The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms
Major exhibition at the V&A, March to July 1999
THE COURT OF MAHARAJA
RANJIT SINGH
Ranjit Singh's court was one of the most magnificent in the whole of India,
particularly when the Maharaja wished to impress foreign visitors. Then, scarlet
tented pavilions might be set up on gold and silver poles near the river,
lined with luxurious shawls from Kashmir, their floors covered with fine carpets.
Men and women alike glittered with jewels.
Visitors would approach the small, plainly dressed figure of the Maharaja,
his face disfigured by the childhood smallpox which had left him blind in
one eye, to be bombarded with questions. He had boundless curiosity, remarkable
energy and a compelling personality.
He preferred to sit on a chair or on the floor, but had a golden throne for
state occasions. He dressed with notorious simplicity, yet owned some of the
most fabulous jewels of the Mughal emperors, including the Koh-i nur diamond
and the stone which became known in the West as the Timur ruby. He employed
artists at court, collected Mughal jade and crystal, built monuments and laid
out gardens.
He created an atmosphere of religious tolerance in which Hindus, Muslims and
Sikhs were all appointed to high office. Artists and craftsmen, similarly,
worked for patrons without regard for religious differences: the Sikh Maharaja's
throne was made by a Muslim, and craftsmen of all religions worked on the
building of the Golden Temple.
