Among Zoroastrian burial items, there is a camel-shaped zoomorphic OSTADON lying there. It was found…
According to historical sources, during the time of Emperor Shāhjahān, the royal collection of Mughal Emperors, which was at Agra and Fatehpur Sikri, was transferred to Shāhjahānābād (now walled city of the Old Dihlī).
It so happened that at the end of the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb the empire too witnessed a downfall. Slowly manuscripts which were part of the royal collections were left to the mercy of the keepers of the library. The nobles became strong enough to lay their hands on them.
The rare books were subjected to have an outlet. The Nawwābs and connoisseurs of art started possessing those pieces. The loss of Dihlī and Lucknow was the gain of Rampur. The Nawwābs of Rampur had appointed agents to acquire rare manuscripts, on sale at these deserted cities.
Through this process, even the coveted Dīwān (collection of poetry) of Emperor Bābur, with a rubāʻī and date written in his own handwriting – authenticated and signed by Bairam Khān and Emperor Shāhjahān – in the Raza Library, reached here. Now if anyone asks who sold it and who brought it, may be a business secret. There was a time when these Nawwābs were not less than a king.
You can learn more about the topic in the book-album "Literary legacy of Uzbekistan in the Collection of the Rampur raza Library" (volume XXXIII) in the series "Cultural legacy of Uzbekistan in the Collections of the World".
The main sponsor of the project is the oilfield services company Eriell-Group.
