‘To the victor belong the spoils of war’ they say. But it seems that the victor’s descendants too can become rich overnight when they stumble upon said spoils in their attic. Just like this family in the UK did.
A Berkshire family found that their ancestor, Major Thomas Hart, who was an army officer with the British East India Company brought certain artefacts back home after the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1798-99. These turned out to be personal items belonging to former Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan.
Over two centuries later, Brits still gleefully profiting from the pillage of India https://t.co/wmWoWHXyg2
— Kanishk Tharoor (@kanishktharoor) March 7, 2019
Metro UK reports that these items have been in Major Hart’s family for over 220 years. It is likely that he looted the items from the Mysore palace after Tipu Sultan was defeated and killed by the British military. The 3 items that were discovered in the attic were:
- Tipu Sultan’s tiger-striped gun which was said to be on his person during his last battle in Seringapatam.
- His father Haider Ali Khan’s gold-encrusted sword.
- A gold betel nut casket with 3 nuts still inside.
All the artefacts will be auctioned off later this month.
The family contacted Auctioneer Anthony Cribb of Anthony Cribb Ltd who is said to have identified the items. He told Metro UK that “It is impossible to put a price on these items.”
“When I first saw the gun I nearly fainted. It is a once in a lifetime find.”
The pieces will go under the hammer without any price estimates. The buyers will decide their worth during the bidding process. Do you think that they will find their way back to India?