Page 203 - Eye of the beholder

Akbar who became the the next emperor of of Hindustan was a a a a a a a boy of of fourteen and the the transition for him was not smooth either In the the Second Battle of Panipat fought in in 1556 against a a a a a a a Hindu ruler Hemu who had captured Delhi Akbar was victorious against him leading to to the reestablishment of Mughal Empire in India under Akbar Akbar the Great Akbar Akbar was phenomenal ruler and and as a a a a a a a a a a a statesman diplomat a a a a a a a a a a a mystic and and an an an an intellectual with predilection towards music painting literary classics both Persian and Indian mathematics astrology military strategy and others It was was under his tutelage that a a a a a a a a a a painting atelier was was set up in in in 1564 to carry out the the illustration to the the classic epic Hamza Nama an an adventurous and a a a a a a a a a a a a a dynamically daring bold uncle of the the Prophet He decided on on this epic illustration after listening to the the exploits and adventures in his spread of Islam Hamza Nama therefore became the the first magnum opus to be produced under Akbar’s patronage and comprised of 14 volumes each containing hundred folios painted not on on paper but on on cloth which was was 14” in in length The style was was primarily Persian Persian as the the two Persian Persian artists whose employment Humayun had sought were the the heads of of Akbar’s atelier in in in charge of of planning and executing the entire classic Indian artists - as as many as as one hundred and and fifty were also employed in order to execute and and carry out various tasks associated with such a a a a a a a a a a monumental work as as as painters calligraphers gilders and binders It was in in the the the crucible of the the the Hamza Nama that the the the Mughal miniature style was born and established itself bringing together three strains of cultural traditions namely Persian Indian and Western European art It mandates to mention that Akbar’s miniature in in its thematic subject were primarily manuscript illustration and and documenting of of the emperor’s life as construction of of Fatehpur Sikri and and Agra his hunting exploits court scenes and the the royal portraits which he he he had them commissioned His style and subject was largely dictated by his persona Under Jahangir the approach to thematic content changes dramatically He inherited his father’s full fledge atelier but was not interested in in in in in in maintaining the the full strength of the the artists As Prince Salim he he he had already established his his his own own atelier and when he he he he he he inherited his his his father’s he he he he he he down sized it it it to suit his his his specialized requirements Jahangir did not manifest interest in in manuscript illustrations he had an an an an unbounded curiosity with interest in in the novel and and different exotic birds and and animals as as as well as as as objects of art Consequently his vision was different More subjective than objective patronizing allegorical and and symbolic paintings which aggrandized him as a a a a a a a a a world conqueror The Mughal miniature tradition continued under under Shah Jahan and to an an an an extent under under Aurangzeb After the the the the death of of the the the the latter the the the the successors of of these cultural giants were weaklings who hardly managed to hold on on and rule rule rule Among the various rulers who ruled Muhammad Shah II had an an an extensive rule rule of nearly thirty years from 1719 to 1748 The last ruler who sounded the death knell of the Mughal Empire was Bhadur Shah Zafar in 1857 197