When the Mughal emperor Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631, her husband Shah Jahan built a mausoleum in her memory. The Great Mughals did not do things by halves, and Mumtaz Mahal’s final resting place, the Taj Mahal (cost of construction at the time: 32 million rupees, or $750 million, in today’s money) in Agra, India, remains in stone construction inspection. beauty. Shah Jahan, his father Jahangir and his grandfather Akbar were the Great Mughals, the first rulers of the powerful Mughal dynasty that spread across the Indian subcontinent (then including Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Bangladesh) and ruled from 1526 until it is 1858. ‘ rise from the garden variety of the Mughals to greatness comes from their sponsorship of good things, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London’s exhibition “The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence” applauds the achievements of these three in art and culture.
IV&A is the perfect backdrop for the show. Built as another royal tribute—to Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert—just before the decline of the Mughals, the museum is a precious and impressive jewel in London’s institutional art crown. Inside, the curators of the exhibition went to the city, putting together many interesting objects and paintings that were commissioned by the rulers to tell the story of the monarchy.
Organized over three stages, “The Great Mughals” includes the times of Akbar (who reigned from 1556 to 1605), Jahangir (1605-1627) and Shah Jahan (1627-1666). Akbar assumed the throne at the age of thirteen and the Mughal military commander, Bairam Khan, ruled in his stead until Akbar was deemed old enough to rule the empire. Akbar’s achievements were many and notable. Under his rule, religious tolerance became the norm, he introduced administrative structures that lasted long into the future and his appreciation of the arts permeated his entire domain. Artifacts on display include scrolls of the Hamzanama (Book of Hamza), commissioned by Akbar in the 1570s. Folk legends and war stories are depicted inside: the image of the legendary giant Zumurrud Shah defeating his enemies is full of action. The walls are hung with successive numbers of contemporary paintings. The ideal representation of Akbar bestowing the royal crown on Shah Jahan has an ornate gold leaf border. The two-metre carpet – on display in the UK for the first time – almost takes up an entire wall in the room and displays the legend of gajasimha (a winged animal with the body of a lion and the head of an elephant) is attacked by a phoenix-like simurgh. It’s surprising.
Items chosen for Jahangir’s occasion include his jade-hilted sword, his ruby, emerald and pearl scabbard, a jade wine cup inscribed with Jahangir’s titles and Persian verses in praise of wine and a Mughal hunting coat. The coat is richly decorated with game animals—tigers, tigers, deer, and rabbits—and twisted foliage between panels of white silk. Jahangir traveled with artists as his court traveled across the kingdom, and there is space devoted to their portraits, including a delicate painting of a zebra by the famous Mughal court painter Ustad Mansur. Some paintings convey the edge of all the kingdoms. The portrait of a visiting European, possibly a Portuguese ambassador passing by to pay his respects, is full of color and depth.
The Shah Jahan section begins with a video of the Taj Mahal. Below is one of the original marble maquettes of Mumtaz Mahal’s cenotaph with carefully rendered watercolor designs of the decorations inside the tomb nearby. Precious gems are placed on the pins of the nearby case. A carved ruby the size of a quail’s egg stands next to the cut diamonds, all of which were once part of the emperor’s jeweled throne. In the neighboring case are four beads, two of which are made of emerald and one of which is engraved with sapphire and aquamarine. Being so close to the glittering stones felt quietly exhilarating. Study visitors gasp at the displays and mingle with the sounds of the show coming from above. Hypnotic sitars draw and twang. Birds are chirping, and there is the occasional rumble of hammers hitting metal and stone, echoing the Mughals’ workshop and palace gardens.
“The Great Mughals” is an exhibition that unashamedly celebrates excesses and achievements. As for how the rulers gained their wealth, some historians suggest that it was due to the dirty economic policies and the open approach mentioned above in matters of faith. Others argue that rulers were warlike empire builders who ruled over their people. Of course, it’s not all hearts and flowers in the universe of the Great Mughals. Mumtaz Mahal bled to death after giving birth to her fourteenth child, and her husband spent his last eight years in prison at the behest of her third son, Aurangzeb. Shah Jahan appointed another son, Dara Shikoh, in his place, and Aurangazeb killed Dara Shikoh, along with his other brothers, to take the throne. In 1858, the Mughal Dynasty died, after being defeated, in part, by the British colony sponsored by the Indian mainland government under the auspices of the British East India Company.
Explanations of how the Mughals got rich and conquered everything are ignored here. Instead, a text from the exhibit proudly reminds departing visitors that the word Mughal is derived from Mogul (Genghis Khan was a distant cousin of the Great Mughals)—and that the 21st-century ruler is someone who has achieved power and success. Perhaps that is the point: transcending the politics of rulers is possible elsewhere. Meanwhile, the “Great Mughals” offer the opportunity to leave all the bad things in the cold outside and immerse yourself in the dream collection of some of the richest and most noble pieces in the history of the world.
“The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Beauty” is at the V&A in South Kensington, London until May 5, 2025. Advanced booking is advised.
