Painting, Akbarnama, Akbar supervises building of Fatehpur Sikri, outline by Tulsi the Elder, painting by Bandi, portraits Madhav the younger, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca. 1590-95

Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Akbar, in white at the upper right of the painting, supervising the building of the city of Fathpur (Fatehpur Sikri). The image shows a crowded building site with both male and female labourers.

Akbar, in white at the upper right of the painting, supervising the building of the city of Fathpur (Fatehpur Sikri). The image shows a crowded building site with both male and female labourers.

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 Tulsi, colours and details painted by Bandi, portraits by Madhav Khord.

In this illustration to the Akbarnama, the official history of the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar, the ruler is depicted dressed in white in the upper section of the painting. He directs the construction of the royal city of Fathpur ('City of Victory', later known as Fatehpur Sikri) in 1571.

The Akbarnama was commissioned in 1589 by Akbar. It was written in Persian by Abu'l Fazl between 1590 and 1596. This incomplete copy of the text was illustrated by royal artists as the historian wrote and revised his work. After Akbar's death in 1605, the folios remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) and later Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658). The Victoria and Albert Museum purchased them in 1896 from Mrs Frances Clarke, the widow of Major-General John Clarke, who had bought it in India while serving as Commissioner of Oudh between 1858 and 1862.

IS.2:91-1896