BENGALURU: Over 1,000 "war rockets" of the 18th century ruler of the erstwhile Mysore state, Tipu Sultan, have been found in an abandoned open well at Bidanooru Fort in Karnataka's Shivamogga district, said an legit on Saturday.
"Excavation of the open well in the fort at Nagara near Shivamogga led to unearthing of over 1,000 corroded rockets that were stored during Tipu's time for use in wars," state Archaeology Department Assistant Director R. Shejeshwara Nayaka told IANS from the website online, 385km northwest of here.
A chance discovery of 160 unused rusted rockets in the vicinity in 2002 and their identity after 5 12 months's of analysis in 2007 into the Tipu generation made the department explore if more such ammunition used to be lying buried in the fort.
"Digging of the dry well where its mud was smelling like gun powder led to the discovery of the rockets and shells in a pile, each filled with potassium nitrate, charcoal, and magnesium powder used to fire or lob them using an artillery," Nayaka famous.
A 15-member team of archaeologists, excavators and labourers took three days from Wednesday to unearth the rockets together with gun powder and solid in rustic iron.
"The war rockets are in different sizes, measuring 23-26cm or 12-14 inches. They were found buried in a secure place in the well-shaped place beneath the surface," Nayaka pointed out.
The rockets might be stored for public display on the division's museum in Shivamogga town in the Malnad area.
"The iron-cased rockets clearly show Tipu's technology was used in making them. Some of them could even belong to Keladi Dynasty and the Wodeyar rulers of the Mysore kingdom after Tipu's reign," added Nayaka.
According to historic information with the department, the Malnad area, including the fort house in Shivamogga used to be a part of Tipu's Mysore kingdom from 1750-99 and the rockets have been used in the wars Tipu fought in opposition to the East India Company of the British empire.
Tipu used to be killed in the fourth Anglo-Mysore battle in 1799 at Srirangapatna near Mysore after successive victories in battles in opposition to the British rulers.
A pioneer in the use of rocket artillery, Tipu used to deploy the rockets to deter the advancing British forces from advancing into his territory.
For developing the rockets, Tipu took the help of the French army, which used the British Congreve rockets in the wars its commander-in-chief Napoleon Bonaparte fought in Europe.
"Excavation of the open well in the fort at Nagara near Shivamogga led to unearthing of over 1,000 corroded rockets that were stored during Tipu's time for use in wars," state Archaeology Department Assistant Director R. Shejeshwara Nayaka told IANS from the website online, 385km northwest of here.
A chance discovery of 160 unused rusted rockets in the vicinity in 2002 and their identity after 5 12 months's of analysis in 2007 into the Tipu generation made the department explore if more such ammunition used to be lying buried in the fort.
"Digging of the dry well where its mud was smelling like gun powder led to the discovery of the rockets and shells in a pile, each filled with potassium nitrate, charcoal, and magnesium powder used to fire or lob them using an artillery," Nayaka famous.
A 15-member team of archaeologists, excavators and labourers took three days from Wednesday to unearth the rockets together with gun powder and solid in rustic iron.
"The war rockets are in different sizes, measuring 23-26cm or 12-14 inches. They were found buried in a secure place in the well-shaped place beneath the surface," Nayaka pointed out.
The rockets might be stored for public display on the division's museum in Shivamogga town in the Malnad area.
"The iron-cased rockets clearly show Tipu's technology was used in making them. Some of them could even belong to Keladi Dynasty and the Wodeyar rulers of the Mysore kingdom after Tipu's reign," added Nayaka.
According to historic information with the department, the Malnad area, including the fort house in Shivamogga used to be a part of Tipu's Mysore kingdom from 1750-99 and the rockets have been used in the wars Tipu fought in opposition to the East India Company of the British empire.
Tipu used to be killed in the fourth Anglo-Mysore battle in 1799 at Srirangapatna near Mysore after successive victories in battles in opposition to the British rulers.
A pioneer in the use of rocket artillery, Tipu used to deploy the rockets to deter the advancing British forces from advancing into his territory.
For developing the rockets, Tipu took the help of the French army, which used the British Congreve rockets in the wars its commander-in-chief Napoleon Bonaparte fought in Europe.
1,000 'war rockets' of Tipu found in Karnataka fort
![1,000 'war rockets' of Tipu found in Karnataka fort]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
July 28, 2018
Rating:
