In India, individual or group portraits were mostly produced to be included in albums (muraqqa‘s), portable image galleries featuring members of the royal family, nobility, and courtly entourage. The young sitter of this fine painting is Bedar Bakht Mirza, grandson of the Mughal emperor Awrangzeb (ruled 1658-1707) and commander of his army in Deccan, central India. Bedar Bakht died in battle against his uncle Mu‘azzam Shah ‘Alam during the fierce war of succession between the crown princes which followed Awrangzeb’s death.
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