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Daud Shah

Painting
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.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleDaud 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
  • Height: 32cm
  • Width: 18.4cm
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.)
Translation
'composition by Lal/work [= painting] by Premjiv of Gujarat'
Transliteration
'Tarh: La'l/amal: Premjiv Gujarati'
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 referenceAkbarnama
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 createdNovember 3, 1998
Record URL
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