June 16 2026
Pink has been associated with North Indian royalty since the 1600s, because Persians had been playing with pink since 5th Century BC,There was much interaction between Persia and Ancient India, northwest India was literally part of the Persian empire in the 5th Century BC. [Most of these ancient territories are located within modern-day Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan].
During the 5th century BC, the Persians were considered the most important and dominant global superpower of the ancient world. “Around 475 BC, it ruled over roughly 44% of the entire human population“, which remains the highest percentage of the world’s population ever controlled by a single empire in human history. Of course their influence and their ways spread far and wide.
Ancient India was no slouch, they were considered the masters of textile manufacturing and fabric dyeing, most famous for mastering mordant dyeing, a technique that uses a mineral salt to chemically bind natural dyes to fabrics. Mordant comes from the Latin ‘Mordere’=to bite [into the material]
During the Mughal empire rule, pink was a main royal colour, seen as a light-red and therefore reminiscent of status, power and perhaps rubies, India’s most precious gemstone. Gemstones carry huge significance in Indian astrology, which is part of the culture. It is this ruby colour that lends its jewel hue to “Rani Pink”, the colour most associated with India.
The Mughals introduced Persian garden design (Charbagh) and botanical imagery to India. To them botany and art were a part of each other. They carefully studied the art in nature and covered their entire empire, from marble walls in Taj Mahal to clothing, in incredibly detailed illustrations of plants, trees and flowers, especially the Persian Rose.
In Persian culture, the rose, Gulaab, was not just a flower, but a metaphor for divine beauty, love, and imperial majesty. Because pink was the colour of the highly prized Persian Rose, it became synonymous with elite status and beauty. [This is a wonderful article about the Persian Rose and its history.]
The Mughals were deeply fascinated by botany, it wasn’t just about food and decor, but a mix of science, art and politics. The latter was about using their intellect to collect and discover plants and create enormous gardens that showcased their wealth.
And control of the land. Many of India’s architectural marvels resulted from Mughal ingenuity, which was supposedly done in conjunction with Indigenous Indian architectural mastery.
“During the 5th century BC, pink gained popularity in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran). The city of Shiraz became renowned for producing a particular shade of pink dye called Shiraz Pink. This was derived from a plant called Rubia which produced a soft and luxurious pink colour, which was widely used in textiles and decorative arts.”