Painting, Akbarnama, submission of rebel brothers Ali Quli and Bahadur Khan, outline by Kesav, painting Madhav, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca. 1590-95

Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, left half of double composition, this painting depicts the submission of the rebel brothers Ali Quli Khan and Bahadur Khan to Akbar at Karah in 1561.

The submission of the rebel brothers Ali Quli Khan and Bahadur Khan to Akbar at Karah in 1561.

Purchased from Mrs. Clarke, The Dingle, Sydenham Hill, S. E

The Akbarnama, or "Book of Akbar", was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by 1590 and 1596 and is thought to have been illustrated between ca. 1592 and 1594 by at least forty-nine different artists from Akbar's studio. After Akbar's death in 1605, the manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r.1605-1627) and later Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658). The Victoria and Albert Museum purchased it in 1896 from Mrs. Frances Clarke, the widow of Major General John Clarke, an official who had been the Commissioner in Oudh province between 1858 and 1862.

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 third volume of the Akbarnama. The inscriptions in red ink on the bottom of the paintings refer to the artists and indicate that this was a royal copy.

Purchased from Mrs. Clarke, The Dingle, Sydenham Hill, S. E. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.

Registered Papers: 85488/95

Composition by Kesav Kalan; painted by Madhav Kalan.

This illustration to the Akbarnama, the history of the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605) is by the court artists Kesav Kalan and Madhav Kalan. It is the left half of a double-page composition (the right half is IS.2:19-1896), and depicts the submission of the rebel brothers Ali Quli Khan and Bahadur Khan to Akbar at Karah in 1561.
The Akbarnama (Book of Akbar) was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by his friend, the great scholar Abu'l Fazl, between 1590 and 1596 and is thought to have been illustrated between about 1592 and 1594 by at least 49 different artists in service to the emperor. After Akbar's death in 1605, the manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) and later that of Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658). The purchased it in 1896 from Mrs Frances Clarke, the widow of Major-General John Clarke. He bought it in India while serving as Commissioner of Oudh between 1858 and 1862.

IS.2:20-1896