The Crown of

Bahadur Shah Zafar Bahadur Shah II, (Abu Zafar Siraj-ud-din Muhammad; 24 October 1775 – 7 November 1862), usually referred to by his poetic title Bahadur Shah ''Zafar'' (; ''Zafar'' ), was the twentieth and last List of emperors of the Mughal Empire, Mughal emp ...

, the last Mughal emperor (r. 1837 - 1857), was taken by the British in the aftermath of the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...

and later acquired by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

. Following the deposition and exile of the emperor to

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

, the British formally abolished the Mughal Empire and auctioned off many of the imperial treasures in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

. Among the objects removed was a richly jewelled skullcap worn by the emperor beneath his turban, commonly referred to as his crown.

History

It was created in the second quarter 19th century, most probably in

or the surrounding areas by goldsmiths and jewellers. It is strictly speaking not a crown, but an article of head dress. The materials used are gold, turquoises, rubies, diamonds, pearls, emeralds, feathers and velvet. Its dimensions are 28.5 x 23.5 x 23.5 cm. The crown was purchased, along with two throne chairs, by Robert Tytler, who had taken part in the 1857

Siege of Delhi The siege of Delhi was a decisive conflict of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The rebellion against the authority of the East India Company was widespread through much of Northern India, but was essentially sparked by the mass uprising by the ...

. After bringing the items to England in 1860, Tytler rejected an offer of £1,000 from a Bond Street jeweller, instead seeking to place them in the hands of the monarchy. On 3 January 1861, Charles Wood, Secretary of State for India, informed Prince Albert of the crown’s arrival and described it as a “very rich skull-cap worn on the head of the Emperor... round the lower part of which the turban was wound.” John Lawrence, a senior British administrator, confirmed the item as authentic. The crown was then sent to Windsor for Victoria’s inspection and subsequently purchased, along with the throne chairs. Tytler was paid £500, a figure he and his wife later regarded as inadequate. He had been promised a future appointment in India in exchange, but this never materialised. Harriet Tytler later expressed enduring bitterness over what she saw as a dishonourable and exploitative transaction after her husband acquired the forcibly auctioned crown. It is part of the

Royal Collection The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world. Spread among 13 occupied and historic List of British royal residences, royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King ...

with the inventory number RCIN 67236.

References

External links

* {{Royal Collection, 67236, Crown of the Emperor Bahadur Shah II

Bahadur Shah II Bahadur Shah II, (Abu Zafar Siraj-ud-din Muhammad; 24 October 1775 – 7 November 1862), usually referred to by his poetic title Bahadur Shah ''Zafar'' (; ''Zafar'' ), was the twentieth and last Mughal emperor and a Hindustani poet. His spous ...

Mughal court Mughal art Red Fort Jewellery in the Royal Collection of the United Kingdom History of Delhi Islamic metal art Individual items of jewellery Jewellery industry in India Crown jewels Royal attire Jewels of the Mughal Empire Indian artifacts held abroad

History

References

Further reading

External links