The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence

Bichtir, Jujhar Singh Bundela Kneels in Submission to Shah Jahan, ca. 1630, Chester Beatty Library, Dublin.

The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence, presents the monumental artistic achievements of the 'Golden Age' of the Mughal court (about 1560 – 1660). The exhibition celebrates the extraordinary creative output and internationalist culture of Mughal Hindustan during the age of its greatest emperors.  

The Mughal dynasty was founded in 1526 when Babur, a Central Asian prince descended from Timur (d.1405) and the Mongol ruler Genghis Khan (about 1162 – 1227) invaded the land he knew as Hindustan (the Indian subcontinent). He seized the Delhi Sultanate from its ruler and laid the foundations of what would become one of the world's great empires. The dynasty would become known by the Persian word for Mongol. Persian, the language of culture across Iran and Central Asia became the official language of the Mughal Empire. At its peak, the empire controlled a large portion of the Indian subcontinent, extending from Kabul in present-day Afghanistan to the borders of the Deccan sultanates in the south of the subcontinent, and from Gujarat in the west to present-day Bangladesh in the east.

The exhibition spans the reigns of Emperors Akbar (r. 1556 – 1605) Jahangir (r. 1605 – 27) and Shah Jahan (r. 1628 – 58), with a particular focus on the craftsmanship, arts and creative outputs of the courts. Objects on display include rarely shown paintings, illustrated manuscripts, brilliantly coloured carpets, and delicate textiles, as well as architectural pieces and vessels made of mother of pearl, rock crystal, jade, and precious metals. The exhibition examines the extraordinary hybrid art created in the imperial workshops by Iranian and Hindustani artists and craftsmen working in the Persian-speaking court and producing work of unparalleled quality. The exhibition also explores the influence of European art on the workshops, which were introduced to the court by Christian missionaries, foreign ambassadors, and merchants.

The finale showcases precious stones from the Imperial Workshops, and the uniquely Mughal cuts of diamonds from Golconda. Eight rare treasures from the al-Sabah Collection will be presented here, including the exceptional red royal spinel inscribed with the names of six rulers, engraved by imperial court master Sa'ida, and a 110 carat Colombian emerald pendant bead, carved with a delicate flower motif.