In April of this year, many rare swords and daggers belonging to the collection of Philip Miscillier were put up for sale at the Sotheby's auction house in London, Great Britain. Among them was a sword, gifted to the English army general Claude Martin by Asaf ud-davla, one of the ministers of Shah Alam I, a representative of the Baburid's dynasty, the governor of the province of Avadha...
High-ranking official of the sultanate Asaf ud-davla
The powerful Baburid Empire, founded by the great commander Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, ruled a large part of India for 332 years. Over the centuries, the empire encompassed numerous provinces, autonomous and semi-independent states.
The state of Avadha (Auda) in northern India was also an important component of the Baburid Empire. The Avadha ruler (navvob) also held the position of vizier in the Baburid court. One of them, Asaf ud-Davla (1748-1797), was one of the high-ranking officials of the Baburid Empire.
It is known that at this time, the British government, through its East India Company, was enslaving India in every way. Especially during the reign of Shah Alam II, the empire experienced both economic and military decline. At such a time, Asaf ud-davla, the vizier of Avadha, served the Baburid ruler faithfully.
Who was Claude Martin?
Among the thousands of British soldiers in India were not only fierce commanders, but also educated officers who showed great respect for art, culture, and science. One of them was Claude Martin (1735-1800), of French descent. He grew up with an interest in the history and art of the East.
At this time, the French also began to show great interest in the East, especially in India, and in 1664, imitating the English, founded their own company "Indes Orientales". At the age of 16, he got a job at this company and soon left for India. He served as an officer in this company for about 10 years. In 1761, the French-controlled district of Pondicherry in India was conquered by the British. The French suffered heavy losses in this clash. Much later, Claude Martin was recruited into the French army, and after that his real career began.
Although he was of a different religion and nationality, Claude Martin had a special respect and reverence for the Baburid Empire. For this devotion and service, he was awarded a number of titles and gifts by both the British government and the Baburid's. In 1795, he received the rank of Major General from the British military command. He died in Lucknow in 1800.
Claude Martin was not only a skilled military commander but also an ardent admirer of antiquities. He was in constant contact with artists, scholars, poets, and artists in India. He bought many paintings by Indian artists at high prices for his gallery.
He created a special museum in his palace, where thousands of rare exhibits related to the history of India were collected. He also collected gifts from rulers and close friends in a separate collection.
A precious sword will be gifted
One day, Navvab Asaf ud-davla, appreciating his efforts, presented him with a sword adorned with gold, silver, and precious stones. On the blade of the sword, made of high-grade steel, is inscribed in Persian the inscription: "His Majesty, Chief Judge Navvob Osaf ud-davla, Governor of Avadha General Martin Sahibi "Ost India Company" Atoyi farmoyi sanayi 1201 hijriya" ("General of the "Ost India" Company, Mr. Sahib Martin was awarded by decree of His Excellency Osaf ud-davla, Governor of Avadha"). According to this text, the sword was presented to the general in 1786-1787 AD. Claude Martin kept this sword among the most valuable gifts until the end of his life. After the general's death, rare items from his collection were distributed to various parts of the world through auctions.
The sword was last purchased at an auction in New York in 1985 for the collection of the major collector Philip Missile (1942-2002) and was stored under inventory number No176S. In 2010-2011, it was exhibited at international exhibitions in India and France.
Now this rare sword is preserved in the treasury of the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan as a rare pearl of the Baburid era.
Rustam Jabbarov