A royal steel-hilted sword (talwar) with gold-inlaid blade dedicated to Mir Murad ‘Ali Khan Talpur and Mir Muhammad Nasir Khan Talpur, signed by Mua'llim Misri, Sind, Pakistan, 19th century

the slightly curved blade of watered steel with silver inlaid inscription along flat edge of the blade and near the chape, the steel hilt with baluster grip elongated at the forte, double swan-neck cross guard, decorated throughout with outlines of carnations and floral stems on a gold ground, pommel surmounted by an openwork loop

In generally good condition, the hilt with some abrasion, notably to external edges, small break to pommel, few minor patches with abrasion, the blade in good condition with minor scuffs and abrasion, as viewed.
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inscriptions

On one side:

In the centre of the roundel:

‘amal-e mu’allim-e misri
‘Work of the Egyptian Tutor’

Around the roundel, attributes of God:
‘The Most Compassionate. The The Illustrious. The Expander. The Most Merciful. The Resurrector. The Guide to the right path. The Governor. The Eternal’

Along the blade, the name of Talpur ruler as:
‘Sarkar-e Mir Murad ‘Ali Khan Talpur’

Ali Khan Talpur was the last of the four brothers, known as 'The Four Friends' (chahar yar) and who had control of the whole of Sind. He became the chief ruler after the death of his brother Karam 'Ali Khan in 1828 AD. Mir Murad ‘Ali is described as the brother with the most integrity, with a superior character, tact in managing his followers as well as shrewd and sensible. He signed the treaty with the British in April 1832, before his death one year later, in 1833.

His gun was sold at Sotheby's in May 1997, lot 72, and his swords are in the Wallace Collection, London, inv. no.1503 and H. Ricketts, Splendeur des armes Orientales, Exhibition Catalogue, Paris, 1988, cat. nos. 215 & 219. He was also the patron of a Qur'an dated 1235 AH/1819 AD, which was sold in these rooms, 29 April 1993, lot 127.

On the other side:

‘Help, O ‘Ali!’

The name of the Talpur ruler as:
‘Sarkar-e Mir Muhammad Nasir Khan Talpur’

The other ruler featured on this sword is Muhammad Nasir Khan (1804-45 AD). The son of Mir Murad ‘Ali, ruler of Hyderabad of Sind, he is described as by far the most engaging, popular, generous and frank of all Mirs., with manners of a highly polished English nobleman. He was a keen lover of music, dance and poetry, writing under the pen-name Ja'fari. After the British conquest of Sind, he was exiled to Calcutta, and later moved to Bengal where he died.

His guns are in the Khalili Collection (D. Alexander, The Arts of War, Arms and Armour of the 7th to 19th centuries, 1992, cat. No. 137) and the Wallace Collection, London, inv. no. 2055. His sword is in a private collection (Ricketts 1988, no. 216).

In Persian:
‘In the two worlds ‘Ali is the problem solver, the one who parts the finger of dhu’l-faqar …’

The Maker 

A sabre with the signature of Mu'allim Misri is mentioned by Pinchot 2002, p. 8). Meyer calls him Mu'allim Misri and suggests that he is probably the same person as Mohammad al-Misri (Meyer 1962, p.51). He made four other recorded shamshirs: one is in the Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay, another in the Military Museum, Tehran, and another two signed with his name are in the Historisches Museum, Bern (see M. M., Khorasani, Arms and Armor from Iran, The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, p.177, and cat.80).

Another sword by the same maker was sold in these rooms, 9 April 2008, lot 291.

For further reading on the Talpurs, see Bayani, Stanley and Rogers, The Decorated Word, The Nasser D. Khlili Collection of Islamic Art, Part Two, 2009, pp.54-61.