Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Tipu Sultan's bedchamber sword sold for £14 million at London auction

Bonhams says the sale price is a new auction world record for an Indian and Islamic object

Tipu Sultan's bedchamber sword sold for £14 million at London auction

The bedchamber sword of an 18th-century ruler of a south Indian kingdom has been sold for a record £14 million at Bonhams Islamic and Indian Art sale in London.

The weapon had been retrieved from Tipu Sultan’s palace after he had died in Srirangapatna vainly trying to defend the kingdom of Mysore against the East India Company’s army in 1799.

According to historical accounts, the sword which lay within reach of the ruler while he slept, was found in his private quarters after his death. It was presented to major general David Baird in recognition of his courage in leading the final assault on Tipu’s capital.

Bonhams on Tuesday (23) said the final sale price, which far exceeded the estimate of £1.5m-£2m, was a new auction world record for an Indian and Islamic object.

With 'The Sword of the Ruler' inscribed in Persian on its steel blade, the weapon was of “exceptional quality”, the London-based auctioneer said.

It was made by Mughal swordsmiths in line with the model of German blades introduced to India in the 16th century. The hilt was ornamented in gold calligraphy “with five of the qualities of God and two invocations calling on God by name” inscribed on it, Bonhams said.

Nima Sagharchi, Group Head of Islamic and Indian art, said three bidders - two on the phone and one in the room - “hotly” vied for the weapon of “unrivalled craftsmanship”.

Bonham's chief executive Bruno Vinciguerra said the sword was “one of the most astonishing objects” his company had brought to auction.

Born near Bengaluru in 1751, Tipu succeeded his father Hyder Ali as the ruler of Mysore in 1782 and had the sobriquet 'Tiger of Mysore'. The ruler pioneered the use of rocket artillery in wars both against neighbouring states and the East India Company.

His reign was also characterised by the introduction of a new calendar, coinage and a new land revenue system, according to historians.

More For You

 Asim Munir

Security personnel stand beside a poster of Pakistani Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, during a rally to express solidarity with Pakistan's armed forces, in Islamabad on May 14, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump to host Pakistan army chief Asim Munir for lunch at White House

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump will host Pakistan army chief Asim Munir for lunch at the White House on Wednesday.

“The president has lunch with the chief of army staff of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” an advisory issued by the White House said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian schools among finalists for world’s best school prizes

Photo for representation (iStock)

Indian schools among finalists for world’s best school prizes

FOUR Indian schools were on Wednesday (18) named among the top 10 finalists across different categories for the annual world's best school prizes, organised in the UK to celebrate schools' enormous contribution to society's progress.

Schools from Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh were unveiled as contenders for membership of the Best School to Work programme to help schools attract and retain the best teachers. The worldwide winners across categories will be announced in October.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi-Carney

Canadian prime minister Mark Carney greets Indian prime minister Narendra Modi before a group photo during the G7 Summit at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 17, 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Getty

India and Canada agree to return ambassadors amid effort to reset relations

INDIA and Canada have agreed to restore full diplomatic ties by returning ambassadors to each other’s capitals, aiming to move past a dispute triggered by the killing of a Sikh separatist in Canada last year.

The announcement came as Canadian prime minister Mark Carney welcomed Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to the Group of Seven (G7) summit held in the Canadian Rockies. Carney, who took office in March, invited Modi to the summit as a guest, continuing India's regular participation at G7 gatherings.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ahmedabad-air-crash-getty

Relatives carry the coffin of a victim, who was killed in the Air India Flight 171 crash, during a funeral ceremony in Ahmedabad on June 15, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Air India crash: 190 victims identified through DNA, 159 bodies handed over

AT LEAST 190 victims of last week's Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad have been identified through DNA tests, and 159 bodies, including 32 foreign nationals, have been handed over to their families, officials said on Wednesday.

The London-bound Air India flight AI-171, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. All but one on board died, along with nearly 29 people on the ground, when the aircraft struck a medical complex.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi denies US mediation in India-Pakistan ceasefire

US president Donald Trump and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi meet in the Oval Office at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Modi denies US mediation in India-Pakistan ceasefire

INDIA's prime minister Narendra Modi told US president Donald Trump late on Tuesday (17) that a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a four-day conflict in May was achieved through talks between the two militaries and not US mediation, India's senior-most diplomat said.

Trump had said last month that the south Asian neighbours agreed to a ceasefire after talks mediated by the US, and that the hostilities ended after he urged the countries to focus on trade instead of war.

Keep ReadingShow less