The oldest civilisation of the Indian Sub-Continent (2,300-1,700 BC) was in the Indus Valley at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, both now in Pakistan. This was a highly developed civilisation but unlike the contemporary Egyptian and Sumerian civilisations with whom they traded, there was no interest in monumental buildings and so the ruins of the cities, which can still be seen today, show mainly dwellings and shops. Several small stone, terracotta or bronze sculptures have been found from this period; the bronzes are mostly badly corroded but there is a well preserved small bronze statue of a dancing girl.

In 1550 BC the Aryans from central Europe overran the Indus Valley. They brought with them their Vedic gods, scriptures and myths which had a major influence on the development of the Hindu religion, and probably on the establishment of the caste system. Hinduism has a fundamental belief in the transmigration or passing of the soul from one existence to another (samsara), influenced by past actions (karma). Over the centuries it emerged as a mono-theistic pantheon in which the Absolute (god) is worshipped through three major deities, Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. An equilibrium between the opposing forces of Brahma the "Creator" and Shiva, when acting as "Destroyer", is maintained by Vishnu the "Preserver". Early Hinduism centred on Brahma (who gave his name to the Brahmin priests). Later, the two other deities became more important, Vishnu becoming predominant in the north and Shiva in the south. Vishnu has ten personifications (avatars), one of which is the young god Krishna, who became a popular subject in paintings; another is Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic the Ramayana.

In the 6th century BC two great reformers were born in India, the Hindu Prince Siddartha, who was to become Buddha (the "Enlightened"), and Prince Mahavir who was later to be called Jina (the "Victor") and was the founder of the Jain religion. Each retained the belief in reincarnation but objected to the caste system and the excesses of the Brahmin priests. Each led the life of a simple mendicant, preaching that individuals should seek their own salvation. However, whereas Buddha developed a "middle way" for ordinary people and attracted many followers, the Jain religion became an extremely strict one that was very difficult to adhere to and was much less popular. But many Jains were wealthy businessmen who sponsored some of India’s most important art. In particular, the recording of their scriptures in illustrated palm-leafed books from the 1st century AD, and their first paintings on paper in the 14th century, made a major contribution to the development of Indian art.

The first monuments of Buddhist art were built in the 3rd century BC by the emperor Ashoka (274-237 BC) who had been converted to Buddhism. Throughout his empire he erected stone columns inscribed with edicts, and he also built the first Stupa, or reliquary, at Sanchi. Further south, the Andhra dynasty was later to build the famous Stupa at Amaravati (c. 140 AD).

During the Kushan dynasty of the 1st century AD, Buddhists divided into two groups. One, the Hinayana Buddhists, continued the orthodox teaching of Buddha, which was more a philosophy than a religion. The other, the Mahayana Buddhists, regarded Buddha as a god and felt the need for an image to worship. This second group was responsible for the first free-standing statues of Buddha, created in the 2nd century at Gandhara (in the Pakistan/Afghanistan region) and at Mathura (south of Delhi).

During the Gupta dynasty, 320-650, Indian art reached a high point in what became known as the classical age,. The image of Buddha that developed during the Gupta period has become the best known and has been adopted world-wide. The earliest paintings remaining today are from the Gupta period. These are the frescos found in Buddhist caves at Ajanta where the ceilings and walls are covered with illustrations from the jakata (the lives of the Buddha). Later both the Hindus and Jains used this fresco technique to decorate their temples..

From the Gupta period onwards, sculptures and paintings are found from all three religions, Hindu, Buddhist and Jain. The great stone-carved Hindu temples built in the medieval period, mainly by the Pallava dynasty (600-800), are famous for their sculptures, but they also contained wall paintings and textile wall hangings on religious themes. Cast bronze statues were common, the most magnificent being from the 12th century during the Hindu Chola dynasty of South India (850-1300).

Muslim invasions of India began in the late 10th century. Threatened by this spread of Islam, the Pala Buddhist monks in Bihar and Bengal in north-east India fled into the hills of Nepal and Tibet. From then on, Buddhist statues and paintings reflected some of the earlier religious beliefs of those areas as well the esoteric, or Tantric, ideas that were developing at that time. The most famous Muslim dynasty was that of the Great Mughals who ruled in Delhi and Agra from 1526-1707 and were great patrons of the arts. Painting flourished under Akbar, the third of the Great Mughals (1556-1603). In his court two Persian painters trained local Hindu artists, so that a unified style developed combining the sensitive elegance of Persian painting with the vibrant colours and lively action of the Indian style. From then on paintings reflect both Persian and already-established Indian styles, and are termed Indo-Islamic. Whereas Akbar sponsored illustrated books, it was his son Jahangir (1605-1627) who took painting to its highest level, encouraging portraits and animal pictures as well as court scenes. Akbar’s grandson, Shah Jahan (1627-1658), had a passion for architecture, his finest building being the Taj Mahal.

Western influence began from 1498 when Vasco da Gama arrived in Goa on the west coast of India. By the time the British East India Company was given its charter in 1603, the Dutch and French were gradually settling too. All these western countries had some influence on local art styles right up to the time of Indian Independence in 1947.

In the 8th century AD the Rajputs moved into India from central Asia, settled in the north west and integrated with the Hindu caste system. The term Rajput simply means "son of Raja (King)". Rajputs were famous fighters and maintained their Hindu courts unconquered for centuries. Rajput court paintings originated from the Jain illustrated manuscripts but each Rajput kingdom developed its own painting style. The original Rajasthani art was religious, but over time Mughal influence became increasingly evident so court scenes, historoes and hunting scenes became popular.

From the early 16th century, painting was adopted as a court hobby and although the Mughal concept of realistic art was gradually introduced into their pictures the Rajputs still incorporated traditional symbols, poetic metaphor, and hidden meanings. They began to paint portraits, often equestrian ones, but they were warmer and less formal than the Mughal style. Often the theme was imaginary, rather than the historical themes of the Mughals. The colours were still flat and bold and the figures continued to be stiff and stylised, sometimes still showing the projecting eyes inherited from Jain manuscripts. Paintings often depicted the popular Hindu god Krishna and his consort Radha. Or they sometimes illustrated musical modes (Ragas) in paintings known as Ragamala ( meaning "garland of melodies") which were popular in the 17th century. Ragamalas often show the influence of Mughal art with increased realism, attention to detail, and quiet atmosphere, but with the simple lines of clouds and flat backround colour of Indian style.

During the 17th century there was constant experimentation between realism and imaginary subjects, formality and spontaneity, elaborate detail and direct simplicity, shaded modelling and flat patterns. These contrasting styles make the paintings lively and full of interesting detail. Portraits, court scenes and hunting scenes were common .

Rajasthani schools represented in the Sainsbury Collection are: Ajmer, Bundi, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kotah, Mathura, Mewar, Nathhdwara and Raghogarh.