The Sword presented to Claude Martin by the Baburid Minister Assaf ud-Daula

The long curve of this sword immediately points to the ceremonial arms culture of late eighteenth-century Lucknow. The sword was presented to Claude Martin, a French officer in the service of the East India Company, by Nawab Asaf al-Dawla, ruler of Awadh and an influential dignitary of the late Baburid world. The gold inscription on the blade records the act of gift and the Hijri date 1201, corresponding to 1786–1787 CE.
The watered steel blade was designed for a broad sabre stroke, yet the richness of its decoration speaks above all of status. A subtle watered pattern is visible on the surface, while the gold cartouche at the base makes the blade at once a weapon, a document, and a memorial sign of courtly gratitude. The pale jade hilt is decorated with gold, rubies, and emeralds in the kundan technique; its curved silhouette continues the form of Indian courtly arms. The dark red velvet scabbard reinforces the impression of a ceremonial object.
This sword unites military symbolism, diplomatic gesture, and the artistic taste of late Baburid India. Through Martin’s story, it reveals Lucknow as a space of negotiation between Indian elites, European officers, and Babur’s legacy, politics, and intercultural trust.