Succession to the Mughal throne depended on being either the favorite or the strongest among the emperor's sons. Akbar II did not favour his eldest son, but preferred first Mirza Jahangir {died 1821} and then Mirza Salim (born 1799). He endeavored to have the British recognize them as heir-apparent. This portrait and the adjacent one of Akbar II treats the emperor and his son as equals. It was given to Lord Amherst as part of the official campaign to have Salim recognized as heir-apparent. In fact, the eldest son succeeded in 1837 as Bahadur Shah II.

Mughal Library