NASA paid tribute to Tipu Sultan's contribution to Rocket Technology by hanging this painting of Tipu Sultan's Army fighting the British with Mysorean rockets (1780 Anglo Mysore War) on their main reception lobby at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility at Maryland (USA). Roddam a famous historian analyzed Tipu and Hyder Ali’s major contributions to rocketry. He noted that they used metal casing for the rockets, instead of the then prevalent bamboo and paper casings. Such metal rockets could travel up to 2 Kilometers, a huge increase in its range and had also greater carrying capacity. For the British too this Rocket science was new and Tipu Sultan thus became the sore enemy of the British. On the other hand Tipu strengthen his relations with the French. In order to support French’s national movement, he joined Jacobian club and planted a tree of liberty at his capital Seringapatam.
HOW TIPU’S ROCKET SCIENCE REACHED EUROPE & AMERICA
After Tipu’s defeat in the 4th Anglo Mysore War, the British carried away a large number of unused rockets to England, where William Congreve subjected them to a scientific study. Congreve then headed the Royal Laboratory at Woolwich Arsenal (the original home of the Arsenal Football Club). After long study and research Britishers successfully start making copies of Mysorian rockets. They named these rockets as "Congreve rockets." 33 years later, on Oct 1813, the British used these Congreve rockets against Napoleon's Army at the Battle of Leipzig.
In the War of 1812, Congreve rockets were used by the British in their attack on Baltimore, USA. Witnessing this attack was Francis Scott Key, who was inspired by the "rockets' red glare" & he penned the Star Spangled Banner, which became the official national anthem of USA.
Rocket technology gained from Tipu Sultan helped the Britishers in defeating Napoleon and becoming rulers of the World. They controlled the Indian Ocean,the Opium Trade (which crippled China) and large territories in Africa.
