Mughal School of Painting

About this unit

This unit covers painting at the Mughal court from the 16th to the 18th century. The Mughal school combined Persian (Safavid) traditions with Indian artistic skills and later absorbed ideas from European prints. It flourished in imperial workshops (karkhanas or ateliers) under Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, each of whom shaped its style. Mughal painting influenced Rajasthani, