Attributes of Splendour: jewels and the projection of power in Royal India

Dr Amin Jaffer

Whether an emperor portrayed in a Mughal miniature or a maharaja depicting in a Victorian studio photograph, rulers in India were typically characterised by the abundance of jewels they wore. The proliferation of precious stones was not only a reflection of wealth – and therefore authority – but also an evocation of the cosmic power of certain gemstones by virtue of their association with planetary forces. In a survey of Indian kingship from ancient times to the early modern period, Amin Jaffer will explore the importance attributed to gems in the articulation of power, drawing on ancient treatises about the power of precious stones, court memoirs and contemporary accounts.