This is a list of the flags of the Mughal Empire, which had a number of imperial flags and standards. The principal imperial standard of the Mughals was known as the ''alam'' ( ). It was primarily

moss green Varieties of the color green may differ in hue, chroma (also called saturation or intensity) or lightness (or value, tone, or brightness), or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tint be ...

. It displayed a lion and sun ( ) facing the hoist of the flag. The Mughals traced their use of the ''alam'' back to Timur. The imperial standard was displayed to the right of the throne and also at the entrance of the Emperor's encampment and in front of the emperor during military marches.

History

According to the ''

Ain-i-Akbari The ''Ain-i-Akbari'' ( fa, ) or the "Administration of Akbar", is a 16th-century detailed document recording the administration of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abu'l Fazl in the Persian language. It for ...

'', during

Akbar Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...

's reign, whenever the emperor rode out, not less than five ''alams'' were carried along with the ''qur'' (a collection of flags and other insignia) wrapped up in scarlet cloth bags. They were unfurled on the days of festivity, and in battle. Lion and sun- Mogul Empure-India

Edward Terry, chaplain to Sir Thomas Roe, who came during the reign of

Jahangir Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti. Ear ...

, described in his ''Voyage to East-India'' (1655) that the royal standard, made of silk, featuring the Nad-e-Ali represented by a crouching lion shadowing part of the body of the sun (known as Aftab) inscribed on it, was carried on an elephant whenever the emperor travelled. The siege of Qandahar (May 1631)

A painting by Payag in a manuscript of the '' Padshahnama'', a chronicle on

Shah Jahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...

's reign, preserved in the Royal Library, Windsor Castle depicted the Mughal standards as the scarlet

pennon A pennon, also known as a pennant or pendant, is a long narrow flag which is larger at the hoist than at the fly. It can have several shapes, such as triangular, tapering (square tail) or triangular swallowtail (forked tail), etc. In maritime ...

s with green borders with a passant lion and rising sun behind it. Another painting in the same manuscript depicted the Mughal standards having green fields with a couchant lion and rising sun behind it. In the image to the left, note the flag at the bottom with the standing lion and the sun in a red interior color. Notice also the flag in the upper part of the picture with green interior and yellow linings. File:The Surrender of Kandahar.jpg, A Mughal miniature from the '' Padshahnama'' depicting the surrender of the Safavid Persian garrison of Kandahar in 1638 to the Mughal army of Shah Jahan commanded by Kilij Khan. Notice the white flag with the rising Sun. Perhaps a flag signalling peace. As Safavid forces give the city without bloodshed. File:The Battle of Samugarh.jpg, A mid-17th century painting of the Battle of Samugarh between the three sons of

File:Bhavanidas. The Emperor Aurangzeb Carried on a Palanquin ca. 1705–20 Metripolitan Museum of Art..jpg,

Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...

leads his final expedition (1705), leading an army of 500,000 troops (note flags in the background). File:Battle elephant.jpg, Aurangzeb commanding his army (note triangular green flags) File:Capture of two prisoners at an important battle by Allahvardi Khan Jahangiri..jpg, Alivardi Khan's forces carry the green flag of the Mughal Empire. File:One of six figures from the Mughal emperor's ceremonial procession on the occasion of the Id..jpg, An elephant with a mahout and a standard-bearer carrying a green standard with a gold sun. One of a set. File:Encyclopedie volume 6-150.png, A catalog containing "two rectangular flags" of the Mughal Empire, flag no. 214 is that of the Great Mogul (featuring a Crescent and possibly a sun); flag no. 215 is also that of the Great Mogul (posaibly featuring the Nad-e-Ali). File:Asif tomb.jpg, Funeral of Asaf-ud-Daulah in the year 1797 under a canopy inside the Bara Imambara; (note:Flag (green) of the Mughal Empire raised higher than the Awadh flag)

Seals

File:Imperial Seal of the Mughal Empire.svg, Imperial seal of Mughals File:Seal detail, from- Painted seal of Mughal Emperor Awrangzib Wellcome L0034099 (cropped).jpg, Seal of

File:Ghulam Ali Khan 018b.jpg, Seal of

Bahadur Shah Zafar Bahadur Shah II, usually referred to by his poetic title Bahadur Shah ''Zafar'' (; ''Zafar'' Victory) was born Mirza Abu Zafar Siraj-ud-din Muhammad (24 October 1775 – 7 November 1862) and was the twentieth and last Mughal Emperor as well a ...

in the first year of his reign

Subjects and vassals of the Mughal Empire

File:Asafia flag of Hyderabad State.svg,

Nizam of Hyderabad The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...

File:Flag of the principality of Carnatic.gif, Nawab of Carnatic File:Flag of the Principality of Bengal (15th-18th century).svg, Bengal Subah (under mughals 1576–1717)

Nawab of Bengal The Nawab of Bengal ( bn, বাংলার নবাব) was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the ''de facto'' independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal, Bihar, ...

(independently 1717–1757) File:Drapeau Banganapalle.png, Nawab of Banganapalle File:Cambayflag.png,

Nawab of Cambay Cambay, Kambay or Khambhat was a princely state in India during the British Raj. The City of Khambat (Cambay) in present-day Gujarat was its capital. The state was bounded in the north by the Kaira district and in the south by the Gulf of Cam ...

File:Drapeau Bhopal.svg,

Nawab of Bhopal The Nawabs of Bhopal were the Muslim rulers of Bhopal, now part of Madhya Pradesh, India. The nawabs first ruled under the Mughal Empire from 1707 to 1737, under the Maratha Empire from 1737 to 1818, then under British rule from 1818 to 1947, an ...

References

External links

An engraving of the Mughal imperial standard
from Foster, William (ed.) ''The embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the court of the Great Mogul, 1615–1619, as narrated in his journal and correspondence'' London: Haklyut Society, 1899 in Internet Archive website {{Mughal Empire Government of the Mughal Empire Obsolete national flags Flags of India Flags displaying animals

History

Seals

Subjects and vassals of the Mughal Empire

See also

References

Further reading

External links