Dutch East India Company Embassy to India

This painting by an unknown artist depicts the meeting of Dutch East India Company (VOC) officials and the ruler of Udaipur, a city in the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan. The meeting was part of a VOC diplomatic mission in 1711 to the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah to attain letters of favor and trading privileges for the Company. The embassy was led by VOC senior merchant Joan Josua Ketelaar, who travelled with a large retinue of twenty soldiers, two surgeons, scribes and a number of other participants. Ketelaar’s gifts to the emperor included 12 cannon, Japanese lacquerware, 10 elephants from modern day Sri Lanka, and 26 Persian horses. Bahadur Shah, however, died shortly after Ketelaar’s arrival at the Mughal court and war broke out between the emperor’s sons to decide who would succeed the throne. In 1712, Jahandar Shah was victorious and Ketelaar successfully obtained letters of favor and trading privileges from the new Mughal emperor.