UNIT : 2 – The Mughal School of Miniature Painting

Mughal painting is a unique form of miniature art that originated in the northern Indian subcontinent during the 16th century and thrived until the mid-19th century. Renowned for its intricate details, refined techniques, and a wide range of themes, it played a vital role in the development of Indian painting traditions. Drawing inspiration from Persian, Indian, and European styles, Mughal paintings vividly portray courtly life, historical events, and mythology with exceptional accuracy.

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The Mughal emperors were significant patrons of the arts, promoting painting, calligraphy, and book illustration. Their royal workshops fostered artists, resulting in a distinctive artistic heritage. To truly appreciate Mughal painting, one must understand the political and cultural context of the Mughal dynasty, as their reign greatly shaped its progression. This blog delves into its origins, characteristics, and influence on Indian art.

Origin And Development

Mughal painting, a style of miniature painting that emerged in the northern Indian subcontinent in the 16th century and continued until the mid-19th century, was characterized by its sophisticated techniques and diverse subjects. It amalgamated indigenous, Persian, and European themes, resulting in a sophisticated blend of Islamic, Hindu, and European visual culture and aesthetics. The Mughal school of miniature painting, a new style developed by the Mughals, combined Rajasthani and Persian styles, with general ornamentation and border decoration influenced by Persian style. The Mughal patrons contributed to the style’s growth, with their artistic preferences, subject choices, philosophies, and aesthetic sensibilities.

Babur (1526)
Humayun (1530 -1555)
Akbar (1556 – 1605)
Jahangir (1605 – 1627)
Shah – Jahan (1627 – 1658)
Aurangzeb (1658 – 1707)

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Miniature Painting Under Babur

In 1526, Babur, the first Mughal emperor, came from present day Uzbekistan and was a descendent of Emperor Timur and Chatghtai Turk. With this, he blended the cultural background and aesthetic sensibilities of Persia and Central Asia.

Babur’s detailed accounts in Baburnama, his autobiography, are narratives of the emperor’s political carrier and artistic passion. Baburnama reflects the love and fondness that Babur had as an outsider for the Indian land and ecology. He had great interest in art. He has mentioned the name of great Persian artist Bihizad in his autobiography Baburnama.

Babur was died in 1538 A.D.

Miniature Painting Under Humayun

Babur was succeeded by his son Humayun in 1530, , Humayun established his court in Kabul in 1545. Babur’s son Humayun brought two great Persian artist Mir Syed Ali and Khwaja Abdus Samad to his royal court. He established a court studio under the guidance of these two Persian artists. He founded the Nigaar Khana (painting workshop), which was also a part of his library.

He started project of illustration of Hamza Nama. Open air painting with trees and blossoms, and royal merrymaking, which depicts the ancestral members of the Mughal dynasty were followed after Humayun. The format, theme, figures and colour palette are remarkably Persian.

He was died in 1555 A.D.

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Miniature Painting Under Akbar

Akbar (1556-1605) was the successor of Humayun. He established the court studio started by Humayun. More than two hundred painters both from Muslim and Hindu community were work in the instruction of Mira Syed Ali and Khwaja Abdus Samad in the first Mughal atelier.

The projects Akbar took first are the Hamza-Nama (started by his father, The painted folios of Hamza Nama are scattered all over the world and housed in various collections. It is recorded to have consisted of 14 volumes with 1400 illustrations and took nearly 15 years to be completed) , Tarikh-e-khandan- E-Timuriyah and completed the Babur-Nama.

Akbar Nama, an extraordinary manuscript, containing a detailed account of Akbar’s political and personal life, was one of the most expensive projects undertaken by Akbar.

He also translated the great Indian epics Harivamsam, Ramayana, Mahabharata( known as “Razm Nama”) and Panchatantra in Persian language.

Govardhan, Miskin, Ramdas, Jagnath were some of the well known painters of Akbar’s atelier.

Miniature Painting Under Jahangir

Jahangir (1605-1627) was the successor of Akbar. He was the great lover of art and nature. The Mughal miniature reached a high level of excellence in the period of Jahangir. Jahangir period is known as the golden period of Mughal miniature painting.

Prince Salim came to be known as Jahangir—the World Seizer once he acquired the Mughal throne after his return from Allahabad. Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri , the memoirs of Jahangir, tells about his great interest in arts and his efforts of achieving scientific correctness in the rendering flora and fauna that interested the Emperor the most.

The war scenes, portraits, narrative and storytelling prevalent in Akbar’s style were overtaken by minute details and refined rendering of lavish court scenes, aristocracy, royal personalities, as well as, character traits, and distinctiveness of flora and fauna .

Portrait painting become very popular during his period. Famous painter of Jahangir court were Ustad Mansur and Abul Hasen. “Jahangir in Darbar’’ from Jahangir Nama, attributed to Abul Hasan and Manohar (1620) is an excellent painting.

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Miniature Painting Under Shah – Jahan

The son of Jahangir, Prince Khurram, succeeded the throne of Delhi by the name Shah Jahan (1628–1658).

Jahan encouraged the artists in the atelier to create magnificent works that were a blend of imagination and documentation. Idealization and great stylization were preferred over naturalistic rendering and accurate depiction.

Padshahnama (The Chronicles of the King) is one of the most exuberant painting projects undertaken by his court atelier and reflects the extraordinary manuscript that presents the height that Indian miniature painting achieved.

Shah-Jahan had a great passion for architecture . Some of world’s renowned architecture and monuments commissioned by him. The Taj Mahal in Agra, Jama Masjid and Red Fort in Delhi, Salimar Garden of Lahore and he renovated the Lahore fort.

