
Their eyes looking pensively into the camera lens, these are the women of an Indian royal court.

Fascinating pictures shed light on the life of Maharaja Ram Singh II, who ruled in the famous pink city of Jaipur between 1835 and 1880.

A keen photographer, his portraits of the royal harem and their female supervisor, as well as the dignitaries and fakirs who made up his inner circle, give a stunning insight into the workings of the court.

Two members of the royal harem in Jaipur, where Maharaja Ram Singh II, a photography enthusiast, set about capturing the culture and costumes of his kingdom

A double portrait of a woman in the Maharaja's harem, pictured looking sternly into the camera

The royal meticulously photographed members of his court, including this woman, who was part of his harem

The costumes and culture of the city were captured in the Maharaja's images, which remained untouched for more than a century

They were taken between 1857 and 1865, and the collection of glass negatives were to remain untouched for more than a century.

Under the watchful eye of British photographer T. Murray, the Maharaja - who became known as the country's first Photographer Prince and who often used his four wives as subjects - developed his interest in the emerging art, and took intimate shots of the ornately-dressed people who surrounded him each day.

According to accounts of his life, he spent hours in his laboratory developing photographs and recording images which proved a treasure trove for historians.

The elderly woman on the left was a supervisor of the harem, of which the woman on the right was a member

Maharaja Ram Singh III, pictured in the royal palace in Jaipur between 1857 and 1865, was an avid photographer whose images give a fascinating insight into life in the Indian city

The Maharaja's collection includes portraits of a fakir (left) and one of his ministers (right)

A portrait of noteworthy men taken between 1857 and 1865 in the royal palace in Jaipur

The guard of Maharajah Ram Singh III, in the Royal Palace of Jaipur, pictured in 1858

The images were found in the Madho Nivas Wing of the City Palace in Jaipur, in Rajistan, in northern India.

A child when he ascended to the throne, he embraced modern amenities, and under his leadership the city became one of the most distinctive in the country.

He would often roam the streets incognito to observe how state officials were carrying out their work, and was recognised by the British Government, which added four guns to his salute an nominated him as a member of the Viceroy's Legislative Council.

During his reign new water works, gas works, museums and schools were built, and he devoted a lot of his time to capturing the costumes and culture of his people with his then state-of-the-art camera equipment.

The Maharaja's horse, pictured between 1857 and 1865, is among the images found in the Royal Palace in Jaipur

The Maharaja, an avid photographer, took portraits of noteworthy members of the royal court and visitors

A group portrait of noteworthy men and visitors, in the Royal Palace of Jaipur, India

The images were found in the Madho Nivas Wing of the City Palace in Jaipur, in Rajistan, in northern India