Daud Shah
Painting
ca. 1590-95 (made)
ca. 1590-95 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The composition of this painting is by the Mughal court artist La’l, with details painted by Premjiv Gujarati, and it is an illustration to the Akbarnama (Book of Akbar). This image depicts a battle scene in which the king of Bengal, Daud Shah, has been taken prisoner. He is shown in the centre of the image with his hands bound together, surrounded by Mughal cavalry.
The Akbarnama was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Akbar (r.1556–1605) as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written in Persian by his court historian and biographer, Abu’l Fazl, between 1590 and 1596, and the V&A’s partial copy of the manuscript is thought to have been illustrated between about 1592 and 1595. This is thought to be the earliest illustrated version of the text, and drew upon the expertise of some of the best royal artists of the time. Many of these are listed by Abu’l Fazl in the third volume of the text, the A’in-i Akbari, and some of these names appear in the V&A illustrations, written in red ink beneath the pictures, showing that this was a royal copy made for Akbar himself. After his death, the manuscript remained in the library of his son Jahangir, from whom it was inherited by Shah Jahan.
The V&A purchased the manuscript in 1896 from Frances Clarke, the widow of Major General John Clarke, who bought it in India while serving as Commissioner of Oudh between 1858 and 1862.
The Akbarnama was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Akbar (r.1556–1605) as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written in Persian by his court historian and biographer, Abu’l Fazl, between 1590 and 1596, and the V&A’s partial copy of the manuscript is thought to have been illustrated between about 1592 and 1595. This is thought to be the earliest illustrated version of the text, and drew upon the expertise of some of the best royal artists of the time. Many of these are listed by Abu’l Fazl in the third volume of the text, the A’in-i Akbari, and some of these names appear in the V&A illustrations, written in red ink beneath the pictures, showing that this was a royal copy made for Akbar himself. After his death, the manuscript remained in the library of his son Jahangir, from whom it was inherited by Shah Jahan.
The V&A purchased the manuscript in 1896 from Frances Clarke, the widow of Major General John Clarke, who bought it in India while serving as Commissioner of Oudh between 1858 and 1862.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Daud Shah (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper |
Brief description | Painting, Akbarnama, Daud Shah of Bengal taken prisoner, outline by La'l, painting Paramju Gujarati, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca. 1590-95 |
Physical description | Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, a battle scene in which Daud Shah of Bengal has been taken prisoner, in 1576. Daud is shown in the centre of the image with his hands bound together. He is surrounded by Mughal cavalry. |
Dimensions |
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Content description | A battle scene in which Daud Shah of Bengal has been taken prisoner, in 1576. Daud is shown in the centre of the image with his hands bound together. He is surrounded by Mughal cavalry. |
Styles | |
Marks and inscriptions | (Contemporary librarian's attribution in Persian written beneath the image at the bottom of the page in red ink.)
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Credit line | Purchased from Mrs. Clarke, The Dingle, Sydenham Hill, S. E |
Object history | 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 |
Subjects depicted | |
Association | |
Literary reference | Akbarnama |
Summary | The composition of this painting is by the Mughal court artist La’l, with details painted by Premjiv Gujarati, and it is an illustration to the Akbarnama (Book of Akbar). This image depicts a battle scene in which the king of Bengal, Daud Shah, has been taken prisoner. He is shown in the centre of the image with his hands bound together, surrounded by Mughal cavalry. The Akbarnama was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Akbar (r.1556–1605) as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written in Persian by his court historian and biographer, Abu’l Fazl, between 1590 and 1596, and the V&A’s partial copy of the manuscript is thought to have been illustrated between about 1592 and 1595. This is thought to be the earliest illustrated version of the text, and drew upon the expertise of some of the best royal artists of the time. Many of these are listed by Abu’l Fazl in the third volume of the text, the A’in-i Akbari, and some of these names appear in the V&A illustrations, written in red ink beneath the pictures, showing that this was a royal copy made for Akbar himself. After his death, the manuscript remained in the library of his son Jahangir, from whom it was inherited by Shah Jahan. The V&A purchased the manuscript in 1896 from Frances Clarke, the widow of Major General John Clarke, who bought it in India while serving as Commissioner of Oudh between 1858 and 1862. |
Bibliographic reference | |
Other number | 195 - inscription/original number |
Collection | |
Accession number | IS.2:102-1896 |
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Record created | November 3, 1998 |
Record URL |
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