Sword of Dara Shokuh
Sword
1640-1641 (made)
1640-1641 (made)
| Place of origin |
The very fine watered steel blade of this sword is inscribed on the back with a Persian inscription inlaid in gold stating that it belonged to the Mughal prince Dara Shokuh (1615-1659), the son and preferred successor of the emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1658). The verses may be translated as: 'This sword (tigh) of the prince called Dara Shokuh/Takes care of a thousand enemies at one go'. When Shah Jahan fell ill in 1658, another son, Aurangzeb, usurped the throne, had Dara Shokuh killed during a fierce war of succession and declared himself emperor with the title 'Alamgir.
The blade is also inlaid on one side with a gold parasol signifying its royal ownership. The sword must have been made in a court workshop, perhaps in Lahore which was a traditional centre of weapons production. A date is stamped on one side of the blade near a forte. The third digit is indistinct, but is probably '5', making the date 1050 AH, or 1640-41. The scabbard and its enamelled gold mounts are almost certainly later, made in India and probably in the 19th century.
The blade is also inlaid on one side with a gold parasol signifying its royal ownership. The sword must have been made in a court workshop, perhaps in Lahore which was a traditional centre of weapons production. A date is stamped on one side of the blade near a forte. The third digit is indistinct, but is probably '5', making the date 1050 AH, or 1640-41. The scabbard and its enamelled gold mounts are almost certainly later, made in India and probably in the 19th century.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | watered steel; gold; enamel; wood; velvet |
| Physical description | The curving blade of the sword is of very fine watered steel. It has a date stamped into one side at the forte, which seems to be 1050. The steel hilt is overlaid with gold flowering plants and there is a heavy tassel attached to the pommel. The wooden scabbard is covered with velvet and has a gold brocaded belt wrapped round the upper section. The fittings of the scabbard and belt are gold, enamelled in translucent green vine and grape motifs. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | (Inlaid in gold on back of blade. There is also a stamped inscription on the blade: 'Dara Shikhui' and a partidally defaced date that seems to be 1050 [=AH; AD1640-1641] though the 5 is not entirely clear.) |
| Credit line | Given by the Right Hon. the Earl Kitchener of Khartoum |
| Object history | Given by the Right Hon. the Earl Kitchener of Khartoum |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The very fine watered steel blade of this sword is inscribed on the back with a Persian inscription inlaid in gold stating that it belonged to the Mughal prince Dara Shokuh (1615-1659), the son and preferred successor of the emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1658). The verses may be translated as: 'This sword (tigh) of the prince called Dara Shokuh/Takes care of a thousand enemies at one go'. When Shah Jahan fell ill in 1658, another son, Aurangzeb, usurped the throne, had Dara Shokuh killed during a fierce war of succession and declared himself emperor with the title 'Alamgir. The blade is also inlaid on one side with a gold parasol signifying its royal ownership. The sword must have been made in a court workshop, perhaps in Lahore which was a traditional centre of weapons production. A date is stamped on one side of the blade near a forte. The third digit is indistinct, but is probably '5', making the date 1050 AH, or 1640-41. The scabbard and its enamelled gold mounts are almost certainly later, made in India and probably in the 19th century. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.214-1964 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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