Mir Ghulam Ali

Mir Ghulam Ali Khan^[1] was an official and senior military commander (vakil and sirdar) of the Tipu Sultan.

Ghulam Ali was the Home Minister and the head vakil of Tippu Sultan. He is said to have led a delegation to Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire, and was also supposed to visit France. It is said that he stole some of the gifts given to Tippu Sultan, and was imprisoned, and then released.

After the fall of Tippu Sultan in 1799, Ghulam Ali was pensioned off by the British. According to John Thomas, Ghulam Ali was a senior army commander of Mysore, who lived between 1758-1863. He died in 1863 at the age of 105 at Krishnagiri. Further according to Prof Karimuddin, even though Ghulam Ali died in Krishnagiri, his body was buried in Srirangapatnam.

Ghulam Ali Khan was a seasoned diplomat who was the leader of the Mysorean embassy to Turkey and from there on to France and England in 1785 – 1786. He was lame on account of sciatica and a letter from Tipu exists where he sends some oil to apply onto Ghulam Ali’s legs. Even in today’s Mysore, Ghulam Ali is called ‘Langda Ghulam Ali’ or ‘The lame Ghulam Ali’.

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