Tipu Shah -An Unsung and Forgotten Freedom Fighter of Imami Sufi Orderiya Sufi Order

An Unsung and Forgotten Tipu of  Pro-Ahle-Bait Madariya Sufi Order

By Prof.Mazhar Naqvi

What a tragic and unfortunate paradox? This is how only the grave injustice meted out to Tipu Shah by historians can be summed up. His role as a crusader against the British is not inferior to Tipu Sultan, the Lion of Mysore, in anyway. But he remains an unsung hero even today while Tipu Sultan is a household name in India. While shrine of Tipu Sultan at Srirangpattam in Karnataka draws large crowd of devotees and tourists, nobody knows as to where Tipu Shah lies buried. Tipu Sultan, of course, deserves the prestige and praise that he occupies in the hearts of Indians for his exemplary bravery and martyrdom. Historians have rightly given him his due place in their works but they have utterly neglected Tipu Shah. The reason is common tendency found among the historians to glorify rulers and ignore the contribution of an ordinary man to even one of the noblest causes. The difference between the background of Tipu Sultan and Tipu Shah substantiates the allegations leveled against the historians for their partisan attitude.

Tipu Shah was not a ruler like Lion of Mysore. He was simply a Fakir belonging to Madariya Sufi order. Yet he opposed the British from 1813 to 1833 as the undisputed leader of ‘Pagal Panthi’ movement started by his own father Karim Shah. He spent last 19 years of his life in prison following his arrest and subsequent trial. So powerful and influential was his leadership that even after his death in 1852, his movement remained unabated under the command of Janku and Dobraj Pathor. The Pagal Panthi was a religious movement that emerged in the province of Bengal in late 18^th century ,especially in Sharper and Mymansingh( Now in Bangladesh) areas. The movement gained popularity under the leadership of Karim shah who was a follower of Madariya order which is famous for its leaning towards ‘Panjatan’i.e. Prophet Muhammad, Hazrat Ali, Bibi Fatima and Imam Hasan and Husain. Shahid-E-Salis (The third Martyr) Qazi Nurullah Shustri   has described founder of the order Hazrat Badi Uddin Zinda Shah Madar as a direct descendent of Imam Jafar Sadiq Allahessalam in one of his books.

In sharp contrast to other parts of Bengal, the area under the influence of Pagal Panthis was inhabited mainly by tribal peoples such as Hajangs, Dalus, Hudis, Garos and Rajvangshies. They adhered to Animism and tribal faiths but lived with considerable religious harmony. This base facilitated the work of Karim Shah when he embarked upon religious reforms to uplift down trodden socio-economically. Unfortunately, the war between British forces and Burma devastated the region. The East India Company subjected the area to heavy taxation to recover the cost of war. Forcible collections and seizure of property caused much resentment among the people in general and peasants in particular.

 The Pagal Panthis as followers of Imam Husain who had preferred martyrdom over the life of humiliation decided  to protect and defend poor and feeble peasants from the British and their oppressive Zamindaars (landlords). After seeking blessings of his mother Chand Bibi who also commanded much respect among the people and known as ‘Peer Mata’(Saint Mother), Tipu Shah based his forces in a mud-fort near Sherpur. Then, he proclaimed his rule in the name of Allah. At his behest, people stopped paying taxes to the British and followed his rulings. Despite repeated raids, Tipu Shah always outwitted British and continued to remain religious and political leader of the community till his arrest with his aides in 1833.He was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Pagal Panthi order came under the joint leadership of Janku and Dobraj Pathor after his arrest , to be followed by death due to torture and hardships of prison. His disciples organized another peasant resistance against the landlords and their British patrons. An armed group of Pagal Panthis captured Sherpur town, ransacked it and looted government offices. They also drove out East India Company officials, landlords and police from Sherpur and forced them to seek shelter in Mymansingh. Declaring themselves rulers of the town and surrounding areas, the Pagal Panthis controlled the region for almost two years by thwarting the repeated attempts of the company army to recapture the lost territory.

The efforts of Tipu Shah and his followers did not go in vain. The government accepted many of the peasant demands, including lowering the rent rate and other taxes. Compromises and agreements between the landlords, the Company and the peasants helped restore peace and order in the region. It was a sort of an unforgettable victory over the mighty British but time erased the sacrifice made by Tipu Shah and his followers from the memory of people who now use the term Pagal Panthi for an insane act.