ishkhaas
a counterfactual project where britain’s first scotch (or ishka) distillery celebrates 200 years of mughal reign over the united kingdom by releasing 200 bottles of its special signature edition in honour of the nawab.
design fiction, brand identity & industrial/product design
flag of the bengal sultanate
the sultanate of bengal
in 1757 the nawab of bengal siraj-ud-daulah, killed his commander-in-general mir jafar on grounds of treason and defeated robert clive at the battle of plassey.
aided by the french, he sailed from india to england at the time of the seven years’ war. siraj-ud-daulah with the french forces led by doc de choiseul crossed the channel and overthrew the british army on land at the battle of the red water.
siraj-ud-daulah taking over southern england in 1759, marked the beginning of 200 years of glorious mughal rule. ishkhaas celebrates 200 years of royalty, with our special signature edition in honour of the nawab.
the nawab siraj-ud-daulah, under the new flag of the sultanate, signs the agreement and takes territorial control over united kingdom in 1762.
the nawab in his living room at the buckingham palace.
a mughal painting from the period.
construction site by the river thames for the first ishkhaas distillery after receiving the liquor license by appointment to the nawab, 1787.
hand blown glass bottle, adorned in the highest quality leather and muslin from kalkatta, bengal.
glass blowing trials for the ishkhaas bottle.