Shah Alam II, The Blind Emperor, Signed by Khairallah, India, Delhi, Mughal, 1212 AH/ 1797 AD

Opaque watercolour and gold on paper, honorific verses in nasta'liq script in upper panels including the date 1212, illuminated borders of floral motifs in colours and gold

Sir Cowasji Jehangir, Bombay
Purchased by Stuart Cary Welch in London in the 1950s.

Room for Wonder: Indian Painting During the British Period 1760-1880, The American Federation of Arts, New York, 1978

Welch 1978, pp.102-103, no. 43 

in good condition, borders trimmed, areas of surface dirt, minor areas of abrasion and rubbing, visible to upper section sky, small hole to upper border and minor worming below left vase on carpet, as viewed
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This is an important and powerful image of Shah Alam II, "The Blind Emperor" (r.1759-1788). Its composition ostensibly recalling earlier imperial images of the 17th century, and with the glitter of gold and the richness of the architectural throne, it seems at first glance a typical stylized portrait of a Mughal emperor. But a closer look reveals not only the closed, blind eyes of the emperor, and he sits staring blankly into his own darkness, but the isolation of the figure on the over-large throne and the paucity of attendants makes this image distinctly different from its pictorial forebears. In this it was accurately describing the real political fortunes of the sitter, who, when this portrait was painted, was a weakened man who had lost his grip on a weakened empire in the face of numerous threats. The artist has subtly, but effectively conveyed this in the portrait, while maintaining the outward guise of regal splendour and iconography. The throne itself is a further emblem of the dying Mughal empire, being a later replacement of Shah Jahan's legendary Peacock Throne, which had been taken off by the Persian warlord Nadir Shah in 1739.

Shah Alam was born in 1729 and was ten when Delhi was sacked by the Persians, a cataclysmic moment for the Mughal Empire. He ruled, amid almost continuous threats from the British and the Rohilla chief Ghulam Kadir, from 1759 until 1788, when he was blinded by Ghulam Kadir after he had captured Delhi. From 1789 to 1803 he was in the protection and care of the Maratha chief Mahadji Sindhia, and from 1803 that of the British, who accorded him imperial status, titles and respect, but ignored him in all practical affairs. He died in 1806, confined to the fort of Delhi on a minimal allowance.

In the catalogue accompanying the exhibition Room for Wonder: Indian Painting during the British Period 1760-1880, Cary Welch described the picture thus:

"Like an old caged bird, Shah Alam perches in his multi-columned throne, a pastiche replacement for Shah Jahan's. His pathetic, silent isolation contrasts with the carpet's arabesque tangle, sharp as barbed wire. The artist makes us sense the emperor's blindness by emphasizing his odd facial angle, closed eye, and his nervous fingering of rosary beads." (p.102)

The verses in the three cartouches above the throne contain honorific titles and phrases, and in the final line the date 1212. The inscription above the emperor's head identifies him as Shah Alam Padshah, that above the head of the courtier on the left identifies him as Shah Nawar Khan Bahadur.

The artist Khairallah is little known, although an artist by the name of Khair Muhammad Yusuf was active in the early 19th century (see Archer 1972, p.171).