Tarkhan Divana and Husain Quli Khan thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Tarkhan Divana and Husain Quli Khan

Painting
ca. 1590-95 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This painting depicts Tarkhan Divana, the custodian of the fort at Ajmer in north-west India, making a treaty with Husain Quli Khan, the Mughal general, in 1562. Tarkhan Divana is shown humbly bowing in submission to the Mughal general, who is seated in a temporary tent, which is beautifully detailed. The librarian's inscriptions in red beneath the painting note that the composition is by La'l, with the painting filled in by Naman, and the faces done by Mukund.
The painting is from the Akbarnama (Book of Akbar), commissioned by the Mughal emperor Akbar (r.1556–1605) as the official chronicle of his reign. The Akbarnama 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
TitleTarkhan Divana and Husain Quli Khan (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper
Brief description
Painting, Akbarnama, Tarkhan Divana Making a Treaty with Husain Quli Khan, outline by La'l, painting by Naman, portraits by Mukund, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca. 1590-95
Physical description
This illustration, painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, depicts Tarkhan Divana making a treaty with Hussain Quli Khan, the Mughal general, in Ajmer in 1562.
DimensionsFolio size 38.1cm x 22.4cm.
Content description
Tarkhan Divana making a treaty with Hussain Quli Khan, the Mughal general, in Ajmer in 1562.
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
'Tarh La'l/Amal Naman/Chehreh nami Mukund' (Contemporary librarian's attributions in Persian, in red ink in the margin below the painting.)
Translation
'composition by La'l/work [=painted] by Naman/faces by Mukund'
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 c. 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 Museum purchased it in 1896 from the widow of Major General 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 inscriptions in red ink on the bottom of the paintings name the artists.
Production
Composition by La'l; painted by Naman, faces by Mukund.
Subjects depicted
Association
Literary referenceAkbarnama
Summary
This painting depicts Tarkhan Divana, the custodian of the fort at Ajmer in north-west India, making a treaty with Husain Quli Khan, the Mughal general, in 1562. Tarkhan Divana is shown humbly bowing in submission to the Mughal general, who is seated in a temporary tent, which is beautifully detailed. The librarian's inscriptions in red beneath the painting note that the composition is by La'l, with the painting filled in by Naman, and the faces done by Mukund.
The painting is from the Akbarnama (Book of Akbar), commissioned by the Mughal emperor Akbar (r.1556–1605) as the official chronicle of his reign. The Akbarnama 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.
Other number
112 - inscription/original number
Collection
Accession number
IS.2:32-1896

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdNovember 18, 1998
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest