Raghuji Bhonsle’s sword brought to India

 

 

THE iconic sword of famous Maratha general Raghuji Bhonsle I, recently acquired by the Maharashtra Government in an auction in London, was brought to Mumbai on Monday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hailed the development as an effort to restore India’s heritage. The sword was transported by a flight at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport around 10 am and shifted to P L Deshpande Academy in Prabhadevi area for safekeeping, Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar said. The sword is a fine example of the Maratha ‘firang’ style, with a straight, single-edged European-made blade, gold decorations on its Mulheri hilt, and an inscription in Devanagari near the hilt, reading “Shrimant Raghoji Bhonsle Senasahibsubha Firang”. A bike rally planned to escort the sword was cancelled due to heavy rains and traffic congestion. Addressing an event to mark the arrival of the sword, Fadnavis said the State was reconnecting with its history and legacy with the return of the sword.

 

Calling the weapon a symbol of the Maratha empire, the Chief Minister said, “It was, in a way, looted from us and now it has come back again to Maharashtra”. He recalled how swiftly the State Government had acted when it learnt about the auction of the sword. “Ashish Shelar found one buyer on behalf of the Maharashtra Government within two days, and on Monday, the person went on a bid for the sword. We thought the sword might cost us dearly, but compared to our expectations, we could buy it at a reasonable rate. However, such a historic sword’s importance cannot be measured in money,” he said. The Chief Minister said, the acquisition reflected broader efforts to restore India’s heritage. “Even our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought back thousands of such things that had gone abroad in the past. This is a welcoming move for all of us,” he added.

 

The sword of Raghuji Bhonsle I, founder of the Nagpur Bhonsle dynasty and a prominent general in the Maratha army during the reign of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, was acquired by the State Government in an international auction earlier this year. The Government had earlier stated that the iconic sword was reclaimed at an auction in London for Rs 47.15 lakh. The sword is believed to have been taken outside India during the 1817 Battle of Sitabuldi, when the British East India Company defeated the Nagpur Bhonsles. Raghuji Bhonsle I (1695-1755), founder of the Nagpur Bhosale dynasty, was conferred the title “Senasahib Subha” by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj for his military skills. Bhonsle had led campaigns against the Nawab of Bengal in 1745 and 1755, extending Maratha influence to Bengal and Odisha.