Maharaja Sovan Singh playing pachisi 1858 - 1878

Ambav painted Maharaja Sovan Singh playing pachisi, sometime around 1860, using opaque watercolor on paper. Here we see the Maharaja, bedecked in finery, enjoying a game of pachisi – a kind of backgammon – with a member of his court. The setting is simple, but the details speak volumes about the social hierarchies of the time. The painting was made in India, during a period of significant social and political upheaval. The British East India Company was in power, and traditional Indian social structures were under threat. The work shows a ruler enjoying leisure. But what kind of social role does it play? Is it simply a record of royal life, or does it present a commentary on the changing times? What is the significance of leisure here? Is the game a metaphor for wider political contests? To answer these questions, historians might research the patronage networks that supported artists like Ambav, and the ways in which Indian rulers negotiated their power in the face of British colonialism. By examining these social and institutional contexts, we can better understand the complex meanings embedded in this seemingly simple image.