BANGALORE, March 8: Police in southern India said on Thursday they had seized a copy of the holy Quran purported to be more than 300 years old and transcribed by emperor Aurangzeb.

They said they raided a Bangalore hotel and arrested a man who was trying to hawk the copy and an antique Indian painting of the Tanjore school for a total of Rs50 million.

“We have invited experts ... to determine its genuineness,” Police Commissioner N. Achutha Rao said.

“If it is indeed an antique and was written by Aurangzeb, it would have great value.”

The 1,000-page holy book, coated with a chemical that made it fireproof, weighed 13kg and contained a signature supposedly belonging to emperor Aurangzeb on the last page.

Each page emanated a different fragrance, and the 30 sections were all written in different calligraphic styles.

The 44-year-old man was arrested because he could not explain how he came into possession of the book or prove that he owned it, said the police commissioner.

Aurangzeb ruled from 1658 to 1707, basing his reign on strict adherence to Islam. Considered the last great Mughal ruler, he expanded the empire to its greatest extent, encompassing all but the southern tip of the subcontinent.—AFP