UK to return Hyderabad Nizam’s sword

This article was first published by the Hindustan Times.

Hyderabad awaits the return of a 14th century sword that was believed to have been gifted or sold by a top official of the sixth Nizam to a British army general more than 100 years ago.

The ceremonial sword or “talwar” was one of the seven objects to be returned to India by Glasgow Life, which manages the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum at Glasgow, Scotland.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the Indian high commission in the UK with museum authorities on August 19. According to a BBC report, it is the first repatriation to India from a UK museum.

According to the report, six of these artefacts, including 14th century carvings and 11th century stone door jams, were stolen from shrines and temples during the 19th century.

“The seventh object, a ceremonial sword or tulwar, with its scabbard, was stolen in 1905 from the collection of the Nizam of Hyderabad by his prime minister. He then sold it to British general Sir Archibald Hunter. All of the artefacts were gifted to the Glasgow museum,” the BBC said.