A Favored Courtesan

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"Serving maids and courtesans at palaces of rulers have been an essential part of feudal life in India since ancient days. These courtesans, though usually reaching the palace as a slave, and sometimes as part of a dowry in a royal marriage, often played a vital role in harem life. They were often the instruments of many of the palace intrigues that involved issues ranging from succession of a prince to that of winning the king's favor for a particular queen. They were frequently great favorites of rulers, rising to heights greater than those of many queens.They as much won favors of queens and often rose to friendly status. The known notorious Manthra of the Great Epic Ramayana, who plotted Rama's expulsion from Ayodhya and Bharata's ascendance to Ayodhya's throne, was a courtesan, who had come as a part of the dowry of Kekeyi, mother of Bharata, and stepmother of Rama.

In the Mughal era, when Mughal emperors and under their influence the Hindu rulers as well, turned to polygamists and a sensuous life-style, the role of these courtesans, both in intriguing and otherwise, came to be ever most significant. By their bewitching artful manners, music, dance, liquor serving, that is, by providing to senses more than what a queen could, many of these courtesans rose to heights of regal favors which a queen couldn't even dream of. A number of mausolea, chhatris, havelis and other commemorative buildings built for them, a lot of literature written with them as its prime theme and numerous paintings rendering them underline the significance of courtesans in feudal life.

This richly and elegantly costumed female with tempting looks, portrayed here with a goblet and wine casket in her hands, is essentially a courtesan proceeding to serve her master with wine and her charms. She is not wearing a crown, the formal and usual symbol of a queen., thus distinguishing her from royalty. The nimbus around her face underlies her status, maybe as the master's most favorite courtesan. The softness of colors, fine execution, delicate lines, a glowing face, and a perfectly proportioned figure are all influenced by the Mughal tradition in painting."

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.