Bairam Khan's widow and child are escorted to Ahmedabad
- Object:
- Place of origin:
India (possibly, made)
Pakistan (possibly, made)
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
- Materials and Techniques:
Opaque watercolour and gold on paper
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
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This illustration to the Akbarnama depicts Muhammad Amin Diwan escorting the widow of Bairam Khan and her infant son Abdur Rahim to Ahmadabad in 1561, following the assassination of Bairam Khan shown in illustration IS.2:5-1896.
The Akbarnama was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by his court historian and biographer Abu'l Fazl between 1590 and 1596 and illustrataed concurrently by at least forty-nine different artists from Akbar's studio. After Akbar's death in 1605, this manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r. 1605-27) and later Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58). The Victoria and Albert Museum purchased it in 1896 from the widow of Major General John Clarke, Commissioner of Oudh, India, between 1858 and 1862. This partial manuscript is thought to be the earliest illustrated copy of the Akbarnama. It drew upon the expertise of some of the best royal painters of the time, many of whom receive special mention by Abu'l Fazl in the third volume of the Akbarnama, the A'in-i Akbari. The inscriptions in red ink on the bottom of the paintings refer to the artists and indicate that this was a royal copy.
Physical description
Shows Muhammad Amin Diwan escorting the widow of Bairam Khan and her infant son Abdur Rahim to Ahmadabad in 1561. The image is overlaid by a band of Persian text (two lines), extending from the right-hand side of the picture.
Place of Origin
India (possibly, made)
Pakistan (possibly, made)
Date
ca. 1590-1595 (painted)
Artist/maker
Mukund (artist)
Materials and Techniques
Opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Marks and inscriptions
amal-e Mukund Work of Mukund
Dimensions
Height: 32.1 cm, Width: 19 cm
Object history note
The Akbarnama was commissioned by the emperor Akbar in 1589 as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by his court historian and biographer Abu'l Fazl between 1590 and 1596, and illustrated concurrently by the court artists. After Akbar's death, the manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir. The Victoria and Albert Museum purchased a partial manuscript it in 1896 from Mrs Frances Clarke, the widow of Major General Clarke, an official who served as the Commissioner of Oudh province and was said to have acquired it in Lucknow, presumably during the Siege of Lucknow when the city was looted by the British.
Historical significance: It is thought to be the first illustrated copy of the Akbarnama. It drew upon the expertise of some of the best royal painters of the time, many of whom receive special mention by Abu'l Fazl in the A'in-i-Akbari. The inscriptions in red ink on the bottom of the paintings refer to the artists and indicate that this was a royal copy.
Descriptive line
Bairam Khan's widow and child are escorted to Ahmedabad. Painting from the Akbarnama, 1590-1595.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Susan Stronge, Painting for the Mughal Emperor. The Art of the Book 1560-1650, V&A Publications, 2002
Guy, J., and Swallow, D., (eds). ‘Arts of India: 1550-1900’. London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1990. ISBN 1851770224.pp.64/65, no.44.
Associated names
Fazl, Abu'l
Production Note
No indication of role. Attribution place is likely to be Lahore.
Materials
Paper; Watercolour; Gold paint
Techniques
Painting; Contour drawing
Subjects depicted
Horses; Palanquin; Rahim, Abdur
Categories
Paintings
Collection code
SSEA
