DHAR. Raja Anand Rao Puar III, Ruler of Dhar, circa 1875.

A very good carte de visite by Bourne & Shepherd, Photographers, India showing a full length seated portrait of Raja Anand Rao Puar. I believe this portrait dates from 1875 as he wears the oval medal given pn the occasion of the royal visit of H.R.H. Albert Edward the Prince of Wales to India in that year [the broad blue and white ribbon from which it was worn can be seen around his neck with other jewelled chains]. He was to be granted the title of Maharaja on the occasion of the Imperial Assemblage at Delhi when Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India. On that occasion on the 1st January he was also made a Knight of the Most Exa;ted Order of the Star of India. Later images show him wearing the insignia of the order [one such is a group portrait elsewhere in this category.  The distinctively small ruler, emphasised by the length of the ceremonial sword he holds, was born in1844 and ruled from 1860 to 1898. He wears a Maratha style ‘butterfly’ turban with jewelled sarpech and pendant pearls. Dhar was a 15 gun salute state bordering Gwalior, Ratlam, and Indore. sep11/1

These Indian royal cartes de visite are now hard to find in good condition.