Portrait of Raja Jagat Singh of Nurpur (reigned 1618–46)

probably 1619

attributed to Bichitr

(Indian, active c. 1615–50)

Culture

Mughal India, Court of Jahangir (reigned 1605 - 27), possibly Lahore

Medium

Gum tempera and gold on paper

Measurements

Painting only: 19.1 x 11.6 cm (7 1/2 x 4 9/16 in.); Page: 41 x 32.7 cm (16 1/8 x 12 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection 2013.324

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Location

On view at National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, DC, Apr 18, 2026 - Jul 26, 2026

Did You Know?

Jagat Singh, shown in this miniature, was a favorite of the Mughal queen.

Description

Jagat Singh was a prince from a small kingdom in the western Himalayan foothills who grew up at the imperial Mughal court of Jahangir and his queen Nur Jahan. He was given the title of prince in 1619, and this painting may commemorate that event. Very few nobles from the hill states had positions at the Mughal court at this time, so his portrait is a rare imperial Mughal painting.

The emperor and his favorite wife frequently visited Nurpur, named “City of Light” in their honor, to hunt and relax, and Prince Jagat Singh was a favorite of the queen. She interceded on his behalf in 1624, when he joined a rebellion to dethrone her husband.