The court studio continued to produce an excellent and refined miniature paintings during Shah-Jahan period. Ustad Faqirullah Khan is one of the well-known painter of Shah- Jahan’s atelier.

Decline Of Mughal Miniature Painting – During The Reign Of Aurangzeb

The Mughal school of miniature painting came to stop because of the supremacy of Aurangzeb the successor of Shah-Jahan . As he was a fanatic Muslim, so no fine art could find a place in his royal court. Finally the glorious period of Mughal miniature come to an end in early 18th century A.D.

The Main Features Of Mughal Miniature Painting

Mughal miniature painting is a mixture of Rajasthani and Persian style of painting under Mughals.
It was an Indian style but general ornamentation and border decoration was a Persian style.
Persian calligraphy was vividly written on these paintings.
Portrait painting of individuals and in group is become more popular during Mughal period.
Composing crowded scene including too many forms and figure are an important feature of Mughal miniature painting.
Use of mixing colour along with golden and silver colour is also another important characteristic.
Mughal miniature painting is male dominated in character because of the Pardah system, so the female figures are very less painted in Mughal paintings.
Drawing of birds and animals with detailed realism and rendered with proportion of their anatomy and movement are beautifully shown.
Mughal miniature painting is very realistic in nature and depiction of prospective is another important characteristic.
Mughal miniature painting is secular in nature which connect Hinduism, Christianity along with Islam.

Paintings

KRISHNA LIFTS MOUNT GOVARDHAN

Artist– Miskin
School – Mughal School
Sub school– Akbar School
Medium – Watercolour on paper
Technique– Tempera

Description-
This painting is based on the theme of Bhagwat Puran. In this early painting from Akbar’s atelier is shown Krishna is lifting mount Govardhan in his left hand to save the people of Gokul from the anger of rain god Indra.

This vertical painting is covered with a huge mountain around flora and fauna as dear, monkey, trees and green grasses are painted beautifully on the rocky mountain. Below of the mountain all folks of Brij are gathered along with their cattle.

Blue is the dominant colour of this painting. Lord Krishna is painted in large sized, dressed in pitambar and a large garland of white flowers is on his neck. He is standing in tri-band posture. Krishna is lifting the huge mountain effortlessly.

Collection- Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, U.S.A.

S. No	Topic	Link
1	The Rajasthani Schools of Painting	Click Here
2	The Pahari Schools of Painting	Click Here
3	The Mughal School of Miniature Painting	Click Here
4	The Deccan Schools of Painting	Click Here
5	The Bengal School of Painting	Click Here
6	The Modern Trends in Indian Art	Click Here

FALCON ON A BIRD – REST

Artist – Ustad Mansur
School – Mughal School
Sub school – Jahangir School
Medium -Watercolour on paper
Technique – Tempera

Description-
Jahangir was a keen falconer and treasured fine specimens of falcon brought from different places. A superb falcon was gifted to him by Shah Abbas emperor of Persia. The falcon was killed by a cat and Jahangir asked to his best painter Ustad Mansur to paint this falcon to preserve in Jahangirnama. The falcon is painted in a great realistic manner with all details.

The falcon is painted in white against yellow background with brown details of its folded wings. It’s sharp beak and round eyes are painted with white, brown and yellow ochre.

The three words Jahangir Pat Swaha at the top, Bahari near the falcon and Uttam at the bottom of the painting is written in Devnagri character. Here the Bahari means falcon and Uttam means excellent.

Collection- National Museum, New Delhi

KABIR AND RAIDAS

Artist – Ustad Faqirullah Khan
School – Mughal School
Sub school – Shah-Jahan School
Medium – Watercolur on Paper
Technique – Tempera

Description–
This painting is shows the two prominent saints of that time Kabir and Raidas. In this horizontal painting saint Kabir is painted sitting beside his
hut and weaving on his loom. His companion saint Raidas sitting close to him and both are lost in deep discussion on spiritual subject. The painting brings the subject of peaceful life in Indian villages, where work and worship is go together with hand to hand.

The hut of saint’s and the landscape represents brilliant Indian village. The colours used are shades of brown and border of the painting is blue in colour. The prospective has been carefully applied and the hut, the background is depicted brilliantly. This painting is showing the secular attitude of Mughals.

Collection- National museum, New Delhi

THE MARRIAGE PROCESSION OF DARA SHIKOH

Artist– Haji Madni
School – Mughal school
Sub school – Provincial Mughal (Awadh) school
Medium – Watercolour on Paper
Technique – Tempera

Description-
This magnificent painting of all times is a masterpiece of Mughal miniature. It is a vertical painting depicting of marriage procession of Dara Shikoh, who was the elder son of emperor Shah- Jahan. Dara Shikoh is riding on a decorated horse while his father Shah-Jahan is also riding another horse just behind to him. He is followed by three attendants; one is bearing a candle, second one holding the horse and third one holding a flywhisk. A large gathering of men and women, who were joyfully receiving the Barat.

Dara Shikoh and bride’s relatives are wearing the coloured clothes decorated with golden border. The men and women accompanied the Barat are shown riding on horses and elephants on far distance near the horizon. the figures are decorated beautifully. The marvellous depiction of various types of fireworks can be seen in the background.

White, red, green, mauve, golden brown and turquoise blue with a touch of gorgeous black colour used in this painting. This fabulous marriage of Dara Shikoh was investing a cost of rupees 32 lacks. The half of this amount was spent by his elder sister Jahannara Begum. Dara Shikoh was get married to Nadira Begum in 1633.

Collection- National museum, New Delhi

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