File talk:Young Maharaja Ranjit Singh wearing red.jpg

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This is not Ranjit Singh but Yashwantrao Holkar

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The image here was added by an amateur instagram user from a viral circulation. This is Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar [1] of Indore, a Maratha chief. Ranjit Singh was always depicted with one eye owing to his disease. Requesting experienced admins to change the details of the page. DeccanFlood (talk) 06:38, 28 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

@DeccanFlood - Huh? It's Ranjit Singh in red as per the description given by the museum the painting is kept in (British Museum): https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1936-0411-0-1
Therefore, the identification is correct. MaplesyrupSushi (talk) 16:11, 28 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@DeccanFlood - Furthermore, Ranjit Singh was blind in his left eye, not his right eye (he is shown from the right-side in the depiction). Yashwantrao Holkar had an injured right eye from a matchlock incident, so the reasoning you used does not make sense and actually confirms the original identification. MaplesyrupSushi (talk) 16:16, 28 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
@DeccanFlood - Finally, the original painting was inscribed with identifying inscriptions in Perso-Arabic script, this figure has "رنجيت سنڲ" written under them (not shown in this cropped version), which means "Ranjit Singh". So it's 100% Ranjit Singh in red, not Holkar. MaplesyrupSushi (talk) 16:21, 28 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

This should still be confirmed by an expert admin by referring to any catalogue or art historian's commentary. Paintings always showcase the main patron as a figure larger in size (Rajasthani, Pahari, Deccani, any style). It is extremely unlikely for a Sikh court commissioned painting to have Yashwantrao as a bigger figure. There is no precedent for such anomaly. The original painting does show this label but there is still a need for reconfirmation. The painting shows Yashwantrao not only as the larger figure, but also accompanied by a whisk-holder (who is not present for the Sikh Emperor himself!), which would imply the Holkars are given dignity of a higher status guest (as per your interpretation) than the host himself. No contemporary literature suggests that Ranjit Singh held Yashwantrao in such high regard.DeccanFlood (talk) 20:10, 28 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

@DeccanFlood - Feel free to ping an admin. Nobody claimed this painting was commissioned by a Sikh court. And no, it is not my interpretation alone that identifies this as Ranjit Singh, but also the British Museum and the fact there is literally an inscription on the painting that identifies the figure is Ranjit Singh. I follow what the sources say, I don't do original research (as per Wikipedia's rules). As for the arguments laid out by you, art is ultimately an artist's individual impression or imagination, it may or may not correctly follow everything historically to the T. MaplesyrupSushi (talk) 20:16, 28 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
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