Detail of page from the songbook of Sophia Elizabeth Plowden, with lyrics of Rekhtah ghazal by Asaf al-Dawlah, Nawab of Avadh. Punjabi tappah, ink, opaque watercolours, and gold on paper, Lucknow, India, 1787-88. © Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge
A Mughal Songbook: Art, Music and Empire
Tue 8 September - Sun 7 March 2027
Fitzwilliam Museum
This display reveals the treasure of the Plowden songbook, a rare manuscript of 77 songs in Persian, Urdu, Classical Hindi and Punjabi, brought to life through detailed illustrations of musicians, dancers, singers and courtesans.
Cost: Free
Timing
In person
10:00am-5:00pm Tuesday-Saturday every week from Tuesday 8 September until Wednesday 23 December
10:00am-5:00pm Tuesday-Wednesday every week from Monday 28 December until Tuesday 29 December
12:00pm-5:00pm Sunday every week from Tuesday 8 September until Sunday 7 March 2027
10:00am-5:00pm Tuesday-Saturday every week from Saturday 2 January 2027 until Sunday 7 March 2027
All times
| Tue 8 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 9 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 10 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 11 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 12 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 13 September | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 15 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 16 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 17 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 18 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 19 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 20 September | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 22 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 23 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 24 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 25 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 26 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 27 September | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 29 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 30 September | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 1 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 2 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 3 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 4 October | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 6 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| TodayWed 7 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 8 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 9 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 10 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 11 October | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 13 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 14 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 15 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 16 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 17 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 18 October | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 20 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 21 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 22 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 23 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 24 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 25 October | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 27 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 28 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 29 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 30 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 31 October | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 1 November | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 3 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 4 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 5 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 6 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 7 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 8 November | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 10 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 11 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 12 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 13 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 14 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 15 November | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 17 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 18 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 19 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 20 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 21 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 22 November | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 24 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 25 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 26 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 27 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 28 November | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 29 November | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 1 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 2 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 3 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 4 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 5 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 6 December | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 8 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 9 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 10 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 11 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 12 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 13 December | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 15 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 16 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 17 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 18 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 19 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 20 December | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 22 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 23 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 27 December | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 29 December | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 2 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 3 January 2027 | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 5 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 6 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 7 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 8 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 9 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 10 January 2027 | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 12 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 13 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 14 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 15 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 16 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 17 January 2027 | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 19 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 20 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 21 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 22 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 23 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 24 January 2027 | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 26 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 27 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 28 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 29 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 30 January 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 31 January 2027 | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 2 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 3 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 4 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 5 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 6 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 7 February 2027 | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 9 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 10 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 11 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 12 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 13 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 14 February 2027 | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 16 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 17 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 18 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 19 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 20 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 21 February 2027 | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 23 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 24 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 25 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 26 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 27 February 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 28 February 2027 | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |
| Tue 2 March 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Wed 3 March 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Thu 4 March 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Fri 5 March 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sat 6 March 2027 | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Sun 7 March 2027 | 12:00PM - 5:00PM |