Page:Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan.djvu/223

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TIPÚ'S FEROCIOUS CHARACTER
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every living creature in it, whether man or woman, old or young, child, dog, cat, or anything else, must be put to the sword, with the single exception of Kála Pandit (the commandant) – what more?'

In another, addressed to an officer in Coorg, he remarks: –

'You are to make a general attack on the Coorgs, and, having put to the sword or made prisoners the whole of them, both the slain and the prisoners, with the women and children, are to be made Musalmáns[1].'

Again, alluding to a rising at Súpa in Kánara, he writes to Badr-uz-zaman Khán: –

'Ten years ago, from ten to fifteen thousand men were hung upon the trees of that district; since which time the aforesaid trees have been waiting for more men. You must therefore hang upon trees all such of the inhabitants of that district as have taken a lead in these rebellious proceedings.'

In another letter, despatched to Arshad Bég Khán at Calicut respecting certain highway robbers, he says: –

'Such of the authors of this rebellion and flagrant conduct as have been already killed, are killed. But why should the remainder of them, on being made prisoners, be put to death? Their proper punishment is this: Let the dogs, both black and white, be regularly despatched to Seringapatam[2].'

Again he writes regarding some of the Nizám's

  1. In the original Persian, 'Kasáníkih kushtah shudand wa kasáníkih asír shuwand, máh zan wa bachah, hamahhárá musalmán namáyand.'
  2. This is significant of what imprisonment at Seringapatam foreshadowed. The word 'white' is supposed to apply to the Christian portion of these people.