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The cooperation of Emperor Akbar

Indian Paintings of the Mughal Period.

Abul Fazal commenced writing the renowned Ain-e-Akbari when Mir Syed Ali had already completed his paintings for the album Dastan-e-ameer-hamza. As previously discussed, these paintings were a testament to the influence of Indian traditional art and formed the cornerstone of Mughal style. The intricate details in these Iranian paintings evoke memories of Durer's works, while their vibrant colors that are characteristic of Indian tradition continue to captivate us.

 

Following the Iranian Kalam period, Indian traditional art was incorporated into Mughal paintings with greater freedom and self-assurance. The fusion of native Rajput and Persian styles created a new form that scholars later recognized as Mughal Miniature - an art genre with its own unique identity, now known as 'Gharana' in India.

 

In this article, I have compiled a selection of masterpieces from this legendary album to showcase their magnificence! Simply click on each painting to enlarge it and appreciate its finer details.

Paintings from the album, - Hamzanama

The inquiry at hand is how an unconventional method could be swiftly assimilated into the Indian style, which seemingly presents a great challenge to any community. This feat was only achievable by Emperor Akbar and his son Jahangir, who facilitated the interaction of their artists with contemporary Indian artists and generously encouraged collaboration on shared paintings. As a result, both sets of artists were bestowed equal status as royal artists in the king's court. Consequently, we witness renowned Indian artists from that era such as Keshu Das, Dyshant, and Vasawon collaborating with exotic counterparts like Mir Syed Ali and Abdus Samad.

portrait-of-akbar
Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar. Portrait artist - Govardhan. Year - 1630

It is widely known that Akbar, despite being mostly illiterate, possessed an insatiable curiosity for a wide range of topics ranging from flora and fauna to history, philosophy, and human excellence. He had a delicate appreciation for all things merit-based and was blessed with a strong memory. His passion for hunting in the deep forest was only matched by his thirst for knowledge concerning humanity. In order to gain access to this knowledge, he devised innovative methods such as commissioning royal artists to illustrate books so that he could understand their contents better. 

 

Additionally, he enjoyed hosting debates in his court where wise persons from different communities discussed a variety of topics including philosophy, religion, literature, music and painting among others. Through these debates he gained valuable insights which helped him penetrate the philosophical sense behind various religions as well as illustrate stories and folktales mentioned in spiritual scriptures; all of which can be found documented in Abul Fazal's treatise Ain-e-Akbari..    

 

It is noteworthy that Babur and Humayun, being exotic figures with no ties to Indian art or culture, possessed a deep-seated passion for the arts. This fervor drove them to delve into the realm of Indian artistic expression in addition to their Persian influences. On the other hand, Akbar was born and raised within India's diverse cultural milieu, which naturally drew him closer to his country's rich civilization.

Following his ascension to the throne, Emperor Akbar exhibited a keen awareness of the unfinished Dastan-e-ameer-hamza and promptly commanded the Iranian artists responsible for its creation to illustrate this album. In addition, he recruited accomplished Indian artisans to collaborate with their Iranian counterparts towards completing this project. The album was subsequently renamed as 'Hamzanama', with its first painting being composed in 1562 and finally completed in 1577. This magnificent masterpiece serves as a significant historical artifact of Indian artistry, reflecting an evolutionary process that spans several stages. It comprises twelve sections containing over 1400 standard-sized paintings that demonstrate how Persian style has been adapted by Indian influences, ultimately yielding a new form known today as Mughal Miniature Art - characterized by its versatility, emotional depth and vivid use of coloration. It stands out among Emperor Akbar's many notable contributions and is referred to in Persian language as "Murakka" which translates simply into Album.

May I inquire about your opinion on the Hamzanama paintings? Have you observed the unconventional perspective that diverges from the typical Western notion of spatial distance? If you are intrigued by this unique Indian perspective, please initiate a discussion below and I will gladly provide clarification. Feel free to comment as a guest without requiring social profile login or create a Disqus profile in mere seconds. Thank you for your interest.

 

Will continue in next episode

 

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Addendum

The Ain-i-Akbari (Persian: آئینِ اکبری‎) or the "Administration of Akbar", is a 16th-century detailed document recording the administration of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abu'l Fazl in the Persian language. It forms Volume III and the final part of the much larger document, the Akbarnama (Account of Akbar), also by Abu'l-Fazl, and is itself in three volumes.

It is now in the Hazarduari Palace, India. The Ain-i-Akbari containing information on Akbar's reign in the form of administrative reports, similar to a gazetteer. In Blochmann's explanation, "it contains the 'āīn' (i.e. mode of governing) of Emperor Akbar, and is in fact the administrative report and statistical return of his government as it was about 1590."

The Ain-i-Akbari is divided into five books. The first book called manzil-abadi deals with the imperial household and it's maintenance, and the second called sipah-abadi, with the servants of the emperor, military and civil services. The third deals with imperial administration, containing regulations for the judiciary and the executive. The fourth contains information on Hindu philosophy, science, social customs and literature. The fifth contains sayings of Akbar, along with an account of the ancestry and biography of the author.

 

Image Resource - Wikimedia (public-domain)


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