Painting, the emperor Alamgir on a palanquin, by Ghulaman, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, dated 1110 AH/1698-1699

Painting, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, depicting emperor Aurangzeb in old age, being carried on a palenquin. The pale-faced emperor is carried by four bearers in a palanquin across a green hilly landscape. He is dressed all in white, except for a green and gold striped turban band and a gold patka. His bearers wear short red tunics. The emperor sits with hunched shoulders and his hands raised as if in prayer. His halo is a slightly darker shade of green than the background. Two attendants follow, bearing insignia of royalty in the form of a parasol and an aftabgir, or sunshade. They are also dressed in white. Walking at the emperor's side is a yellow-clad flywhisk bearer and another male, also in white. There is a Persian inscription in gold at the top of the painting giving the emperor's titles, the name of the artist and the date.

Emperor Aurangzeb in old age, being carried on a palenquin. The pale-faced emperor is carried by four bearers in a palanquin across a green hilly landscape. He is dressed all in white, except for a green and gold striped turban band and a gold patka. His bearers wear short red tunics. The emperor sits with hunched shoulders and his hands raised as if in prayer. His halo is a slightly darker shade of green than the background. Two attendants follow, bearing insignia of royalty in the form of a parasol and an aftabgir, or sunshade. They are also dressed in white. Walking at the emperor's side is a yellow-clad flywhisk bearer and another male, also in white.

Given by Sir Robert Nathan, K.C.S.I., C.I.E

From the collection of Sir Robert Nathan (1868-1921), purchased from Maulvi Muhammad Hussain, Judge, Small Claims Court, Delhi. Sir Robert Nathan was Private Secretary to the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, in 1905; became Chief Secretary to the Government of East Bengal and Assam in 1907, and was Police Commissioner of Dhaka before leaving India in 1914.

Given by Sir Robert Nathan, K.C.S.I., C.I.E. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.

R.P. 1921-4451

The portrait of the Mughal emperor 'Alamgir is dated 1110 AH/1698-99, and therefore depicts him towards the end of his life. He is dressed entirely in white with no jewellery, in keeping with the austerity that characterised his personality in later years. He sits with hunched shoulders and his hands raised as if in prayer. Two attends follow him, bearing a parasol and an aftabgir, or sunshade, both emblems of royalty. The dated Persian inscription in gold at the top of the painting gives the emperor's titles and the name of the artist, Ghulaman. The painting remained in royal ownership after Alamgir's death, as demonstrated by a seal of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah on the border dated AH 1132/1719-1720.

IM.234-1921