The Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum is set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government to bring back a historic 17th-century weapon believed to have belonged to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a revered Maratha leader. The weapon, known as the ‘Tiger Claws,’ was used by Shivaji Maharaj to defeat his opponent, Afzal Khan, during a battle in 1659. It is said that Shivaji Maharaj concealed the metal claws in his hand and used them to disembowel Afzal Khan, the commander of the opposing Bijapur army.
The ‘Tiger Claws’ are currently housed in the V&A Museum, having been gifted to the institution by James Grant Duff, an officer of the East India Company and descendant of the original possessor. The claws are believed to have come into Grant Duff’s possession when he served as Resident or political agent of the Satara state in 1818.
The signing of the MoU between the V&A Museum and the Maharashtra government will coincide with the 350th anniversary celebrations of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji. As part of the agreement, the ‘Tiger Claws’ will be returned to India later this year for an exhibition.
To provide some historical context, Shivaji and Afzal Khan arranged a truce after political upheavals, agreeing to meet in a tented enclosure. Both leaders came armed, with Shivaji wearing mail under his clothes, metal skull protection under his turban, and the concealed ‘Tiger Claws’ in his hand. In the ensuing fight, Shivaji successfully disemboweled Afzal Khan.
The ‘Tiger Claws’ are accompanied by a fitted case, which was crafted after Grant Duff’s return to Scotland. The case bears an inscription that 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 Minister of the Peshwa of the Marathas.
The V&A Museum expressed its excitement about the ‘Tiger Claws’ returning to India to be part of the 350th anniversary celebrations. The museum hopes that the exhibition will not only allow people to enjoy the historic artifact but also facilitate new research into its history.
