BENGALURU: Historians in Karnataka are baffled by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) projection of soldiers Uri Gowda and Doddananje Gowda as killers of erstwhile ruler of Mysore Kingdom-Tipu Sultan and stated that the claims of Tipu killers have ‘no documentary’ records.
However, the historians felt a need to go deep into oral recordings (folklore), if any, to get details on Tipu Sultan killers.
BJP Vokkaliga leaders MLA C.T. Ravi and Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje have claimed that Uri Gowda and Doddananje Gowda killed Tipu Sultan. BJP Minister Muniratna has evinced interest in making a film on Uri Gowda and Doddananje Gowda.
A historian, on condition of anonymity, told Deccan Chronicle on Saturday that “Nowhere there is mention of Uri Gowda and Doddananje Gowda in any works related to Mysore Kingdom and the royal family. There is even mention of persons holding smaller positions in Mysore Kingdom but no records on Uri Gowda and Doddananje Gowda.”
Another historian termed the story of Uri Gowda and Doddananje Gowda as a ‘fictitious’ one and said “How can I get details on them when there is no mention of the two in any history books?”
While, the posters released depict two soldiers –Uri Gowda and Doddananje Gowda with swords and giving a description of the war in which Tipu was killed, going by the evidences, a historian said that “It was a chaotic situation and bullets were fired all around and one of them hit Tipu in the forehead and nobody knows who fired the bullet at Tipu.”
Earlier, there were no talks on Uri Gowda and Doddananje Gowda and it all started about five years ago, said a historian and suspect that “An attempt is being made to project a particular community (Vokkaliga)’s contribution and superior to other communities of the society?.”
In reference to documentary evidence, both the historians opined that ‘Tipu was killed (May 4, 1799) by an unknown soldier during the war with the Britishers in Srirangapatna. His body was discovered among slayed soldiers and the identification was done by Tipu’s sons before an official declaration was made.”
Janata Dal Secular leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumarswamy, belonging to the Vokkaliga community, stated that “It is a conspiracy to defame the Vokkaliga community by projecting them as Tipu killers through creation of fictitious characters.”
