Arabic inscriptionn on a musket

eftihis · 18th March 2021, 11:32 PM

This is a fairly simple and heavy musket, with an arabic inscription that i wish i could learn what it says! Thanks in advance for any help.

kwiatek · 20th March 2021, 03:49 PM

The inscription is of a type associated with the Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Nizam 'Ali Khan Asaf Jah II (d. 1803). I have only ever seen these on Char Aina, but yours is the same style of inscription. There is a Char Aina in the Met (29.158.165a,b, published in David Alexander, Islamic Arms and Armour in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, no. 15) with the same inscription and the date 1192/1778-9, as well as another undated Char Aina in the Khalili Collection. Runjeet Singh had one in a catalogue too

http://www.runjeetsingh.com/inventory/378/cuirass

I cannot read the numbers at the end of this, though it might be ۲۰, the number 20, for a Mughal regnal year. If that's the case, it would be the regnal year 20 of Shah 'Alam II's reign which would be 1192/1778-9. If that's the case, then the very last, worn part of the inscription might be the words سنه ۱۱۹۲ (sana 1192 'year 1192').

The first part of the inscription reads

سرکار میر نظام علیخان بهادر

'Sarkar Mir Nizam 'Ali Khan Bahadur'

kwiatek · 20th March 2021, 03:49 PM

And I should add, it's Persian, not Arabic

kwiatek · 22nd March 2021, 08:55 PM

This inscription looks genuine to me. Other members of the forum will be able to give technical information that I cannot about the lock etc and whether all of the parts belong together. If it's correct, this is an important piece

eftihis · 22nd March 2021, 09:27 PM

Thank you kwiatek,you are a treasure!!!!!!!

Kubur · 22nd March 2021, 11:00 PM

kwiatek is amazing. Please refer to my post
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=26807
You will see more about his work.

OK here is what I know, according to Elgood and Khorasani, English had muskets and pistols factory (ies) in Iran.

But your musket looks very French to me, and the French were in India at that time. So I think it's a French musket for the Indian market. And of course they used Persian script in Northern India.

kwiatek · 23rd March 2021, 12:24 AM

Thank you for sharing photos and to all of you for your knowledge. That is what is nice about forums like this one

18th March 2021, 11:32 PM	#1
eftihis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chania Crete Greece Posts: 507	Arabic inscriptionn on a musket This is a fairly simple and heavy musket, with an arabic inscription that i wish i could learn what it says! Thanks in advance for any help. Attached Images

22nd March 2021, 11:00 PM	#6
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	kwiatek is amazing. Please refer to my post http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=26807 You will see more about his work. OK here is what I know, according to Elgood and Khorasani, English had muskets and pistols factory (ies) in Iran. But your musket looks very French to me, and the French were in India at that time. So I think it's a French musket for the Indian market. And of course they used Persian script in Northern India. Last edited by Kubur; 22nd March 2021 at 11:42 PM.

20th March 2021, 03:49 PM	#2
kwiatek Member Join Date: May 2019 Posts: 153	The inscription is of a type associated with the Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Nizam 'Ali Khan Asaf Jah II (d. 1803). I have only ever seen these on Char Aina, but yours is the same style of inscription. There is a Char Aina in the Met (29.158.165a,b, published in David Alexander, Islamic Arms and Armour in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, no. 15) with the same inscription and the date 1192/1778-9, as well as another undated Char Aina in the Khalili Collection. Runjeet Singh had one in a catalogue too http://www.runjeetsingh.com/inventory/378/cuirass I cannot read the numbers at the end of this, though it might be ۲۰, the number 20, for a Mughal regnal year. If that's the case, it would be the regnal year 20 of Shah 'Alam II's reign which would be 1192/1778-9. If that's the case, then the very last, worn part of the inscription might be the words سنه ۱۱۹۲ (sana 1192 'year 1192'). The first part of the inscription reads سرکار میر نظام علیخان بهادر 'Sarkar Mir Nizam 'Ali Khan Bahadur'

22nd March 2021, 08:55 PM	#4
kwiatek Member Join Date: May 2019 Posts: 153	This inscription looks genuine to me. Other members of the forum will be able to give technical information that I cannot about the lock etc and whether all of the parts belong together. If it's correct, this is an important piece

22nd March 2021, 09:27 PM	#5
eftihis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chania Crete Greece Posts: 507	Thank you kwiatek,you are a treasure!!!!!!!

23rd March 2021, 12:24 AM	#7
kwiatek Member Join Date: May 2019 Posts: 153	Thank you for sharing photos and to all of you for your knowledge. That is what is nice about forums like this one