A portrait of an akali, Jai Singh Nihang, by Mortimer Menpes (British, 1860-1938)

circa 1903

Footnotes

Mortimer Menpes was born in Australia and after coming to London in 1880 became a pupil of Whistler. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from then until 1900. He covered the Delhi Coronation Durbar of 1902–03 and published his collection of portraits and scenes in 1903 with accompanying text by his daughter, Dorothy Menpes, who transcribed his stories as he recounted his experiences in India.

The subject of this particular sketch, Jai Singh, was something of a favourite with European artists and photographers, and was often depicted riding his horse, whom he named Kaler Singh. The pair accompanied the Patiala royal camp in the Delhi Durbar in January 1903 to honour the newly crowned King Edward VII as Emperor of India (he had visited India in 1875–76 when a prince). Menpes recalled how this Akali-Nihang came first came to his attention:

'One of the incidents that attracted my attention was the falsetto shriek of an old man standing under an archway at the entrance gate. He was a big man, though very old, with white hair and piercing black eyes; and he was mounted on a tiny pony, the size of a Shetland. He wore a huge conical turban, about four feet in height, covered with steel daggers, and hoops, and weapons of all kinds. He was a celebrated religious fanatic from the golden temple of Amritsar. The song he was singing was the names of ten Gurus in the form of a chant.' (Menpes, The Durbar, London, 1903, pp. 148-49).

Another commentator painted a vivid picture of Jai Singh's impact at the head of the Patiala Regiment on the onlookers at Delhi:

'Ambling along beneath the leafy trees came a remarkable figure astride a tiny pony. It was an old, old man with long white hair, a thin white beard, a haggard face and gleaming eyes. Upon his head he wore a enormous conical structure surrounded by several iron circlets and other weapons. His body was clad in a coat of chain mail, and heavy breast-plates protected him in front and back. Slung behind him was a quaint bow and sheaf of arrows. In his right hand he carried a spear. His feet were bound in blue cloth, but his legs and thighs were bare. He was one of the now dwindling sect of Akalis, the fanatical devotees who carried the tenets of Sikhism to their extreme limit, and in olden times fought and died for them with joyful readiness. The Akalis were once the Ghazis of the Sikh race, the most strenuous professors of the new religion. The aged warrior approached the shrine in triumph. He checked his pony before the lines of troops. They greeted him with a ringing cheer, such a cheer was not heard in the streets of Delhi even on the day of the State Entry. Waving his spear he chanted in a high resounding voice the names of the Ten Gurus. Then he recited a prayer, and continued with an exhortation, reminding the Sikhs of the valour and the greatness of their race, and urging them never to forget the teachings of their Holy Book or fail in their loyalty to the British. Finally, he shouted aloud one of the national cries, 'Sat Sri Akal !', which a Sikh bystander afterwards translated to me thus: "Only the Timeless One is Real." The effect was magical. The line of soldiers shouted aloud the cry, and the crowd took it up far along the Chauk (Junction).' (Lovat Fraser, At Delhi, London 1906).

For another similar version of the portrait, sold in these rooms, see Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 4th October 2011, lot 424.

The Akalis were a group of Sikh zealots, distinguished by their blue clothing and conical turbans (dastaar boonga) on which were hung steel quoits, as seen here. As well as being known for their religious zealotry (they claimed to have been instituted as a body by Guru Govind Singh) they went about heavily armed and were quick to take offence. See W. G. Archer, Paintings of the Sikhs, London 1966, pp. 155-157.