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Lot Essay
Bhupal Singh succeeded Fateh Singh (1884-1930) as Maharana in 1930 and it is for him that this magnificent gold seal was created. The coronation would have no doubt been an event of the upmost grandeur with the new Maharana bestowing medals and honour upon those who had rendered service to the state. We can imagine that this seal, which would have had a handle of wood or ivory, might have been used on presentation certificates given out to such persons and may have never been used again.
The blazing anthropomorphic sun at the top of this seal is the symbol of the royal family of Mewar who claim descent from Lord Rama, the sun god. Since the 12th century the family, who belong to the Sisodia clan of Rajputs, served as the Maharanas (rulers) of the state of Mewar, one of the Princely States of Rajputana. The crossed khandas at the bottom of the seal likely refer to the proud martial heritage and military history of the dynasty who were the last Rajput house to ally with the Mughals. Having resisted the Khalij, Muzaffarid, and repeated Mughal invasions, the Sisodias finally accepted Mughal suzerainty in 1597 and as a mark of respect the Emperor Akbar (1556 – 1605 AD) saw that the Sisodias of Mewar were the only Rajput clan to never intermarry with the Mughal Imperial Family. The Maharanas were friendly to the British during their rule and Maharana Fateh Singh Bahadur was even awarded the insignia of a Knight Grand Commander for the Order of the British Empire in the 1911 Delhi Durbar.
The blazing anthropomorphic sun at the top of this seal is the symbol of the royal family of Mewar who claim descent from Lord Rama, the sun god. Since the 12th century the family, who belong to the Sisodia clan of Rajputs, served as the Maharanas (rulers) of the state of Mewar, one of the Princely States of Rajputana. The crossed khandas at the bottom of the seal likely refer to the proud martial heritage and military history of the dynasty who were the last Rajput house to ally with the Mughals. Having resisted the Khalij, Muzaffarid, and repeated Mughal invasions, the Sisodias finally accepted Mughal suzerainty in 1597 and as a mark of respect the Emperor Akbar (1556 – 1605 AD) saw that the Sisodias of Mewar were the only Rajput clan to never intermarry with the Mughal Imperial Family. The Maharanas were friendly to the British during their rule and Maharana Fateh Singh Bahadur was even awarded the insignia of a Knight Grand Commander for the Order of the British Empire in the 1911 Delhi Durbar.