Dainik Pudhari, a vernacular daily based out of Maharashtra, debunked the canards raised over the credibility of the ‘wagh nakh’, a tiger claw-shaped weapon of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which he had famously used to kill Bijapur sultan Afzal Khan in 1659. The news publication says it has all the relevant pieces of evidence to prove that the tiger claw weapon being brought from a museum in London belongs to Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Dr Pratapsinh Jadhav, who is the editor of Pudhari Publications from the state of Maharashtra, revealed on Monday (9th October) that in the year 1971, he had received confirmations from the Victoria and Albert Museum regarding the heritage weapon. The museum, according to Dr Jadhav, had confirmed the originality of the weapon and had also sent two photographs- one of the swords used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the other one of the ‘wagh nakh’, the tiger-clawed weapon.
“They had sent two photographs. One of the sword and the tiger clawed weapons used by Maharaj. The two as per the letter and the photo were displayed in the Indian section of the museum in room number 7, frame number 709. I have been following this issue since 1971 and even after these clear poofs, some are raising doubts over the originality of the weapon. What other proof do these people want,” Dr Jadhav said.
लंडनच्या संग्रहालयातील 'वाघनखं ' ही छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांचीच आहेत.
— Prakash Gade (@PrakashGade13) October 10, 2023
– डॉक्टर प्रतापसिंह जाधव. @OfficeofUT , @Awhadspeaks तुमच्या सारख्या लोकांनी वाघ नखांवर संशय घेऊन स्वतः औरंगजेबाचे वंशज आहेत असं सांगत आहेत. pic.twitter.com/YwE8luhtiZ
Dr Jadhav said that, in the year 1971, he sent a letter to the museum inquiring about the weapon to which the museum confirmed that it had displayed the tiger-clawed weapon used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to kill Afzal Khan in 1659 in its Indian section. This was the second confirmation received from the museum. The first confirmation was received by V D Kodolikar who inquired about the weapon in the year 1931. Kodolikar’s letter and the museum’s reply to it were passed on to Dr Jadhav in the year 1971 by Kashiram Ratnasawant and Tatyasaheb Desai. The letter first letter confirmed the presence of the sword, but the second confirmation received by Dr Jadhav in 1971 confirmed that the tiger-clawed weapons were also displayed at the museum.
“I collected all the information and wrote an editorial in which I displayed all the letters and replies received by us. The then CM Vasantrao Naik was also approached and shown the proofs. I placed a request to the government to get the weapons of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj back to Maharashtra. Further, when A R Antuley became the CM of the state, he made efforts to get the heritage weapons back but that didn’t happen as he had to resign,” Dr Jadhav was quoted as saying.
There is no doubt that the weapons displayed in the Victoria and Albert Museum are that of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and they should be brought back, pressed Dr. Jadhav.
NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT) question the authenticity of the weapons
Earlier, on October 1, NCP’s Sharad Pawar was seen trusting Indrajit Sawant, a Marathi historian who claimed that the tiger-claw weapon possessed by the museum is not the tiger-claw weapon that was used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to kill Afzal Khan.
“Till 1919, there was clarity about the tiger claws and weapons used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the time of Afzal Khan’s killing. Because this weapon was in the custody of Satara Chhatrapati. Records of that are also available. However, it is clear that the tiger claws currently in the Victoria and Albert Museum that the Maharashtra government is bringing back to India are not the tiger claws that Afzal Khan was killed with,” Sawant said.
Raising doubt over the credibility of the said weapon, Sawant added, “There are records and photographs of tiger claws in Satara till 1919. Then, the tiger claws in the Victoria and Albert Museum kept there before 1919 could not belong to Shivaji Maharaj.”
Sharad Pawar supported the claims put forth by Sawant and said that the latter is a renowned historian and said, “I personally don’t have any knowledge about the issue but Sawant is an expert in this. I am against any controversy in this case,” he said.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had also claimed that there was no use in bringing back Wagh Nakh from London. “What will you do by bringing the weapon which was used to protect the self-respect and integrity of Maharashtra? You have made the state a slave of Delhi.”
Apparently, he made these references alleging that the BJP has weakened the Sena by “splitting” it and was also targeting the state Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
“It is an insult to the Wagh Nakh, which is the pride and matter of self-respect for Maharashtra. Shiv Sena is the real Wagh Nakh of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which (the party) has fought all obstacles coming in the way of the state,” Raut boasted.
What is wagh nakh or tiger clawed weapon?
Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar is all set to visit London to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Victoria and Albert Museum for the return of the heritage weapon. The ‘Wagh Nakh’ is on display in the same museum.’
The Tiger claw is a claw-like dagger that was employed throughout the Indian subcontinent during the Middle Ages. The weapon, which was designed to fit over the knuckles or be concealed under the palm, was made up of four or five curved blades attached to a glove or some kind of bar. It was a personal defence or sneak assault weapon that could readily slash through skin and flesh.
The most significant use of the wagh nakh in history comes from the incident when Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj killed Afzal Khan after the latter deceptively launched an attack on Maharaj. Khan was a general in the Adil Shahi Sultanate of Bijapur. He was a powerful warrior who stood over 7 feet tall, according to legend. He was tasked to bring Shivaji to heel after subjugating rebellious fiefs in the Sultanate’s southern territories.
The Adil Shahi Sultanate had sent Afzal Khan to crush the Maratha icon, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj after he raised his voice against the Mughal oppression and began reclaiming forts across the Konkan and seizing enormous portions of Maratha land which was captured by the Adil Shahi in around 1650s.
Khan marched towards Konkan and sought to meet Shivaji. He suggested that the two communicate one-on-one to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and to resolve the issue. But Chhatrapati Shivaji noticed the scam. Therefore he went to the meeting prepared, donning chainmail under his robes and concealing a wagh nakh in his sleeve.
During the meeting, Khan attempted to stab Maharaj while pretending to embrace him. But the Maratha king was protected by his armor so he could retaliate, ripping Khan’s intestines out using wagh nakh. Khan was eventually beheaded by one of Maharaj’s troops, and his army eventually won the fight that followed.
The wagh nakh reaching London
The instrument was brought to Britain by East India Company official James Grant Duff (1789-1858), according to the Victoria and Albert Museum. From 1818 to 1822, Duff served as the Satara State’s Company Resident (political agent). He was also a novice historian, penning the classic ‘A History of the Mahrattas (1826)’, a three-volume book that is acknowledged even today.
When Duff returned to Scotland, he had a custom-built case made for his novelty weapon. The inscription on the case reads, “The ‘Wagnuck’ of Sivajee With Which He Killed the Moghul General. This Relic was given to Mr. James Grant-Duff of Eden When he was Resident at Satara By the Prime Minister of the Peshwa of the Marathas.”
After defeat in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the Marathas’ last Peshwa (Prime Minister), Baji Rao II, surrendered to the British in June 1818. He was exiled to Bithoor, a village near Kanpur. It’s likely that he gave this firearm to Grant Duff. The Victoria and Albert Museum website, however, states that this is an unsubstantiated assertion based on the inscription Duff had written on his box.
Culture Minister Mungantiwar stated that the state administration had decided to reintroduce the wagh nakh to the state to commemorate the 350th anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation.
“We have got a letter from the UK authorities saying they have agreed to give us back Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja’s Wagh Nakh. We might get it back for the anniversary of the day when Shivaji killed Afzal Khan, based on the Hindu calendar. Some other dates are also being considered and the modalities of transporting the Wagh Nakh back are also being worked out,” the Maharashtra minister said.
He added that besides signing the MoU, the possibility of the return of legacy objects like Shivaji’s Jagadamba sword will also be looked at.
