The magnificent and ruthless Tipu Sultan (1751-1799) of the Indian Kingdom of Mysore rose to power in the 1780s. At that time, India controlled 25% of world trade, and 80% of Britain's lucrative India trade concerned finely crafted textiles. France, too, was importing thousands of metres of 'toiles Indiennes' in direct competition with its sworn enemy, the British East India Company. This talk will look at Tipu's focus on textiles, the regions involved, and the often overlooked methods of distribution and finance of the Indian master traders.