Le Maharaja Gulab Singh vénérant Rama et Sita

India, Malwa, 19th century. Gouache and gold on paper depicting the sovereign bowing, hands clasped, before Rama and Sita seated on a jeweled throne on the terrace of a palace, three servants standing behind them. Rama's animal army is represented by the king of bears, Jambavan, and monkeys, Hanuman. 27.8 x 22.4 cm. Maharaja Gulab Singh (1792-1857) was the founder of the Dogra dynasty and the first maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. During the Anglo-Sikh War, Gulab Singh stayed on the sidelines, helping the British to victory. He even became Prime Minister of the Sikh Empire during the last 38 days of the conflict. The Treaty of Amritsar (1846) formalized the sale of all Kashmir lands by the British to Gulab Singh for 7,500,000 rupees. The Maharaja Gulab Singh worshipping Rama and Sita, opaque pigments on paper, India, Malwa school, 19th century