Thursday, July 8, 2010

Favorite Royal Images: Young Maharaja

His Highness Maharaj Sahib Narpat Singhji of Idar

6 comments:

  1. REALLY a neat photo like the other one too from the Princely states of India.

    --Is it time yet for any of the Great Moghul Emperors, who were Muslim as opposed to the Hindu Rajas, to be featured for writeups?

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  2. I just like the look of the boy in this one, he seems to have a very regal bearing for one so young. I do intend to get to some of the Moghul Emperors but I do not know when that would be -I need to make a note of it, put one on my list- I'm actually quite fond of the Moghul Empire, the origins of it and the sad story of its demise. I do wish something could have been worked out with the last Emperor to allow him to carry on such an ancient tradition.

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  3. Good for you that you know about it!
    I have traveled to visit nearly all the places associated with the Moghuls.
    The rule of that dynasty was VERY enlightened in many ways. Unfortunately American and even British documentaries pejoratively describe them as savage barbarians.
    Perhaps there is a guilty conscience on the part of the British at work here for taking over ruthlessly and forcing out the last Moghul Emperor...

    There ARE a few good films, though made in India with Hindu actors mostly, [rather than Pakistan which would be more fitting] which give a brilliant recreation of the courts of Akbar, Jehangir and his wife Nur Jehan, and Shah Jehan.

    These are the older ones; otherwise occasionally new films come out of Bollywood but they are not up to the caliber of those classics.

    Most people do not even realize that Moghul India was FAR more powerful and in my opinion, of higher civilization, than the time of Queen Elizabeth I. We have been taught to idolize her England as an idyllic period. I never cared for her or that time.
    Certainly the reach of the empire of the Moghuls was much greater. All was done with glittering splendor and gorgeous court ritual.
    One can only glimpse this in the films made earlier.

    Speaking of those wonderful titles you brought up earlier of the Ottoman Sultans, the Moghul Padshahs also had similar ones, such as "Shadow of God on Earth". [The Iranian Shahs had the same too.]

    Believe me, the Moghuls knew how to manage a gigantic empire of different religions as few besides the Ottomans, Seljuks, maybe some Iranian dynasties, have done.

    I realized when I wrote that suggestion of coverage that you are probably way backed up with other posts.
    I didn't mean to rush you. Just whenever there's time!

    I'm glad you are so aware about the Moghuls. That's remarkable!

    I've been attentively reading the Roman Emperor series meanwhile. Each account has been the most fair presentation one could find anywhere, doing real justice to each Emperor.
    Thanks!

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  4. I appreciate that. What probably first peaked my interest in the Moghuls (and this goes back to Tamerlane who I did a post on some time back) was the drawing of some sense of legitimacy from the Mongols when their empire was at its peak. I long had an interest there, so reading about this new empire by a dynasty called the 'Moghuls' who claimed descent from the Great Khan got me interested in it and looking through the area I was greatly impressed by the style of the Moghuls, their architecture and so on. The monuments from that area are my favorite in India. I also could not help but sympathize with how the poor Emperor Bahadur Shah was treated. As I have often mentioned in other posts (mostly dealing with the American Indians) it baffles me how surprised so many people can be when people under threat act in their own interests.

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  5. To MadMonarchist - Thank you for a most interesting and informative site.
    To Christina - May we have the names of the movies you mentioned? My daughter and I would love to see them if we can find them.
    Thanks to you both!
    God bless
    +JMJ+
    amr

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  6. YES!
    If you can check back in two weeks or so, I will put together the best list of the Moghul movies to suggest.
    Thanks for your interest!

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