A dagger that once belonged to Mughal emperor Shah Jahan fetched 1,700,000 pounds at the Bonhams Indian and Islamic sale in London [Images] on Thursday.

The elegant and understated personal dagger carried by Shah Jahan (reign 1627-1657), with its fine gold inscriptions and decoration dated to 1629-30 AD, was expected to attract bids of around 300,000-500,000 pounds.

The whole collection finally sold for just under three million.

The inscriptions in nasta'liq script on the blade include the Shah Jahan's official titles, date and place of birth, and the honourific parasol (an ancient pan-Asian symbol of divinity of royalty) -- all indicating that it was the personal dagger of Shah Jahan.

The dagger was the most important item in a collection built by the late Jacques Desenfans, a Belgian driven by his passion for Islamic, Indian and South East Asian history and culture.

He spent over 50 years amassing this hugely important collection, which includes arms and armour, early pottery and works of art.

His collection was brought to public attention when the last Shah of Iran visited him personally at his home in 1969 and the collection was exhibited at Braine L'Alleud.

Claire Penhallurick, head of the Indian and Islamic Department at Bonhams, said: "It was a great privilege to sell such an extraordinary Indian artefact, which took pride of place in the breathtaking Jacques Desenfans collection. Objects of this quality and importance come to the market very rarely. We are delighted with the result."

The inscription on the blade is the most detailed of all the inscriptions found on any of the known group of Shah Jahan's personal objects. It contains the Emperor's name, his title, and the place and date of the dagger's manufacture.

The blade also depicts the parasol, an emblem found on blades from the imperial army and those of princes which signified the dome of heaven, and which when carried above the head of a ruler, symbolised his exalted state and his role between God and ordinary mortals.