The emperor 'Alamgir (Aurangzeb)

ca. 1700 · Painting · 19.8 × 11.3 cm

Can I see it?

Not on view at present

Where is “The emperor 'Alamgir (Aurangzeb)” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.

Victoria and Albert Museum

London, United Kingdom

It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.

Checked: 15 days ago
In this state since: Sep 25, 2026
Source: The museum

On the map Museum page

About the painting

The Mughal prince Aurangzeb took the title Alamgir (World Seizer) when he came to power in 1658, having usurped his seriously ill father Shah Jahan. The emperor is depicted in this painting which dates from ca. 1660 as a relatively young man, richly dressed and bejewelled, and with the halo that characterised imperial figures from the reign of his grandfather, Jahangir. Later in life, his religious asceticism made him reject such opulence. The anonymous artist has shown him standing, full length, in profile against a plain pale green background, continuing a tradition in Mughal portraiture that had begun in the late 16th century. Alamgir inherited an immensely wealthy empire, but spent the second half of his extremely long reign (he died in 1707) conducting wars against the Muslim sultanates of the Deccan, in the south of the subcontinent, which though ultimately successful were won at enormous cost and weakened the empire irrevocably.

Victoria and Albert Museum