Portrait of Rulers of The Indian Princely States by Raja Deen Dayal

In 1894, the Nizam of Hyderabad, the sixth ruler of a powerful Islamic dynasty in central India, conferred upon the photographer Raja Deal Dayal the title of Raja Bahadur Mussavir Jung (“Bold Warrior of Photography”).

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Raja Deen Dayal was the first Indian photographer to earn international renown for his pioneering work in the field of photography in the Subcontinent.

Raja Deen Dayal is also known for having been a premier court photographer for some of the leading Princely states in the country at the time. Among his known patrons was Maharaja Tukoji Rao of Indore. But his better-known appointment was as the official court photographer for the Nizam of Hyderabad.


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In 1894, the Nizam of Hyderabad, the sixth ruler of a powerful Islamic dynasty in central India, conferred upon the photographer Deal Dayal the title of Raja Bahadur Mussavir Jung (“Bold Warrior of Photography”). Since then, the prolific nineteenth-century Indian photographer has been known as Raja Deen Dayal, Recognition gained, Dayal was regularly called to photograph numerous international exhibitions taking place around South Asia, and he continually photographed official visits of British royalty and dignitaries, many of which were sold later as albums.

Deen Dayal had studios in Indore (1875), Secunderabad (1889) and Bombay (1897).

Gaekwar of Baroda – Sayajirao Gaekwad III /Photographer: Raja Deen Dyal
Raja of Gawalior – Madhavrao II Sindhia /Photographer: Raja Deen Dyal
Raja of Cochin – Rama Varma XV /Photographer: Raja Deen Dyal
Raja of Dhrangadhra – Ajitsinhji Jashwantsinhji /Photographer: Raja Deen Dyal
Nawab of Junagadh – Mohammad Rasul Khanji /Photographer: Raja Deen Dyal
Raja of Dhar – Udaji Rao II Puar /Photographer: Raja Deen Dyal
Maharaja of Bundi – Maharao Raja Shri Sir Raghubir Singh /Photographer: Raja Deen Dyal
Nizam of Hyderabad Daccan – Asaf Jah VI Mir Mahboob Ali Khan /Photographer: Raja Deen Dyal
Maharaja Jammu & Kashmir – Pratap Singh /Photographer: Raja Deen Dyal
Shivaji Rao Holkar XII – Maharaja of Indore /Photographer: Raja Deen Dayal
Maharaja of Jaipur Sawai Madho Singh II /Photographer: Raja Deen Dyal
Maharaja of Coach Behar – Nripendra Narayan /Photographer: Raja Deen Dyal
Nawab of Bahawalpur – Bahawal Khan Abbasi V /Photographer: Raja Deen Dyal

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