Indian Encounters explored the changing relationships between Great Britain and India during the 18th and 19th centuries through the lives of two men with very different experiences of British imperial rule: Captain Archibald Swinton and Maharaja Duleep Singh.

This exhibition showcased intricate miniature paintings from the 18th century collected by Captain Swinton, and the beautifully crafted 19th century jewellery once owned by Maharaja Duleep Singh, alongside a newly commissioned painting by renowned British artists The Singh Twins.

The Scot Archibald Swinton (1731-1804) served in the East India Company’s army at the beginning of its military expansion in India. The Mughal rulers and court officials with whom he came into contact are documented through the exquisite miniature paintings acquired in Bengal.

Highly decorative jewellery from the Sikh court in Lahore was displayed, once belonging to Maharaja Duleep Singh (1838-1893). Duleep Singh became the first resident Sikh in Britain after he, at the age of 10, had to surrender the Sikh Punjab and all his treasures to the East India Company.

The exhibition also explored how complex histories can be reassessed today. In Casualty of War, a contemporary work completed in the miniature painting tradition, artists The Singh Twins reflect on their personal view of Duleep Singh’s life and on their own Sikh heritage in Britain today.

Behind the scenes

As well as exploring the personal stories of Archibald Swinton, Duleep Singh and others, the exhibition examined the cultural significance and meaning of objects collected, and took a behind-the-scenes look at National Museums Scotland’s own conservation and analytical research activities.

Header image: Miniature painting of the court of the Nawab of Bengal, Alivardi Khan, by a Murshidabad artist, ca. 1750. Photography by John McKenzie for Lyon & Turnbull Fine Art Valuers.