Arabic Calligraphy in India

8/10/2019 Arabic Calligraphy in India

1/5

T

R BIC

C LLIGR PHY

IN INDI


2/5

Origin of the

rabic Script

It was

yd

and

4th

Century A.D. when the Arabic script

started taking a definite shape. Its basic letters of alphabet

were like some of their other Semitic counterparts, consist

of consonants. Its script was derived from the Nabataean

script which itself had been derived from Aramaic script.

It is written from right to left quite different from other

scripts.

Foliated Kufi and bold Naskh.from Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpda, Ajmer.

Arabic, Persian and Urdu languages are written in Arabic

script.The people of Persia, when embraced Islam,

adopted the Arabic script for writing Persian language

which was earlier being written in Pahlavi script.

The most important factor in the evolution of the art

of Islamic calligraphy is the prohibition on depiction of

human or living beings in the tenets of Islam. So as a

result all the efforts of graphic artists and calligraphers

were diverted to make written words so beautiful that

they become capable to adorn their facades and interiors

of buildings,

mihrabs,

portals, cover and pages of books,

epitaphs, wall-hangings etc. in this way the Arabic script

started developing

its own art of

calligraphy.

Earliest Arabic epitaph in Kufi dated age

471

1078A.D.) from Baliapatam, Kerala.

I

There are seven

major styles of

Islamic calligraphy,

among many

other varieties and

regional innovations

made in it over the

centuries, namely

Specimen of boldN askh of Klwlji period from Mehrauii, New Delhi.

Kufi,Naskh, Thulth, Muhahhaq, Riqa,Diwani and Nastaliq.

Epigraphs are the most authentic and imperishable source

of history. Epigraphs also record the evolution of history

of development of the art of calligraphy. The calligraphy

has been done on paper, coins, seals, metal objects, copper

plates, arm and armours etc.

Islamic Calligraphy in India

After the advent of Islam this art of calligraphy has gone

a long way from west Asian

Central Asian countries to

Indian sub-continent, to achieve the status of such an art

that without its mention the cultural history of medieval

India will be considered as incomplete.

Indo- Islamic architecture, royal stationary, royal orders

Varmdns ,

coins, seals,wall hangings

was/is ,

fabrics, books

in manuscript form) etc. were evidently influenced by this

art.

When Muslim rule was established in India in

12th

century

A.D., the building activities, along with socio-cultural

institutions started taking shape on this soil and thus

started a process of innovation and blending experiments in

respect of art of calligraphy.And thus India of the period of

Muslim rule could claim possession of some of the marvels

of calligraphy in the world.

Another specimen of calligmphy of Bengal Sultans time in Bow and Arrow ,


3/5


4/5

I

Bengal Style

The calligraphers from the court of Bengal Sultans were

so innovative that they gave a new dimension to Thulth

style and created their own variety which very well found

in the epigraphs of Bengal. The vertical strokes in this

variety are arranged in such a way that they resemble

the stems of coconut trees, a regional factor. The art

historians have designated it as Bow and Arrow style or

moving swans/boats against a backdrop of coconut trees

on the coast.

Elegant Nastaliq on the black throne of Mughal Emperor Jahangir

kept at Agm Fort.

Nasta liq

By the start of the 16

th

century the world of art saw a

very delicate cursive style called Nasta liq. It was Khwaja

Mir Ali Tabrizi (d.1416) who for the first time designed

a new style of calligraphy by masterfully blending Naskh

and Taliq together;his able disciples who practiced and

propagated the Nastaliq style produced such a large

number of followers who contributed a great service

to the field of Nastaliq calligraphy during the time of

Safawids.

Islamic Calligraphy in India is greatly influenced by the

Safawid calligraphers ofIran.

Leaving one or two examples, Nasta liq was introduced

I

Nastaliq caUigmphy with floral backgroundfrom thefacade of

Jamaat Khanna in Jami Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri.

and popularized by Great

Mughals in India. Mughals

preferred Nastaliq for writing

any thing, except Quranic verses.

Farmans,

epigraphs, coins, seals,

potteries, arms, manuscripts, etc.

were inscribed in Nastaliq.

Inscriptions on the Black

throne of Agra Fort, Epitaphs

of Khusrau Bagh, Allahabad

(Jahangirs period) Sarai Azam

Khan, Ahmedabad (Shah

]ahan s period) and Safdar lung s

tomb (later Mughal s period)

are the excellent specimen of

Nasta liq style.

Ornamented wasli injine

Nastaliq being the example of

calligmphy on paper.

Thghra

Taghara

means bird in Arabic and the

word Tughra is derived from this very

word. Tughra is a form of calligraphy

in which the names of Allah,

Quranic verses, king s name, emblem

of government etc. are written in bird

or animal form or beautiful geometric

arrangement. The Ottoman Sultans

Tuqhra in pears shape.

of Turkey used this form to write

their names and titles on the royal orders, documents,

stationery etc. In India also this tradition was adopted by

nearly all Muslim rulers.

Tughra is not a separate style as such. Kufi, Naskh, Thulth,

Nasta liq etc. can be arranged in geometric designs, bird /

animal or floral forms to be called Tughra. It is generally

found in medallions, arms, flags, guns, coins, seals and royal

orders

lfarmans.

Some time a mirror effect is also created

with the true and retrograde image written face-to-face.

The retrograde calligraphy is much useful in engraving seals

and dies of coins.

Calligraphy in

Manuscripts

The art of Islamic Calligraphy is not limited to the stone


5/5

writings only.We get beautiful specimen of calligraphy in

the manuscripts of holy Quran, hand written books, poetic

collections, history chronicles, waslis wall hangings),

farmans etc. These specimen are written not only in black

ink on white hand-made paper but folia of opening pages

of these books, specially of the holy Quran, are highly

decorated with gold ornamentation and colour adorning.

Calligraphy on Coins

The other area which is highly influenced by the art of

Islamic calligraphy is the medieval coinage.

The Mughal Emperors added a new chapter in the medieval

coinage by producing coins with elegant calligraphy on

them. Specially the coins issued by Akbar, Jahangir and

Shahjahan are considered the most beautiful coins of the

world only because of their calligraphy and layout.

The Epigraphy Branch at Nagpur in fact deals with Arabic

and Persian inscriptions. The medieval coins are also

examined in this office.

The epigraphs copied m

Annual Report on

and historically

epigraphs are

photo plates

journal

Indica- Arabic

Supplement

a year are noticed in the

Indian Epigraphy

important

published with

in the research

Epigraphia

and Persian

EIAPS .

Coin of Nawwab Usman Ali Khan the VII Nizam of Hydrabad.

Documents

Arabic Calligraphy in India