"Portrait of Maharaja Bhim Kanwar", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album

Nanha|Mir 'Ali Haravi

verso: ca. 1615–29; recto: ca. 1540 · Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper · Islamic Art

Maharaja Bhim Kunwar wears a diaphanous jama tied to the left, an ornately decorated patka, or sash, and a sword hanging from his waist. He is set against a cyan background, typical of portraiture of the early seventeenth century. Bhim Kunwar, son of the Rajput ruler of Mewar, Rana Amar Singh, was given the title of maharaja by Shah Jahan, and was a staunch supporter and ally of the Mughal house. As demonstrated by the inclusion of his portrait in the Shah Jahan Album, Hindu nobility featured prominently in the ranks of the Mughal empire; Shah Jahan himself was the son of a Rathor Rajput princess.

Artist

Nanha|Mir 'Ali Haravi

Date

verso: ca. 1615–29; recto: ca. 1540

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Purchase, Rogers Fund and The Kevorkian Foundation Gift, 1955