obert Home had trained in the classical tradition of painting
with Angelica Kauffmann in London and had studied the antique
in Italy (1773-78) before arriving in India in 1790. He
was the only professional artist to follow the army during
the Mysore Wars, making sketches in the field as he travelled
with the army on their way to attack Bangalore and the hill
forts of Mysore during the Third Mysore War. Twenty-nine
engravings were published in 1794, entitled 'Select views
in Mysore in the country of Tippoo Sultan, from drawings
taken on the spot by Mr Home;
with historical descriptions.'
In his Preface, Home writes:'Whatever tends to increase
the sphere of man's knowledge is unquestionably important,
and in this respect history and geography have a conspicuous
claim to our attention…It is our province to stimulate curiosity,
not to gratify it. This we leave to abler pens, and we do
it with the more satisfaction as the speedily promised work
of Major Dirom will undoubtedly
afford a rich banquet to everyone who thirsts after science.
He commends the engravings - 'upon which no expense has
been spared' - as a delight for those who have never visited
India, and a faithful record for those who gallantly fought
there.
Today, Bangalore is the capital of the state of Karnataka,
(pop.44.9 million, 1996) with a population of over 5.2 million
(1999). It is a major centre of technology, an 'Electronic
City' with a phenomenal growth rate of 60% per year in the
software development industry. 'The Tiger and the Thistle:
Tipu Sultan and the Scots in India' is one of the many products
of this technology, and other Internet links are:
British
Library on-line (Bangalore)
e-mail:bl.bangalore@in.britishcouncil.org
National
Galleries of Scotland on-line (Edinburgh)
Scottish
Cultural Resources Access Network (SCRAN)
India
Nexus: Tipu Sultan - The Tiger of Mysore and first freedom
fighter of India
Kamat's
Potpourri: The Sword of Tipu Sultan
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