Gaya, June 18: Doubts have emerged about the authenticity of Gulistan, said to be copied by Aurangzeb, days after police recovered the 110-page manuscript.

A letter to an unknown recipient, found along with the manuscript on Saturday, claims another “less important” copy was sold by calligraphist Sheo Dhyan Singh of Lucknow for Rs 10,000.

Bulaki Das’s letter, the only written evidence about Gulistan, is dated December 27, 1881. In all probability, it was addressed to the Raja of Tekari. Das claimed the book had come into the possession of his ancestors during Nadir Shah’s 1739 plunder of Delhi.

According to evidence, the book arrived in Tekari in or after 1881. But attempts to establish the chain of events that led to Gulistan’s arrival have proved futile. The letter offered to sell the manuscript to the recipient for Rs 2,000.

Experts are now asking why Das agreed to sell his copy at a fifth of the price that calligraphist Singh did.