Page 202 - Eye of the beholder

MUGHAL MINIATURES
In order to contextualize Mughal miniatures and and its ultimate development it it mandates a a a a a a a a short introduction of the Islamic rulers who invaded India and established political power beginning with the Delhi Sultanates The advent of of Islam in in India was not in in terms of of barbarian conquerors who came came looted and the the the left the the the country but they came came with a a a a a a political motive to establish rule rule and as rulers were well versed in the traditions of praiseworthy literature architecture and and other arts which had been inherited by them from Central Asia and and Persia Leaving aside the the political nuances of a a a a a a a new intolerant faith there was within public consciousness an an an existence of an unavoidable realization that the peoples who had had been conquered also had had a a a a a a a a a a continuous achievement not only in in in the building of of splendid edifices with wealth of of decorative features but also in many other artistic activates Indispensible in in in in in the the beginning perhaps but increasingly evident with the the passage of time was the the the fact that the the the Islamic heritage of of art art in in India had inevitably to be a a a a a a a a a a fusion of of the the the artistic talents of the the the rulers and the the the ruled One factor which dominated the the the prevalent situation was that Sultanate and later the the the Mughal court had to rely for the the the most part on the the the skills of a a a a a a a a a a variety of Indian artists artisans and craftsmen to to achieve the the architectural forms they sought to to initiate and also for a a a a a a a a a a large variety of artistic products Later principally in in in the Mughal period the production of splendid illustrated manuscripts and individual paintings was fulfilled by the Indian artists Mughals established their power in in the the country when Babur won his battle against Ibrahim Lodi in in 1526 at at at the the first Battle of Panipat Timur had had sacked Delhi in in 1398 and had had laid the the city bare and totally ravaged but he had no ambitions of establishing political power which Babur did two centuries later From his father’s side Babur was descended from Timur the the Lame and on on his his mother side from Genghis Khan both belonging to tribes in in Central Asia Babur’s own chronicle namely the the Babur Babur Nama revealed the the many sided aspects of this remarkable monarch He had a a a a a a a a a keen appreciation of of miniature painting But his short rule of of four years did not permit him enough time to set up a a a a a a painting atelier as all his mighty energies were spent in in in in consolidating and and expanding his his conquests in in in in Northern India Nevertheless his his early death put an end to his painting ambitions His son Humayun who inherited the throne was not able to to sustain it it it and he he he he lost it it it to to the the Afghan Sher Shah Sur with the the result Humayun was made a a a a a a a fugitive He found refuge in in the Safavid ruler’s court in in Persia under Shah Tahmasp who received hi with all the honours deserving of an emperor The court at Tabriz where Shah Tahmasp ruled in in Persia was the centre of art and culture Humayun travelled in in Tabriz and and met a a a a a a a a a a a a a a painter from Shiraz Khwaja Abdus Samad and and at at the the royal atelier another brilliant talent Mir Sayyid Ali To them Humayun offered opportunities o of employment if he he regained his throne Shah Tahmasp set up Humayun with a a a a a a a a a a small court at Kabul and here the latter patronized painting untill he he he was able to regain the throne in in in in 1555 which he he he had lost Unfortunately Humayun died the the following year after a a a a a a a fall on the the steps of his library in in 1556 196