Lala Deen Dayal
Indian photographer and court photographer to the Nizam of Hyderabad.
via Wikipedia: Emina Jahović · see source
Raja Lala Deen Dayal (c. 1844 – 1905), also known early in his career as Din Dyal or Diyal, was an Indian photographer. He was born into a family of jewellers in Sardhana, Uttar Pradesh, near Meerut. In 1866, he received technical training as an engineer in the lower subordinate class at Thomason College of Civil Engineering in Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee). That same year, he entered government service as a head estimator and draughtsman in the Department of Works Secretariat Office in Indore, where he also began practicing photography.
His first patron was Maharaja Tukoji Rao II of Indore, who introduced him to Sir Henry Daly, the agent to the Governor General for Central India. Both men encouraged his work, and the Maharaja urged him to establish a studio in Indore. Dayal soon received commissions from Indian maharajas and British officials. In 1868, he founded his studio, Lala Deen Dayal & Sons, and was commissioned to photograph temples and palaces across India. He later set up additional studios in Secunderabad (1886) and Bombay (1896). During 1875–76, he photographed the Royal Tour of the Prince and Princess of Wales. In the early 1880s, he travelled with Sir Lepel Griffin through Bundelkhand, photographing ancient architecture; this resulted in a portfolio of 86 images titled "Famous Monuments of Central India."
Dayal left government service the following year to focus on professional photography. In 1885, he became court photographer to the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, Mahbub Ali Khan, Asif Jah VI, and was also appointed photographer to the Viceroy of India. The Nizam awarded him the title Raja Bahadur Musavvir Jung Bahadur and later the honorary title of Raja. He received a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria in 1897. In 1905–1906, he accompanied the Royal Tour of the Prince and Princess of Wales. His legacy includes a collection of 2,857 glass plate negatives acquired by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in 1989, with further holdings at the Peabody Essex Museum and the Alkazi collection. A commemorative stamp honouring him was released in 2006.
- field
- Photography
- nationality
- Indian
- known_for
- Court photographer to the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad; photographer to the Viceroy
Lore & Background
Raja Lala Deen Dayal was an Indian photographer whose career spanned the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born in Sardhana, Uttar Pradesh, near Meerut, into a family of jewellers. After receiving technical training as an engineer at Thomason College of Civil Engineering at Roorkee, he entered government service as a head estimator and draughtsman in Indore. His first patron was the Maharaja of Indore, who introduced him to the Agent to the Governor General for Central India, further encouraging his photographic work. Dayal founded his studio, Lala Deen Dayal & Sons, and established studios in Indore, Secunderabad, and Bombay. He became the court photographer to the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, who awarded him the title Raja Bahadur Musavvir Jung Bahadur, and was also appointed photographer to the Viceroy of India. He received a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria in 1897. Dayal’s work included photographing the Royal Tour of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and he travelled through Bundelkhand with Sir Lepel Griffin to photograph ancient architecture, producing a portfolio of 86 images titled "Famous Monuments of Central India." His defining characteristics include his pioneering role as an Indian photographer working for both princely states and the British Raj, and his extensive documentation of Indian architecture, royalty, and historical events.
Reader's Guide
Deen Dayal’s significance rests on his role as a pioneering Indian photographer who systematically documented the architecture, royalty, and public events of late 19th-century India. His career began in the mid-1870s as a commissioned photographer, and he eventually established studios in Indore, Secunderabad, and Bombay. He became court photographer to the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, who awarded him the title Raja Bahadur Musavvir Jung Bahadur, and was also appointed photographer to the Viceroy of India. In 1897, he received a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria. His work included photographing the Royal Tour of the Prince and Princess of Wales in the mid-1870s and again in the early 1900s. He traveled through Bundelkhand with Sir Lepel Griffin, producing a portfolio of 86 archaeological photographs titled “Famous Monuments of Central India.” His studio’s collection of glass plate negatives, now held by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, forms the largest repository of his work. A retrospective exhibition of his photographs was held in 2010, and a commemorative stamp was issued in his honor in 2006.
Did You Know?
- The Nizam of Hyderabad conferred the honorary title of Raja upon him.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lala Deen Dayal?
Lala Deen Dayal (c. 1844–1905) was a 19th-century Indian photographer born in Sardhana, near Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. He is best remembered for serving as the official court photographer to the Nizam of Hyderabad and later to the Viceroy of India.
What was Lala Deen Dayal's main role in Indian photography history?
He rose from a commissioned photographer in the mid-1870s to become the personal photographer for the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, Mahbub Ali Khan (Asif Jah VI). In 1885 he was further appointed as the official photographer to the Viceroy of India, making him one of the most prominent image-makers serving the colonial and princely establishments.
What honors and titles did Lala Deen Dayal receive?
The Nizam awarded him the honorific title Raja Bahadur Musavvir Jung Bahadur in recognition of his court service. In 1897, Queen Victoria granted him a Royal Warrant, formally recognizing his position as a photographer to the British Crown in India.
Where did Lala Deen Dayal operate his studios?
He established photographic studios in three major Indian cities: Indore, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. These locations allowed him to serve both the princely courts and the broader colonial administrative apparatus across the subcontinent.
Why is Lala Deen Dayal considered important in the history of photography in South Asia?
He was among the first Indian photographers to hold simultaneous official positions with both a princely ruler and the British Viceroy, bridging two major power structures of the era. His Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria in 1897 marked a rare instance of an Indian image-maker receiving direct royal recognition from the British Crown.
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