Jahangir weighing prince Khurram against gold and silver. Single-page painting mounted on detached album folio. Princely figure sits cross-legged in a large scale ornately decorated with gold, rubies, and other precious jewels. Mahabat Khan, Khan Jahan and attendants look on. In the foreground stands a table with trays of daggers, knives, gold jars, cups and saucers, all similarly bejeweled. All stand in a courtyard beneath a canopy. Contains title above scene.

On 31 July 1607, Jahangir, the Mughal emperor of India, ordered his son Prince Khurram to be weighed against gold and silver and other metals as part his 15th birthday celebration.

The coins were then distributed to the needy. Prince Khurram is seated on a scale made of gold set with rubies and other jewels. Before him on oval and rectangular trays are knives and daggers, small gold jars, cups and saucers, all studded with jewels. Two more trays contain necklaces of precious gems. The official beside the prince is identified as Jahangir's Commander-in-Chief, Abd al-Rahim Khan-i Khanan. The memoires of Jahangir, also called the Tuzuk-i Jahangiri, were illustrated by the emperor's favourite artists.

Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper.

Mughal Style

1615 (circa)

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