Maharaja Teachers' Resource

Welcome to the AGO’s interactive site for Maharaja: The Splendours of India’s Royal Courts.

Click on sections of the painting below to explore different themes and artworks in the Exhibition.

Scroll over the artworks to zoom in on details and ponder questions that will lead to an understanding of the themes of the show. 

The pages on this site lead to the Maharaja Online Tumblr, where students’ thoughts, reactions and extrapolations can live. Students can post text, images, sounds or videos to add to a growing commentary on what it means to be powerful in today’s day and age. For a description of what Tumblr is and how to use it, click here.

Teachers – we invite you to use this resource in part or in its entirety, in any number of ways.

• If you are planning a visit to the AGO to see Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts, use this resource to familiarize your students with some of the artworks and themes they will explore.
• If your class has seen the exhibition, use it a follow-up activity where students can post their reactions.
• If you are not able to visit the AGO to see the Maharaja exhibition, this resource is a way to delve into the works and themes of the show in a rich and interactive way.

Enjoy!

This colourful and dynamic painting of the Procession of Raja Ram Singh II and his son at Kota captures the festive spirit, splendour and excitement that surrounded the spectacle of a royal procession. Scroll over it to explore some details, and click on details to connect to other artworks.

Explore the Teachers' Resource

The lives of women

The lives of women
Women of the city watch the procession from rooftops and balconies. See another depiction of the life of a woman at the time of the Maharajas…

Power relationships

Power relationships
The Maharana is fanned by four chauri-bearers ; what do you think this man’s relationship with the Maharaja was? The time of the Maharajas saw many shifting alliances and power relationships – explore a depiction of one such power-shift...

The Procession

The Procession
The secular and sacred power of the king is expressed through grand public processions. Seeing the king is considered auspicious, central to the concept of darshan (seeing and being seen by a superior being). Explore another procession scene…

The lives of Maharajas

The lives of Maharajas
A dancing girl performs on a platform mounted on the elephant’s tusks for the Maharaja’s entertainment. Explore an image that shows other pastimes and entertainment of the Maharajas…

Clothing a Maharaja

Clothing a Maharaja
The Maharaja and his entourage express their status and roles through their clothing. Look more closely at an article of clothing…

The throne

The throne
The Maharaja sits in a sumptuous howdah while the elephant is dressed in rich jewelry and textiles – a jhool covering its back and sides and a sehri adorning its forehead. See a Maharaja’s throne…

Tools of the trade

Tools of the trade
This is an ankus, a tool used in relation to the elephants in a procession.  See an ankus up close…

Significant guns

Significant guns
The times of the Maharajas was a period of great change and saw many battles being fought. Weapons were used as symbols as well as tools in warfare. Investigate an interesting pair of pistols…

Royal adornment

Royal adornment
The Maharaja and his entourage convey the well-being of the people through the opulence of their clothing and jewellery. Take a closer look at a royal jewel…

A sword with a story

A sword with a story
Swords would often carry a symbolic meaning, referring to the owner's strength and wealth, and could be used as tokens in changing power relationship.  Look closely at one such sword... 

Carrying a king

Carrying a king
In ceremonial processions an Indian king most commonly rode upon an elephant. Changing times and cultural influences brought changes to this tradition – can you guess what modes of royal conveyance would have been used later?

A great king

A great king
Here the king, or maharao, Maharaja Ram Singh II (1835-1880) is shown with a green nimbus around his head, riding proudly on a richly adorned elephant through the streets of his capital, Kota. Take a closer look at a painting of a Maharana…

A gift fit for a king

A gift fit for a king
The receiving and giving of gifts was an important ritual in the courts of the Maharajas. Take a look at a gift once received by a Maharaja…

An impressive ride

An impressive ride
The physical power and presence of the elephant gave the ruler an exalted status both literally and symbolically. Later, other modes of transport were used to show status…

A portrait of a king

A portrait of a king
Changing tastes and cultural influences changed the way the Maharajas were represented. Investigate one such representation…