{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O14450"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O14450/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BG5634/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BG5634/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BG5634","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BG1913","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MA7798","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O14450/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O14450","accessionNumber":"IS.214-1964","objectType":"Sword","titles":[{"title":"Sword of Dara Shokuh","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"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.\r\nThe 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.","physicalDescription":"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.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"steel","id":"x42611"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"enamel","id":"x40107"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"watered steel; gold; enamel; wood; velvet","categories":[{"text":"Arms & Armour","id":"THES48992"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[{"text":"Mughal court","id":"x30977"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006BG5634","2006BG1913","2019MA7798"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SHLN","id":"THES49063"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES394838"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Sword","id":""}],[{"text":"Sword sheath","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Lahore","id":"x30874"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1640-1641","earliest":"1640-01-01","latest":"1641-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the Right Hon. the Earl Kitchener of Khartoum","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"85.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"whole sword","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"71.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"blade","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"73.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"scabbard","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"This sword of the Prince called Dara Shokuh/ Takes care of a thousand enemies at one go.","transliteration":"In tegh-e shahzada-i Dara Shokuhnam/Kar-i hazar khasm ba yakdam konad tamam","type":"","note":"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."}],"objectHistory":"Given by the Right Hon. the Earl Kitchener of Khartoum","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Guy, John and Swallow, Deborah (eds.) <u>Arts of India: 1550-1900</u>. Text by Rosemary Crill, John Guy, Veronica Murphy, Susan Stronge and Deborah Swallow. London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1990, reprinted 1999. 240 p. : ill. ISBN: 1851770224.","id":"AUTH325863"},"details":"p.96, no.75","free":"The Indian Heritage. Court Life and Arts under Mughal Rule. HMSO, 1982. Cat. 428, pp 132-3. Catalogue entry by S Stronge with verses read for the first time by A.S. Melikian-Chirvani.\r\nPratapaditya Pal, Janice Leoshko, Joseph M. Dye, III, Stephen Markel. Romance of the Taj Mahal, Time Books International, New Delhi, 1989, fig. 176 p. 163, and p. 162."},{"reference":{"text":"Skelton, Robert, et al, <i>The Indian Heritage. Court life and Arts under Mughal Rule</i> London: The Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982","id":"AUTH352798"},"details":"Stronge, Susan, p.132, cat.428","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Stronge, S. Made for Mughal Emperors. Royal Treasures from Hindustan. London and New York, 2010","id":"AUTH327057"},"details":"p. 185, pl. 146","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"R. Elgood, Vol. 10, 2004, \"Mughal Arms and the Indian Court Tradition\", p. 87, fig. 13."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"flowers","id":"x35571"},{"text":"grapes","id":"x30300"},{"text":"parasol","id":"AAT46218"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IS.214-1964","IS.214A-1964"],"accessionNumberNum":"214","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1964,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Sword","Sword sheath"],"assets":["2021MU8345"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-30","recordCreationDate":"1999-12-15","availableToBook":false}}