It was published in Allen’s Indian Mail and Official Gazette London, on March 25, 1876, that “it is said that Sindia (Scindia) has just given a lakh of rupees—nominally €10,000—to the architect—we believe, an Italian—who built the palace… Signor Filose is said to be a younger member of the Filose family, descended from Jean Baptiste, and still retaining its pure European descent. This family has, during four or five generations, furnished faithful servants to the Gwalior Princes. The present Signor Filose was sent to Europe to study, since when he has been employed on all manner of duties, having no connection with his particular art."

Between Mughals and the Medicis

The palace referred to above is the magnificent Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior, India, a fine specimen of European architecture and art in the heart of India. This palace complex was designed and built by Michael Filose after returning from a study tour in Europe. Michael was addressed as “Mukhel Sahib" by Indians, and his grandfather and namesake, Michael Filose, a military commander in Scindia’s army, had committed suicide to prove his loyalty to Maharaja Daulatrao Scindia.

About Mukhel Sahib, founding member of the present ruling party in India, the BJP, and a prominent member of the Scindia family, Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia, and historian Manohar Malgaonkar wrote, “He was the descendant of Jean Baptiste (possibly Giovanni, who changed his name to adapt to the French milieu of the Scindias’ army), an Italian gentleman who had taken service under Mahadji Scindia as an officer of the kampoos, and who in Daulatrao’s time had become one of the principal supporters of the regime. As such, it was perhaps natural that Mukhel Sahib should have derived his inspiration mainly from Europe. Nonetheless, the structure he put up shows evidence of an earnest desire to synthesise the style of the Mughals with that of the Medicis."

The Italian “Nabobs"

The Filose family loyally served the Maratha Scindias for several generations as noblemen known within the Maratha administration as “Sardars," who had significant power in the Scindia kingdom. When the last Filose........

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