One of a pair of facing portraits of Fath Ali Shah and his predecessor, Agha Muhammad Khan, signed by the Persian artist Mirza Baba on ff.12v-13r of the Divan-i Khaqan (RCIN 1005020) a manuscript sent from Fath Ali Shah to George VI when Prince Regent. The sitters names are written in thuluth script high up in the paintings (Fath Ali Shah’s on the top right wall panel) whereas Mirza Baba signed his name in the less noble shikastah script on the floor of both works.
Fath Ali Shah is labelled ‘al-Sultan Fath Ali Shah Qajar’ and the accompanying text reads:
(above painting)
The rule of that all-powerful emperor / Commands destiny and fate.
His servants, like Toghral and Sanjar*** / Are each the Khusraw* of their time.
(below painting):
Before his humblest companion, a hundred Khans / Are like smoke during battle.
The pillar of his palace and the height of his glory / Are on top of the seventh heaven.’

*** Persian kings

Fath Ali Shah kneels on a pearl-fringed rug on terrace of the Golestan Palace in Tehran and holds the imperial mace. A twisted pillar appears along the inner frame of both paintings: half height for Agha Muhammad Khan and filling the full right edge of the portrait of Fath Ali Shah. This is both a reference to the ‘pillar of the palace’ that links heaven and earth, mentioned in the accompanying text, and suggests they are sitting at a specific location in the Golestan Palace – the porch of the Divan-Khanah, built in 1802-3 for Fath Ali Shah’s Spring Coronation, with twisted columns and marble dados overlooking the palace gardens.

Both figures are depicted in coronation regalia. Neither the Safavid nor Zand rulers wore crowns and the Qajar royal regalia, like their use of ancient titles, signified a new style of rule that harked back to ancient Persian magnificence. Fath Ali Shah’s dress comprises the tall, jewel encrusted Kiyani crown flumed with black heron feathers, still in the royal collection in Tehran, as well as a display of rubies and emeralds, and pearls and diamonds on his robe, armbands, belt, dagger and sword. Beside him are a jewelled dish and wine flask, also still in the royal collection in Tehran. Like in the portrait of Agha Muhammad Khan, Mirza Baba depicts Fath Ali Shah wearing the two famous diamonds, the Koh-i-nûr (mountain of light) and darya-i nur (sea of light), on his arm bands, both trophies of Nadir Shah’s conquest of Delhi in 1739 and taken by Aga Muhammad Shah from Nadir Shah’s successors.

John Malcolm, who met the Fath Ali Shah in 1800, described him as “above the middle size, his age little more than thirty, his complexion rather fair, his features regular and fine, with an expression denoting quickness and intelligence.” His royal dress, “covered with jewels of extraordinary size” with the rays of the sun playing upon them, “baffled all descriptions” (Malcolm, 1845, p. 210; Hollingbery, pp. 77-87).