Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Persian prince in India - Mughal Period

This painting shows a Persian prince in India. I am guessing that he is a member of Afsharid dynasty due to the form of his headgear. The painting is kept in Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, USA. I believe it was made sometime around 18th-19th century during Mughal Period in India. Emperor Nadir Shah, the Shah of Iran (1736–47) and founder of the Afsharid dynasty, invaded Northern India with a fifty-five thousand strong army, eventually attacking Delhi in March 1739 where he sacked the city, after issuing orders for a general massacre to take place. Afsharid invasion had harsh consequences for Indians leading to their subjugation by British in the years to come.