The Great Mughals: The V&A Conjures an Empire of Splendour

The Victoria and Albert Museum's 2024–25 exhibition 'The Great Mughals' transported visitors to the glittering courts of 16th- and 17th-century India, under emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan — the man who built the Taj Mahal.

It was a feast of intricate miniature paintings, jewelled daggers, carpets, textiles and gem-studded ornaments, conjuring a civilisation of breathtaking refinement where art, poetry and power intertwined.

Drawing on the V&A's world-class South Asian holdings, the show celebrated a golden age whose influence still ripples through the art and design of the subcontinent and beyond.

Image: “Govardhan. Jahangir Visiting the Ascetic Jadrup. ca. 1616-20, Musee Guimet, Paris” — Govardhan (attribution), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.