Temple, Palace, Mosque, July 2011

Ram Singh—the ending “ji” is an honorific—ruled Jaipur from 1835 until 1880. He is shown here having completed his prayers, with the marks of a devotee to Shiva on his forehead and wearing a string of prayer beads around his neck. From the age of six, Ram Singh was raised with British sensibilities. In 1839 the British East India Company appointed John Ludlow to be its Resident at the court of Jaipur to oversee affairs of governance and trade. Ludlow took it upon himself to educate the young prince, who himself became a photographer, instituted important reforms in the treatment of women, and encouraged all his nobles and clansmen to learn how to read. Ram Singh peaceably ushered the kingdom of Jaipur into the colonial period. During his reign, artists took inspiration from photographs, as seen in the sepia toned backgrounds, the composition, and more realistic use of shading and perspective than had been seen in Jaipur paintings prior to the reign of Ram Singh.
Last Updated: 9/5/2017