Portraits in Princely India : 1700-1900

Since Independence, the princes and regional rulers of India have mostly been seen as anachronistic figures too closely associated with the former colonial government, and often seen as a byword for outlandish extravagance and mild despotism.

When they were stripped of their privy purses by Indira Gandhi, there were more protests in Britain than in India."Portraits in Princely India" is a superbly illustrated volume that presents an unrivalled examination of the pictorial record of these Indian rulers from 1700 to 1900.

By examining a wealth of paintings and photographs, it begins to reveal the sometimes remarkable stories behind the portraits - why they were commissioned, who commissioned them, and what they were trying to say about themselves?