion, and widespread destruction andplunder of Hindu temples.
Besides, he also wanted to establish Islamic rule in the country; to achieve that he had tofirst defeat the British. For this purpose, Tipu Sultan solicited the assistance of Muslimcountries like Persia, Afghanistan and Turkey. It is true that Tipu did not harm the Rajaof Cochin or anyone for that matter who surrendered and pledged loyalty to him. But howdoes that make him a friend of Hindus?
'In a deliberately designed taxation scheme, the religious prejudice of Tipu Sultan becamequite clear. His co-religionists, Muslims, were exempted from house tax, commodity taxand also the levy on other items of household use. Those who were converted toMuhammadanism, were also given similar tax exemptions. He had even made provisionsfor the education of their children.
The atrocities committed by Tipu Sultan in Bidnur in North Karnataka during and afterits capture by him, were most barbarous and beyond description. Ayaz Khan who wasKammaran Nambiar from Chirackal Kingdom before his forcible conversion to Islam byHyder Ali Khan, had been appointed as Governor of Bidnur. Tipu Sultan was jealous of and opposed to Ayaz Khan from the very beginning because Hyder Ali Khan hadconsidered the latter more intelligent and smart. When Ayaz Khan learnt that Tipu Sultanwas scheming to kill him secretly, he escaped to Bombay with plenty of gold. Tipu
Sultan came to Bednur and forcibly converted its entire population to Islam. The peopleaccepted Islam for the sake of their lives.
After the capture of Mangalore, thousands of Christians were also forcibly sent toSreerangapatanam where all of them were circumcised and converted to Islam.
A small army of 2000 Nairs of Kadathanadu resisted the invasion of the huge army of Tipu Sultan from a fortress in Kuttipuram for a few weeks. They were reduced tostarvation and death. Tipu Sultan entered the fort and offered to spare their lives,provided they accepted conversion to Islam. The unfortunate lot of 2000 Nairs were thenforced to eat beef after being converted to Islamic faith, at the end of usual religious ritualof mass circumcision. All the members of one branch of Parappanad Royal Family wereforcibly converted to Muhammadan faith except for one or two who escaped from theclutches of Tipu Sultan's army. Similarly, one Thiruppad belonging to Nilamboor RoyalFamily was also forcibly abducted and converted to Islam. Thereafter, it was reportedthat further conversions of Hindus were attempted through those converts. In the end,when the Kolathiri Raja surrendered and paid tribute, Tipu Sultan got him treacherouslykilled without any specific reason, dragged his dead body tied to the feet of an elephantthrough the streets, and finally hanged him from a tree-top to show his Islamic contemptfor Hindu Rajas
Tipu Sultan succeeded in mass killing, converting lakhs of Hindus to Islamicfaith, driving thousands out of their traditional homes, and finally making the restextremely poor. Many Hindus belonging to lower castes accepted conversion to Islamunder duress. However, many others, especially the Thiyyas, fled to Tellicherry andMahe for safety.
