Ali Quli, Bahadur Khan and Akbar
Painting
ca. 1590-95 (made)
ca. 1590-95 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
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.
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.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Ali Quli, Bahadur Khan and Akbar (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper |
| Brief description | 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 |
| Physical description | 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. |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | The submission of the rebel brothers Ali Quli Khan and Bahadur Khan to Akbar at Karah in 1561. |
| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions | (Contemporary librarian's attribution in Persian written beneath the image at the bottom of the page in red ink.)
|
| Credit line | Purchased from Mrs. Clarke, The Dingle, Sydenham Hill, S. E |
| Object history | The Akbarnama was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by 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 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 that of Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658). TheMuseum purchased it in 1896 from Mrs Frances Clarke, the widow of Major-General John Clarke, who bought it in India while serving as Commissioner of Oudh 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 inscriptions in red ink on the bottom of the paintings name the artists. |
| Production | Composition by Kesav Kalan; painted by Madhav Kalan. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Literary reference | Akbarnama |
| Summary | 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. |
| Associated object | |
| Bibliographic reference | STRONGE, Susan. Painting for the Mughal Emperor: The Art of the Book 1560 – 1660 London : V&A Publications, 2002. 192p, ill. ISBN 1 85177 358 4.
p. 46, pl. 30 |
| Other number | 101 - Inscription/original number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.2:20-1896 |
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| Record created | October 13, 1998 |
| Record URL |
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