With sharp blades studded with diamonds, smooth jade hilts inlaid with emeralds and rubies, and scabbards praising the Almighty — swords, daggers and sabres went beyond serving practical functions in Mughal India. They were also symbols of wealth that signified the stature of the wearer. Royalty was often presented with sabres, particularly at ceremonies in Islamic kingdoms, where a successor was invested with power by the presentation of a sword, rather than a crown.
What made these sabres even more special was that often, they were put together using parts that had been made hundreds of years apart, in lands that were distant from each other, but connected via elaborate networks of overland and maritime trade routes. For example, the sabre presented to the Ottoman sultan Murad V at his investiture has a Mughal Indian grip made in the 18th or 19th century, a blade from 17th century Iran, and a guard and scabbard made in the 19th century in Turkey. We see similar swords, composed of hilts made in one region, and blades in another, which have been assembled later elsewhere.
A number of things united Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal and Deccan kingdoms — these regions had Islamic rulers who were great patrons of art and were particularly fond of both jewelled objects and swords. It was only natural that lapidarists, goldsmiths and metalsmiths worked together to produce these weapons.
Blades were often inscribed with calligraphy by a technique known as damascening, where the surface is cut into the shapes desired and gold wire is hammered into the grooves. Similar to inlaying, it is a painstaking process and requires patience and skill, especially to execute the details we see in the more intricate examples. These calligraphic elements were talismanic inscriptions that were believed to protect the owner and ensure victory at war.
Other weapons, such as khanjars (daggers), dating back to the late Mughal period (17-18th centuries), had hilts that featured carefully and expertly carved animals. Likely made in karkhanas, or imperial ateliers, these hilts were carved out of precious materials: green and white nephrite (also known as jade), ivory, silver and crystal. The embellishments — of gold, ruby, emerald and quartz — reaffirm that these daggers were likely owned by either royalty or nobility.
Like many objects from royal courts, these weapons reflected the aesthetic sensibilities of their patrons — combining state-of-the-art functionality with exquisite craftsmanship and valuable materials. These opulent objects might now reside in museums as examples of art, but they were certainly also potent weapons, made of the highest quality metal, forged and sharpened to a cutting edge by master bladesmiths and intended as reminders of the emperor’s power over his people and markers of status for noblemen.
Discover Indian Art is a monthly column that delves into fascinating stories on art from across the sub-continent, curated by the editors of the MAP Academy. Find them on Instagram as @map_academy