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Mughal emperors introduced their own style ofpainting with Persian inspirations and added newthemes, colours and forms. Court scenes weredepicted in grandeur. The background was usuallyhilly landscapes. Flowers and animals were alsovastly depicted and in these the Indian artists appliedtheir own skills to develop on the Persian ideas. TheMughal paintings are characterized by theirsubtleness and naturalism and often depict historicalevents or court life. Mir Sayyid Ali and AbdusSamad were the two great artists in the court ofHumayun (1530-1556 AD). These two artists alsoremained active during Akbar's reign and AbusSamad earned the nickname "Shirinqalam".

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A Mughal Painting by Abdus Samad

Akbar (1556-1605 AD) can be considered as the realfounder of the Mughal painting. Akbar had employedmore than hundred painters from different parts of thecountry and lavishly conferred honours on works of greatexcellence. He had special admiration for the work ofHindu artists, notably Daswanth and Basawan. Mughalpainting was a cooperative work in which numerousartists and craftsmen participated. Several noteworthyworks were completed during Akbar's period, whichinclude the illustrated stories of Hamza nama;illustrated Mahabharata called Razm-Nama and theillustrated Ramayana and Timur nama, Babur nama andAkbar-Nama. The Razm-Nama contained 169paintings and was completed in 1589 AD. The paintingsof the Akbar-Nama are unsurpassed for their meticulousfinish, their bold execution and their use of color.

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By the early 17th century, the Mughal painting hadcome under the western influence in such devices asthe use of light and shade to capture space andvolume, aerial perspective and the use ofatmospheric effects to indicate spatial recession. TheJessuit missions to Mughal courts resulted in thesynthesis of two diverse cultures. The fusionprofoundly influenced the Mughal art and constitutedone of the most flourishing of artistic exchanges.Akbar’s leading court artists – Kesu Das, Manohar,Basawan and Kesu Khurd—were fascinated by theChristian paintings and integrated these themes intheir own compositions. Basawan’s Madonna andchild Manohar’s Christ Slavator Mundi are one ofthe masterpieces of that period.

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Jahangir (1605 – 1627 AD) was the most enthusiasticpatron of the Mughal painting. The beauty of naturein the form of plants, animals and birds became animportant subject of the Mughal paintings duringJahangir’s time. Jahangir promoted calligraphywhich was considered to be the foremost art in theIslamic world. Portrait painting also came into vogueduring this period. Mansur, Abdul Hasan andBishandas were the great painters in the court ofJahangir. Jahangir has bestowed the title of Nadir-ul-Asr on Mansur. During this period, the influence ofwestern painting on the Mughal painters becamemore pronounced.

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Mughal painting of Emperor JahangirBy Manohar

Mughal painting of Emperor JahangirBy Abdul Hassan

One of the contributions was the use of aromabehind the heads of the Mughal emperors inpaintings. This practice, which was originallyadopted by the Mahayana Buddhist artists, wasextensively utilized in the Christian art of themiddle Ages which finally came to the Mughalcourts as a result of the interaction with the west.Jahangir’s reign was a period during whichIndian, Persian and European elementsunderwent a fusion and emerged into a distinctand novel style. Another important developmentof Jahangir’s time was the popularity of thealbums of paintings.

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Painting achieved a new delicacy and romanticflavour during the reign of Shah Jahan. Love,romance, portraits and durban scenes became thecommon themes. The artists portrayed the romancesof Laila-Majnu, Shirin-Farhad , Kamrup-Kamlata and Baz Bahadur-Rupmati. Elephantfights and men controlling mast elephants withfireworks and spears are also shown in a number ofpaintings. Another common theme with the Mughalartists from the last quarter of the 17th century andearly 18th century is that of a young lady standingunder a willow tree holding a branch. The chiefartists of Shah Jahan's period were MuhammadFaqirullah Khan, Mir Hashim, Muhammad Nadir,Bichitr, Chitarman, Anupchchatar, Manohar andHonhar.

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A Mughal Era Painting of Nilgai By Mansoor

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A Mughal Era Painting of ShahjahanBy Mir Hashim

A Mughal Era Painting of AurangzebBy Bichitra

Aurangazeb's indifference to painting compelledmainly a great artist to shift their bases to otherkingdoms in Punjab, Rajasthan and other parts of thecountry, precipitating a decline in the Mughalpainting. Bahadur Shah I (1707-1712 AD) tried torestore the court patronage of painting. Themagnificent work of painting, Shahjahan-nama,was produced during his period. Farruksiyar (1713-1718 AD) continued the royal patronage of paintingand so did Muhammad Shah Rangila (1719-1748AD). With the invasion of Nadir Shah in 1739 AD,the en masse exodus of artists from Delhi began andthe Mughal painting gradually went into oblivion.

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Medieval India: Satish Chandra Medieval India – The Study of a

Civilization: Irfan Habib Medieval India: K.L. Khurana Madhyakalin Bharat ka Itihaas:

Harishchandra Verma Rise and Fall of Mughal Empire: R.P.

Tripathi

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The End

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