Kingly Cabbages in London: Delving into the 'Grand Mughals' Exhibition at the V&A - Unearthing Tipu Sultan, Sufis, and a Few Noteworthy Surprises
A Fresh Take on the Mughal Majesty
Ain't many Rubayatis 'bout 'love', is there? Just words like 'above', mere flattering rhymes aren't enough to capture that emotional rollercoaster, right? Bachchoo, your rhyming may strain when love lets you down, but you don't always gotta do it in rhythm, it can just be plain spoken - a paean to pain, if you will.
Speaking of paeans, a museum in London called the Victoria and Albert somehow manages to avoid chaos despite housing centuries of history, art, and objects - all for future generations to marvel at. One of their eye-catching exhibits is Tipu Sultan's tiger chomping on a British East India Company soldier, one of Arthur Wellesley's guys. In the 19th century, they weren't shy about displaying Indian triumph over British colonialism. Maybe it was because folks knew Tipu was boastful or perhaps they were just bold enough to believe all dramatic moments have their place.
Back in 2012, they showcased Indian maharajas and their courts with flair. The grand displays of these oh-so-flamboyant rulers ruled through the 19th and 20th centuries, lying about their power as puppets of the British Raj. The V&A curators attempted to portray these maharajas as kings, mind you, but conveniently left out minor details like them being directed by the Raj on all policies and their licenses to maintain ceremonial armies.
The era of the Mughal rulers is being celebrated in a new exhibition, "The Grand Mughals". It doesn't focus on conquest and rule, but instead, it showcases the art, artistic objects, armaments, jewellery, and architectural triumphs of Akbar, Jehangir, and Shah Jahan. There's scarce mention of Babur, Humayun, and then, unfortunately, Aurangzeb.
I was quite taken aback by what I didn't know. For instance, during Akbar and Jehangir's reigns, there were "Mughal miniature" paintings from the annals of Sufi poet Amir Khusrau. Miniatures of Rustam, the pre-Muslim hero from the Shahnama of Firdausi were also showcased. Brace yourself, there were even depictions of scenes from the Ramayan! But wait, there's more - a "miniature" portraying Sita mistaking Hanuman in exile for Ravana in disguise was one of several.
Did you know Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, a Sufi saint, was painted in the exhibition despite living centuries before this depiction? Or that there was a portrait of a Muslim receiving guidance in piety from a Brahmin? As Portuguese Jesuits arrived during Jehangir's reign, Hindu and Muslim artists were depicted in miniature scenes from the Bible and Christian lore.
Surprises, surprises! The exhibition displays a portrait of the young emperor Aurangzeb, but the displays end with Shah Jahan's reign. Is it because the previous sections are full of human figures and portraiture while Aurangzeb's puritanical Islam forbids the depiction of human forms?
Yes, we're aware that there's a wave to erase Aurangzeb's name from avenues in New Delhi and even demolish a mosque he supposedly built over a Hindu temple in Varanasi. But erasing history is a losing battle, right? Aurangzeb did execute Sikh gurus after imprisoning his father and murdering his brothers, but his legacy should still be preserved. After all, are there monuments to Judas in the Vatican?
Curious where all these artifacts and paintings came from? Logically, they were most likely borrowed from Indian museums and collections. The entire exhibition seems to be a proud part of Indian history, with no trace of Mughal political triumphalism. It would be fascinating to see the whole exhibition in India, but perhaps with a little tweak - the portrait of Aurangzeb could use a cancellation.
In the realm of art and cultural expression, one might find a harmonious blend of lifestyle and home-and-garden motifs in the intricate Mughal miniature paintings displayed in the V&A's "The Grand Mughals" exhibition. These paintings, origins traced back to Indian museums and collections, beautifully depict various scenes from Indian mythology and everyday life.
