London: A golden ring belonging to Mysore’s 18th Century legendary ruler Tipu Sultan has been sold for a whopping 145,000 pounds (Rs 1.5 crore) at an auction by Christie’s. The 4.2 gm ring was sold for 10 times more than its estimated price to an undisclosed bidder amid criticism from heritage groups.
The jewelled ring, inscribed with the name of Hindu God Ram in raised Devanagri script, was allegedly taken from the slain body of Tipu Sultan at the end of the 1799 Srirangappattinam battle against the British East India Company’s forces.
“It is surprising that a ring bearing the name of a Hindu God would have been worn by the great Muslim warrior,” the auction listing noted.
Earlier this month, Professor S Settar from India’s National Institute of Advanced Studies had warned that the ring might be hidden from public view if it was sold to a private bidder, the report said. Settar urged the Indian government to “make use of all available avenues, legal and diplomatic, to recover the ring”.
He even suggested that Indian philanthropists should have been encouraged to purchase the ring on behalf of the country.
Another group called Tipu Sultan United Front also urged the government to prevent the ring from being sold.
The ring was previously listed for sale by Christie’s two years ago but was then withdrawn.