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Poornaiah, Dewan - Deeply sensitive and caring parent

Poornaiah. Image: Yale center for British Collection.

Poornaiah, Krishnacharya [1746 - 27 March 1812] was a self-taught outstanding administrator and accountant possessing a prodigious memory. He worked under king Hyder Ali. Poornaiah was a Diwan [highest official after king] and a wartime military commander under Hyder Ali’s successor son, Tipu Sultan. As a Deshastha Madhwa Brahamana [Anglicized Brahmin], he was the only non-muslim in Tipu’s cabinet. Hyder Ali had, in his last days, instructed Tipu to murder Poornaiah.

A soldier in Tipu’s military raped Poornaiah’s stunningly beautiful daughter. Poornaiah complained to Tipu who responded “Get your daughter married to him [the rapist]”. This response enraged Poornaiah. Poornaiah’s daughter committed suicide.

British kill Tipu Sultan. Painting: Henry Singleton (1766–1839)

Poornaiah conspired with the British. On 4th May 1799, from the south, the British came to attack and capture Tipu’s capital, Srirangapatna, an island in the Kaveri river. Being in charge of the treasury, Poornaiah called the army stationed on the south side of the fort and told them to go and collect their salaries. Then Poornaiah opened a door of the fort providing easy entry to the British. The British killed the lecherous Tipu Sultan, a religious persecutor and murderer.

'Finding the Body of Tippoo Sultan'. Coloured engraving by Samuel William Reynolds (1773–1835). Source: British Library.

Poornaiah was a deeply sensitive and caring parent to his daughter.

Post script: In 2020 an Indian woman data scientist in India analyzed rape data in India and found that Indian men commit rape because society [which includes both men and women] permits them to do so.