Raja Dhian Singh

This portrait depicts Raja Dhian Singh (1796-1843) on horseback. He is shown with traditional emblems of royalty, a parasol held over his head, and a turban jewel. Dhian Singh was a Hindu member of the court entourage of the first Sikh ruler of the Panjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh (r.1801-1839), and was rewarded with the title of Raja in 1827, becoming the principal minister of the maharaja and the most powerful person in the kingdom after him. The painting was formerly in the collection of Queen Mary, and English inscriptions on paintings in the same group suggest that the first (unknown) British owner acquired the series between October 1839 and November 1840, presumably shortly after the paintings had been completed.