Maharaja Ranbir Singh

This portrait represents Ranbir Singh (reigned 1856–1885), the Hindu maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. This painting was based on a photograph, which was a convention employed in portraiture during the 1800s. Indian monarchs, whether Sikh, Hindu, or Muslim, chose to wear their most splendid jewels and regalia, including Europeanstyle medals, when they sat for a photographer.

The British East India Company transferred the rule of Kashmir from the Sikhs to Maharaja Gulab Singh, a Hindu prince and Ranbir Singh’s father. Gulab Singh laid the territorial foundation for Jammu and Kashmir state through his military campaigns. Gulab Singh’s support for the British during the Anglo-Sikh wars was rewarded by a degree of political autonomy for this territory under company rule that many other principalities did not enjoy.