Even then, however, there were tensions, as a breathtaking watercolor painted in the early 1600s makes clear. Akbar is shown passing the imperial crown to his grandson Shah Jahan, while that his son (Shah Jahan’s father) watches him passively. The implication, obviously, is that Shah Jahan and Akbar were seen as worthy successors to the great emperors of the past, of whom Timur – who himself appears in another image (above) presenting a crown to Babur – marked the ‘apogee. Jahangir, on the other hand, was deemed unworthy to stand in this line of succession.

This is rather unfair, especially since Jahangir’s own diaries, which include detailed accounts of his opium consumption (and its toxic effects), his love of hunting and his weekly wine evenings, are a joy to read. Success, however, may be in the eye of the beholder – something Shah Jahan took no chances with, inscribing on a spectacular “fire-bearing” sword he inherited the proclamation that he was nothing but less than “the king of the world”.

Today, Shah Jahan is most famous for his architectural projects, including the Taj Mahal in Agra, the tomb of the emperor’s beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to their 14th child. Like his predecessors, he was very interested in the arts, even going so far as to regularly report through his agents on the latest discoveries in the precious stone mines.

The Great Mughals marked a golden age of arts and crafts. We could not seek to emulate all their practices (for example, weighing Keir Starmer and distributing his equivalent in jewelry to the poor – as the Mughal rulers did). But this era provides an object lesson in the benefits that accrue when educational reform and cultural efflorescence support the functioning of the state.

Bargello Shield

Gujarat, circa 1580-1590, wicker, black lake, mother-of-pearl

New trade routes connecting Europe and South Asia were opened after the arrival of Vasco da Gama in India in the 1490s. In addition to allowing greater movement of goods, sea routes expanded networks of trade. information, which allowed more people to learn more about remote people and places. This led to an increase in diplomatic gifts. This shield may have been gifted by the Safavid ruler of Iran to Grand Duke Ferdinand de’ Medici in the late 16th century – perhaps in the context of efforts to forge an alliance against the Ottomans. It now usually resides at the Bargello National Museum in Florence.