Presenter
Jain Aditi - University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, United StatesPanel
112 – Kingship and Commemoration in South Asia (c. 1400-1800)Abstract
This paper examines the interconnectedness between kingship and methods of commemoration through the case of Vir Singh Deo, the Rajput-Bundela warrior, and his imperial palaces in his capital city, Orchha. I argue that a shift occurred in Rajput kingship following Mughal Emperor Akbar’s Sulh-i-Kull policy (1582). Traditionally, Rajput authority was rooted in temple-centered rituals and genealogical claims. However, Akbar’s policy, which divinized the Mughal emperor and made him the source of all political and religious authority, significantly impacted Rajput kingship. Rajput rulers, in the seventeenth century derived their authority from the Mughal emperor. Vir Singh Deo, crowned Raja of Orchha by Jahangir in 1605, exemplifies this shift.
Through an analysis of Vir Singh Deo’s actions, such as renaming his capital to Jahangirpur, constructing a lavish imperial pavilion for his Mughal overlord, the strategic placement of imperial palaces and temples within the city, and the iconography within the imperial pavilion, this paper will demonstrate how Rajput rulers actively participated in the divinization of Mughal emperors. These actions demonstrate fresh methods of commemorating the Mughal emperor and elevating him to divine status. They shed light on how Rajput rajas navigated the complexities of their identity as imperial nobles and Rajput kings under Mughal rule.
