The Mughals originated in Central Asia, and were descended from the Mongol ruler Jenghiz Khan and Timur (Tamburlaine), the great conqueror of Asia.
Room 41: South Asia
The Nehru Gallery displays jewellery, textiles, furniture, arms and armour, metalwork and paintings of the Mughal a…
Read articleThe Indian subcontinent: land and culture
The Indian subcontinent is a vast area the size of Europe, and is today divided into the separate countries of Indi…
Read articleIndia before the Mughals
Before the Mughal invasion of 1526, the north of the subcontinent was divided up into several independent Hindu an…
Read articleThe age of the Mughals
The Mughals originated in Central Asia, and were descended from the Mongol ruler Jenghiz Khan and Timur (Tamburlain…
Read articleLife and art in the Mughal court
Most of the objects and paintings on display in the V&A's South Asia gallery are not concerned with the bare facts …
Read articleThe regional courts in Mughal India
In the 150 years between the beginning of the Mughal empire and its greatest extent, the Mughal armies had to overc…
Read articleThe British in India
The British East India Company - named to distinguish it from British trade in the West Indies - was founded in 159…
Read articleMughals & the royal city of Lahore
Lahore was the historic capital of the Panjab. Its rulers built palaces and tombs decorated with marble and polychr…
Read articleWine cup of Shah Jahan, unknown maker, 1657
Persian in their cultural background and Indian by adoption, the Mughals were avid supporters of the arts and open …
Read articleMughal painting: 16th & 17th century reading list
Recommended reading about 16th & 17th Century Mughal Painting.
Read articleMetalwork of Mughal India reading list
Recommended reading about Metalwork of Mughal India
Read articleIslamic art & medieval Europe reading list
A selection of recommended books on the subject of Islamic art & Europe.
Islamic art reading list
A selection of recommended titles covering a range of general reading about Islamic art.
Himalayan art reading list
Recommended reading about Himalayan art.
National Art Library publications
Bibliography of National Art Library publications

National Art Library modern calligraphy collection
An article by Rowan Watson on the modern calligraphy collections in the National Art Library. First published in 'Calligraphy Review', Fall 1987.
British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age
31 March–12 August 2012
Showcasing over 300 British design objects, this exhibition celebrates the best of British post-war art and design from the 1948 ‘Austerity Games' to the summer of 2012.
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Cliff Richard (Custom print)
Cliff Richard (b.1940) at the Chiswick Empire foyer, looking at a bill poster which shows him top of the bill for the first time
Buy nowEvent - The Arts of the Byzantine Empire
Wed 23 January 2013 10:30

SHORT COURSE: Discover more about the Byzantine Empire, ruled from its capital Constantinople (present day Istanbul), for over a thousand years.
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