Exhibition: Maharaja: The Splendour of India's Royal Courts, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, until January 17 2010
The word Maharaja has connotations of magnificence and extravagant wealth and the sumptuous red entrance to the V&A's exhibition seems an appropriate start.
This thorough investigation of 300 years of complex, opulent Indian history begins in the early 18th century, when the decline of the dominant Mughal dynasty left space for other political leaders and European dominance, and finishes in the 20th century with independence.
The exhibition is huge. The V&A has, sensibly, not tried to cram three centuries into a small space, instead spreading it through five rooms, each delineating a separate period in the story.
Maharaja takes an in-depth look at 300 years of Indian history
In the first space, a Bayeux tapestry-style watercolour of a procession, painted in 1830, instantly grabs visitors’ attention.
It is exquisitely detailed and coloured, and acts as an introduction to both the art visitors are about to see, and the relationship between India and Britain.
The first room is dominated by a life-size model of an elephant, surrounded by artefacts demonstrating Kings' authority and power to their subjects.
From hereon it is clear that the exhibition is going to be shiny. This whole space is dedicated to pomp and glamour – gleaming weapons, dazzling pieces of jewellery and elaborate insignia, as well as lots of paintings of court spectacle. But all the glitz had a political purpose, as panels around the walls remind visitors.
Much of the show is consumed by pomp and glamour
The room is lit by spotlights, which make the metal artefacts shimmer.
This theme of glamour mixed with political and cultural pervasiveness is at the heart of the exhibition. The next room introduces us to rulers' private lives, their duties and behaviour, and cultural patronage. Here there are more paintings, as well as clothes and fine textiles.
Glamour and cultural pervasiveness are at the heart of the exhibition
The mood shifts in the next room, as the Mughal dynasty falls and British authority increases. There are fewer artefacts in here and a change in tempo which is reflected in a quiet collection of lit maps, showing the geography of regional political struggles.
By this room I was beginning to wish the V&A had been less ambitious, perhaps dividing the period into two chronological exhibitions. There is an awful lot to see, and it's hard to take it all in.
After this we enter a phase of history perhaps more familiar to us, as British interference begins to indelibly affect Indian rule. In the final two rooms, which focus on the Raj and the later periods of British dominance, Indian glitz becomes westernised.
The paintings, photographs, clothes and artefatcs include pieces of furniture heavily influenced by Art Deco, European-inspired military uniforms and women photographed in the style of 1920s Hollywood silent movie stars.
Indian glitz became "westernised"
British rule meant that Indian rulers became effectively emasculated during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were also torn between tradition and a western education that made them think along British lines.
There is no indication that their need for show deserted them, however. To exemplify their continuing need to prove their authority through display, the final room features a 1927 Rolls Royce Phantom mounted on a platform. Maharajas collected cars as trinkets to show their wealth – the ultimate symbol of status and modern thinking.
The exhibition ends with a reminder that maharajas still exist as cultural and political figures in India, adapting to cope with change as they have done for hundreds of years.
It is difficult not to be impressed by Maharaja – it's beautiful, and majestic, and respectful. However there is so much richness, and so much to learn, that it can feel a bit saturating. It's great to learn about this important period of world history and be awed by its grandeur. Just don't go if you’re in a hurry.
Admission £6-£11. Book online or call 0844 209 1770. Visit {the show programme} for a full list of accompanying events.
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