A ring belonging to an 18th Century Indian ruler has been sold at an auction in London amid criticism from heritage groups.
The jewelled golden ring was sold for £145,000 by Christie’s auction house.
It belonged to Tipu Sultan, a Muslim king, and was inscribed with the name of a Lord Rama.
Tipu Sultan is known for fighting against British rule in India. The ring is thought to have been taken from him by a British general as he lay dead.
The 41.2g ring was sold to an undisclosed bidder for almost 10 times its estimated price at the auction in central London, according to Christie’s website.
It is inscribed with the name of the Hindu God Ram in raised Devanagri script.
The ring was allegedly taken from the slain body of Tipu Sultan at the end of the 1799 Srirangappattinam battle he fought against the British East India Company’s forces.
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