Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts

Nearly 200 stunning treasures spanning 250 years bear witness to a period of dramatic change in India. Beginning in the early-1700s as the power of the Moghul Empire waned, the exhibition traces the shift in political control to strong regional powers, colonization by Great Britain, and the emergence of the modern, independent nation in 1947.

Through stunning objects—including beautiful paintings and costumes, fabulous jewelry and weapons, and a golden throne—the exhibition explores the concept of kingship in India, and illuminates the world of the maharajas and their extraordinarily rich culture.  These are the objects they used, commissioned, collected, and loved and through which they realized their multifaceted—and often, conflicting—role as military and political ruler, religious leader, and cultural patron.

Lead Sponsors: BMO Harris Bank, Exelon

Exhibition organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London