Colourful Royal Courtiers of Princely India, 1930 Sketch
A striking 1930 sketch signed B. S. Sonar portrays two richly dressed courtiers from the royal court of princely India. Royal courtiers were far more than ceremonial attendants; they were trusted members of the court who participated in royal audiences, state ceremonies, and lavish durbars while displaying magnificent turbans, embroidered robes, jewellery, and other symbols of rank. Artworks such as this preserve the elegance, traditions, and pageantry that defined the courts of India’s princely rulers during the late colonial period.
Before Indian independence, the subcontinent was home to more than 560 princely states, each ruled by a Maharaja, Raja, Nawab, Nizam, or other hereditary sovereign, many of whom maintained spectacular royal courts renowned for their wealth and ceremony. Their courts became symbols of extraordinary luxury, with rulers such as Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala famed for occupying dozens of suites at London’s Savoy Hotel during his visits. This rare 1930 painting beautifully captures the colourful personalities who stood beside these legendary rulers, preserving a vibrant chapter of India’s royal heritage.
Did you know – equally remarkable was the Nizam of Hyderabad, whose laundry was reportedly shipped to Paris via the P&O steamship line for cleaning.
