A sword used by 18th century ruler Tipu Sultan was bought at an auction in London on Friday for over £175,000.
The 'bedchamber sword' was presented to Scottish Imperial General David Baird by the head of the British forces Lord George Harris following the capture of Tipu's stronghold at Srirangapatnam in south India in 1799.
The sword, which was bought by an unnamed private collector, has an Arabic inscription that says: 'The sword of the kingdom'.
"It was the sort of figure we were hoping for," auctioneer Pierce Noonan told a news agency. "I believe it's one of the top five prices ever achieved at auction for a sword."
Tipu Sultan is known as the 'Tiger of Mysore'. His father Hyder Ali ruled Mysore region and Tipu took over after his death in 1782.
As a result of his defeat at Srirangapatnam, the British were able to secure control of all of southern India and lay the foundations of the future British Raj.
Agencies
