Focus on: Mughal court fashion in the 16th and 17th centuries

Elegant dress was an integral part of court ceremony under the Mughal Emperors of India. With their rich heritage of textiles and dress from Central Asia and Iran, the early Mughals of India were quick to assimilate Indian modes of attire to create a distinctive sartorial synthesis, the influence of which has prevailed to the present day.
Using documentary and visual resources from the period, we will explore how court fashion evolved under Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan. These include accounts from the personal diaries of the Emperors, reports by court historians and visitors, manuscript and album paintings depicting court ceremony, and surviving artefacts in museum collections.
We will look at:
• The Turco-Mongol roots of Mughal costume, including court pageantry and the royal institution of distributing ceremonial robes to the royal household and as diplomatic gifts.
• Industries and imperial workshops set up under the Mughals in India to provide luxury textiles and crafts for the production of clothing for the royal household.
• The influence of Indian dress and textile production in Gujarat, the Rajput kingdoms and the Eastern regions of Bengal.
• The import of Safavid dress and textiles from Iran.
• Personal innovations introduced by the Emperors, for example Akbar’s preference for the Indian Jama as his upper garment, and Jahangir’s adoption of a European-style coat and English portrait miniatures as adornment.
• The evolution of clothing and adornment worn by the ladies of the royal household.
• Ceremonial military dress as worn at court.