400-year-old Copy of Quran Might Have Been Written by Mughal Emperor of India
-- On March 8, police arrested a man in Bangalore, India, trying to sell two antique items one of which being a 400-year-old copy of the Quran, touted as one written by none other than Mughal emperor Aurangzeb himself.
A fortnight later, experts are not ready to believe that the lavishly crafted book is the handiwork of the Mughal Emperor himself. But they concur that it is indeed a 17th century manuscript though the officials of Archaeological Survey of India are yet to verify it.
According to Rehana Shah, Officer on Special Duty of National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore, who verified the Quran on request from the police, the holy book is definitely old, but not written by Aurangzeb. She said: "The book may have been gifted to him, and he must have read it."
The seized Quran, weighing 13 kg, is in excellent condition, and Aurangzeb's purported signature is found on the last page. The book has more than 1,000 pages, and is claimed to be fireproof. Each page is copper plate coated with paper, which is, in turn, coated with a chemical that has helped protect the beautiful calligraphy. Every page has a unique fragrance of its own. Gold and silver have been mixed with the ink and each of the 30 sections is written in different calligraphic style.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda said photographs of the seized antiques have been sent to the ASI authorities for verification. An ASI team will also come here to authenticate the antiques.
The authenticity of antique data-x-items is usually established through scientific analysis of two types. While the stylistic approach is employed to authenticate the three-dimensional objects, documents are authenticated through the type of paper or ink used.
B.V. Karbade, Project Officer of Regional Conservation Laboratory, Mysore, said scientists analyze paper fibres to fix the age, and that they would be compared to other specimens of similar vintage.
The scientists would be studying the binding materials including starch (binders) and inorganic calcium sulphate (fillers) in the papers to arrive at the approximate age of the paper.
Besides, the language in the script and style of writing would be compared to the other documents of that period, Mr. Karbade added.
The Hindu
According to Rehana Shah, Officer on Special Duty of National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore, who verified the Quran on request from the police, the holy book is definitely old, but not written by Aurangzeb. She said: "The book may have been gifted to him, and he must have read it."
The seized Quran, weighing 13 kg, is in excellent condition, and Aurangzeb's purported signature is found on the last page. The book has more than 1,000 pages, and is claimed to be fireproof. Each page is copper plate coated with paper, which is, in turn, coated with a chemical that has helped protect the beautiful calligraphy. Every page has a unique fragrance of its own. Gold and silver have been mixed with the ink and each of the 30 sections is written in different calligraphic style.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda said photographs of the seized antiques have been sent to the ASI authorities for verification. An ASI team will also come here to authenticate the antiques.
The authenticity of antique data-x-items is usually established through scientific analysis of two types. While the stylistic approach is employed to authenticate the three-dimensional objects, documents are authenticated through the type of paper or ink used.
B.V. Karbade, Project Officer of Regional Conservation Laboratory, Mysore, said scientists analyze paper fibres to fix the age, and that they would be compared to other specimens of similar vintage.
The scientists would be studying the binding materials including starch (binders) and inorganic calcium sulphate (fillers) in the papers to arrive at the approximate age of the paper.
Besides, the language in the script and style of writing would be compared to the other documents of that period, Mr. Karbade added.
The Hindu
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