Windsor Castle, British museums, and other imperial collections embody the entanglement of art, power, and empire.
Among the most striking items from India in Windsor Castle are Tipu Sultan’s swords and daggers, seized after the fall of Seringapatam in 1799, and jewel-encrusted ceremonial weapons from the Sikh Wars following the annexation of Punjab in 1849.
The treasures they house—also Indian swords, Chinese porcelain, African bronzes, and Persian metalwork—are aesthetically and historically magnificent, yet many testify to colonial appropriation.
The double standard remains clear: European wartime plunder has been delegitimised and partially restituted, while colonial plunder has been legalised and retained.
These objects remain powerful symbols—of human creativity, of conquest, and of ongoing debates about ownership, restitution, and cultural justice.
Understanding their provenance compels us to confront history honestly and grapple with the ethical implications of preserving the material legacies of empire.
