Tipu Sultan (Kannada: ಟಿಪ್ಪು ಸುಲ್ತಾನ; Urdu: سلطان فتح علی ٹیپو‎; Hindi: टीपू सुल्तान; November 1750  – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore and Tipu Sahib,^[2] was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore and a scholar, soldier, and poet. Tipu was the eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali of Mysore and his wife Fatima Fakhr-un-Nisa.^[3] Tipu introduced a number of administrative innovations during his rule, including his coinage, a new Mauludi lunisolar calendar,^[4] and a new land revenue system which initiated the growth of Mysore silk industry.^[5]Tipu expanded the iron-cased Mysorean rockets and wrote the military manualFathul Mujahidin, considered a pioneer in the use of rocket artillery.^[6] He deployed the rockets against advances of British forces and their allies in their1792 and 1799 Siege of Srirangapatna.

Napoleon, while still not Emperor of the French, sought an alliance with Tipu. In alliance with the French in their struggle with the British, and in Mysore's struggles with other surrounding powers, both Tipu and his father used their French trained army against the Marathas, Sira, and rulers of Malabar,Kodagu, Bednore, Carnatic, and Travancore. During Tipu's childhood, his father rose to take power in Mysore, and upon his father's death in 1782, Tipu succeeded to a large kingdom bordered by the Krishna River in the north, theEastern Ghats in the east, and the Arabian Sea in the west.^[7] He won important victories against the British in the Second Anglo-Mysore War, and negotiated the 1784 Treaty of Mangalore with them after his father Hyder Ali suddenly died from cancer in December 1782 during the Second Anglo-Mysore War.

Tipu engaged in expansionist attacks against his neighbours. He remained an implacable enemy of the British East India Company, bringing them into renewed conflict with his attack on British-allied Travancore in 1789. In theThird Anglo-Mysore War, Tipu was forced into a humiliating treaty, losing a number of previously conquered territories, including Malabar and Mangalore. He sent embassies to foreign states, including the Ottoman Turkey,Afghanistan, and France, in an attempt to rally opposition to the British. In theFourth Anglo-Mysore War, the combined forces of the British East India Company and the Nizam of Hyderabad defeated Tipu, and he was killed on 4 May 1799 while defending his fort of Srirangapatna. The KarnatakaGovernment has been lately trying to portray Tipu Sultan as a State Hero.^[8] He is regarded a hero in Pakistan as well, and the PNS Tippu Sultan ships of thePakistan Navy are named after him. But outside the old region of Mysore, in some South Indian regions such as Kodagu, Malabar, and Dakshina Kannada, Tipu has been accused of religious bigotry

Tipu Sultan was born on 20 November 1750 (Friday, 20th Dhu al-Hijjah, 1163 AH) atDevanahalli,^[1] in present-day Bangalore Rural district, about 33 km (21 mi) north ofBangalore city. He was named "Tipu Sultan" after the saint Tipu Mastan Aulia ofArcot. Tipu was also called "Fath Ali" after his grandfather Fatah Muhammad.

Tipu's father, Hyder Ali, was a military officer in service to the Kingdom of Mysore; he rapidly rose in power, and became the de facto ruler of Mysore in 1761. Hyder himself claimed descent from the Quraysh tribe of Arabs^{[citation needed]}, the tribe of the prophet Muhammad. His father, Fatah Muhammad, was born in Kolar, and served as a commander of 50 men in the bamboo rocket artillery (mainly used for signalling) in the army of the Nawab of Carnatic. Fatah Muhammad eventually entered the service of the Wodeyar Rajas of the Kingdom of Mysore. Tipu's mother Fatima Fakhr-un-Nisa was the daughter of Mir Muin-ud-Din, the governor of the fort of Kadapa. Hyder Ali appointed able teachers to give Tipu an early education in subjects like Hindustani language (Hindi-Urdu), Persian, Arabic, Kannada, Quran,Islamic jurisprudence, riding, shooting and fencing. Tipu's wife was Sindh Sultan and grandson was Sahib sindh Sultan.^[1]