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The Mughal Empire is thought to have been founded c.1526, by Babur, a Muslim prince from Central Asia. He was a proud descendant of Genghis Khan, and his dynasty took its name from the Persian word for ‘Mongol’. Within a couple of generations, its lands had become so expansive, rich, and powerful that it, in turn, would give us the English word ‘mogul’, referring to a particularly wealthy and influential person. This Golden Age of the Mughal Empire forms the focus of a sumptuous exhibition now running at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
The Great Mughals: art, architecture and opulence spans the reigns of three Mughal emperors: Akbar, Babur’s grandson (r. 1556-1605); his son Jahangir (r. 1605-1627); and his grandson Shah Jahan (1628-1658). The V&A’s collections, representing artistic endeavours from around the world, make the museum a natural home for this exhibition, and its displays are truly a feast for the eyes, showcasing the Mughals’ creative as well as political powers. Strolling through each room, visitors can admire vividly colourful carpets and manuscripts; a satin hunting coat richly embroidered with images of birds, animals, and foliage; and teak cabinets ornately inlaid with ivory. Other highlights include vessels cast from copper and bronze, or fashioned from slivers of mother of pearl ingeniously fixed to metal wires; delicate cups crafted from jade, agate, and rock crystal; dagger hilts and scabbards studded with tiny rubies, diamonds, and emeralds; and a bronze incense burner cast in the strikingly life-like form of a bird.
Virtuosic creations like these offer illuminating insights into the cosmopolitan court of the Mughals, where Muslim emperors ruled a diverse, multilingual population in which Hindus were the majority group, and key cultural influences also came from Jesuit missionaries, European traders, and Iranian artisans. The empire’s outward-looking, internationalist approach and emphasis on religious tolerance gave rise to a distinctive artistic and architectural style, drawing on ideas from far and wide. By the reign of Jahangir, England’s first ambassador to the Mughal Empire (writing to the future Charles I) had cause to describe its creative prowess as ‘the treasury of the world’.
Even the most powerful empires fall, however, and towards the end of the exhibition visitors learn about how the mighty Mughal dynasty also declined from its pre-eminent position. Its legacy, though, was much more enduring – including the Taj Mahal in Agra, which was created by Shah Jahan for his late wife Arjumand Banu Begum, and which today is one of the most famous sights in the world.
Further information: The Great Mughals: art, architecture and opulence will be at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London until 5 May. For more details, see www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/great-mughals-art-architecture-opulence.
