Katalog

21 PE TRA KUHLMANN- HOD I CK Introduction During the more than fifty years of Aurangzēb’s reign (r. 1658–1707), the Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent in the Indian subcontinent. Jadunath Sarkar, who wrote the first biography of the ruler based on historical sources, begins his story with an event from the life of the young prince. For the biographer, the most remarkable incident in Aurangzēb’s childhood was his demonstration of courage. On May 28, 1633, during an elephant race on the banks of the Yamuna River, just outside Agra Fort, an elephant attacked the child right in front of his own father. While his brothers fled, he confronted the raging animal until help came. His father, Shāh Jahān, rewarded the courageous boy by giving him his weight in gold. 1 Aurangzēb’s power reached its zenith with the conquest of Golconda in 1687 and the annex- ation of the Deccan. At about the same time, during the reign of Augustus the Strong (fig. 2), the Baroque period began to blossom at the Dresden court. Two famous travellers to India—the doctor François Bernier, who served at the Agra court at the beginning of Aurangzēb’s reign, and Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, King Louis XIV’s jeweller, brought their knowledge of Indian customs, religions, cultures, and political developments to Europe in detailed reports. 2 Their vivid descrip- tions of the annual weighing ceremony celebrated on the occasion of Aurangzēb’s birthday (fig. 3) inspired the workshop of court goldsmith Johann Melchior Dinglinger to produce one of its most famous works, the Throne of the Great Mughal Aurangzēb (fig. 4). 3 Saxon perceptions of the Indian court associated with the name Aurangzēb evoked images of unbelievable riches and a grand display of splendour as a demonstration of political power. During the Renaissance and the Baroque periods, books and prints of costumes were assem- bled in the European courts as demonstrations of political power and court culture. A collection of this kind, useful for documentary purposes and to serve as a source for preparing opulent festivities, was assembled in Saxony. This electoral Kunstkammer , established in 1560, housed important volumes of prints of Turkish costumes. 4 The increase in celebrations under Augustus the Strong led to a demand for new costumes, providing sartorial ideas for the hundreds of guests attending the events who dressed as representatives from every corner of the earth, with the king himself leading the way, appearing as a “Sultān” or an “African.” 5 In 1709, two years after the death of Aurangzēb, when Augustus purchased Dinglinger’s Throne of the Great Mughal Aurangzēb — one of the most elaborate and expensive handcrafted masterpieces of his time—thus shifting the focus towards India, Saxony was in a rather desolate state following the first defeats in the war against the Swedes. The Saxon ruler was forced to give up the Polish crown in 1706 and would regain it only in 1710. fig. 1 Cat. 1 | Ca 112/8 Muh. ammad ‘Ādil Shāh (r. 1627–1656) (detail) Golconda (Deccan), 1668–1689 Watercolour and gold, 32.1×18.7 cm, image 23.8×10.9 cm