Shamsher Sen of Mandi with a youth

In 1727, Shamsher Sen inherited the Pahari kingdom of Mandi. The artist has rendered him with an intense gaze directed at a man, possibly his lover, who greets him with respect. The ashes on his forehead and neck mark Shamsher Sen as a follower of the Hindu god Shiva. In his turban, alongside an array of flowers, he wears a whistle, announcing his participation in a religious order devoted to Shiva. The inscription in the lower border reads shri damyan, meaning “Honorable Minister,” since he ruled as a minister of the Hindu god Krishna. Pahari rulers often pledged loyalty to multiple divinities.