English: This 16th century portrait is taken from a historical account by the Dutch traveler and historian Jan Huyghen van Linschoten (1562-1611). In Western Europe, for many centuries, this portrait was one of the best known images of India. It shows the King of Cochin seated on his royal elephant attended by his Nair soldiers. Van Linschoten's images and accounts are still being used in many publications even after centuries. Hand coloring is done on the original copperplate engraving.

Van Linschoten's account on Nairs whom he call as "Nayros" is as fearsome soldiers, serving the King of Cochin and armed at all times, many with "muskets as fine as any in Europe and which they know well how to use so that the Portugals have no advantage against them." Regarding these Nairs, Van Linschoten, in his commentary for this image notes that "Not any of them are married, nor may not marrie during their lives but they may freely lie with the Nayros daughters, or with any other that liketh them what women soever they bee even though they be a married women. When the Nayro hath a desire thereunto, hee entereth into a house where he thinketh good, and setteth his armes in the streete without the doore, and goeth in and despatcheth his businesse with the good wife or the daughter, the doore standing wide open, not fearing any man or husband..."]