RBSI - Portraits of Shivaji ..."We have reliable information about Shivaji's personal appearance in 1664, when he was seen by some Englishmen at Surat. The chaplain Escaliot writes, "His person is described

Posted on: 16 November 2011

Portraits of Shivaji

..."We have reliable information about Shivaji's personal appearance in 1664, when he was seen by some Englishmen at Surat. The chaplain Escaliot writes, "His person is described by them who have seen him to be of mean [medium] stature, lower somewhat than I am erect, and of an excellent proportion. Actual [ = active] in exercise, [he] seems to smile, a quick arid piercing eye, and whiter than any of his people." The cultured Frenchman Thevenot, who travelled in the Deccan from November 1665 to February 1667, says of him, "The Rajah is small [in size] and tawny [in complexion] , with quick eyes which indicate abundance of spirit." It is a pity that neither the English factor of Rajapur whose wig Shivaji examined with his fingers in curiosity (March, 1675), nor Henry Oxinden, the English envoy present at Shivaji's coronation, has left any description of his personal appearance."

Read more in Jadunath Sarkar's book 'Shivaji and his Times' : http://books.google.co.in/books?id=WYFrgILWbIgC&pg=PR15&lpg=PR15&dq=Shivaji+Mir+Mohammad&source=bl&ots=cKp-ZwxaSF&sig=kw088rj7xUb9NxD-sgl0RAFndRI&hl=en&ei=w2zDTqSkLtHjrAe0rOzMCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

Image :
A contemporary portrait of Shivaji.
Dutch inscription, 'Shivaji the late Maratha prince' at the British Museum.

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Image details : From Jadunath Sarkar's book - ..."There is a contemporary and authentic portrait of Shivaji preserved in the British Museum, viz., MS. Add. 22,282 (Picture No. 12.) "It bears a Dutch inscription, 'Shivaji the late Maratha prince.' This volume of Indian portraits evidently belonged to some Dutch owner who had written the name of each person in Dutch on the portrait before 1707, as Aurangzib's portrait is inscribed, 'the present Great Mughal'... I should, therefore, say the portraits were true to life so far as the artist could make them. They are well executed, in the usual style. "No. 12, Shivaji.” Three-quarter length, looking to right, same face as in Orme's Fragments. Black beard and moustache,- long hair at sides, - gold pagri, - jewelled aigretts, - black plume, - white jigah (pearls?), - flowered coat with white ground purple silk scarf thrown across shoulder, - worked sash, - peshqabz (dagger) sticking out from waist on left side, - right hand hidden in hilt of a pattah or rapier, - left hand holding a dhup or straight sword." (Note supplied to me by Mr. W. Irvine, lOth March, 1904.) The portrait of Shivaji given in Constable s edition of Bernier's Travels (p. 187) follows an engraving in F. Valentyn's Oud-en Nieuw Oost-Indien ( i 724-26), the pictures in which w^ere most probably acquired by the Dutch E. 1. Co.'s mission to the Mughal Court in 1712.

A million Thanks RBSI!