Mumbai: Bandra Resident Fights To Bring Controversial 'Wagh Nakh' Claw Of Chhatrapati Shivaji From UK Museum Amid Authenticity Debate

Mumbai: As controversy continues over the authenticity of the 'wagh nakh' claw weapon claimed to be the one that Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji used to kill Bijapur Sultanate general Afzal Khan, the Bandra resident who set off the campaign to bring it to India from a British museum is unperturbed.

"Let the Archeological Survey of India decide whether it is the one," said Roshan D'Souza, a historical buff and an employee with a BPO company. D'Souza said that after learning that the claws and other artifacts associated with the Maratha king were in the possession of a British museum, he started a series of correspondence 13 years ago with the Victoria and Albert Museum and Buckingham Palace. He has a record of more than 100 letters that he has written to the British authorities.

The Maharashtra government has said it is getting the 17th-century metal artifact from the museum for a temporary exhibition. The state government had signed a memorandum of understanding with the London-based museum last year to exhibit the claw in the state for three years. The weapon is believed to be the one used by Chhatrapati Shivaji to kill the general from the rival kingdom in 1659.

A museum in Satara is preparing for the exhibit's arrival later this month. The 'wagh nakh' is a set of claw-like weapons worn on the fingers. It is believed to have been gifted by Chhatrapati Shivaji's descendant Chhatrapati Pratapsinh to Britisher Grant Duff between 1818 and 1823. Duff's descendants handed it over to the museum in 1971.

However, the government's plan to exhibit the artifact has been dismissed by historian Indrajit Sawant, founder of Sahyadri Itihas Sanshodhan Kendra, Kolhapur, who has said that the weapon was not the original one.

Sawant has quoted at least six historical accounts to assert his claim that the 'wagh nakh' being brought to India is a replica, with the original one in the possession of the Satara royal family, descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Sawant said that the museum, in their correspondence with him, has said that they were uncertain that the claws in their collection were the actual ones used to kill Afzal Khan.

The museum has also said that they have informed the Maharashtra government about the doubtful provenance of the artifact. "In light of this statement from the museum, I think the government is repeatedly lying and fooling the people," said Sawant.

According to Sawant, the Victoria and Albert Museum alone has six replicas. "The government is spending crores of rupees to exhibit something that is not original. Chhatrapati Shivaji's Jagdamba sword, which is proved to be authentic, is with another British collection, but the government has not tried to get that back," added Sawant.

The government, however, is sticking to its claim that the claws are authentic. Minister Shambhuraj Desai said it is well known that the 'Bhavani talwar' and the 'wagh nakh' are in London. "Our government verified the details and then signed the MoU," he has been reported to have said.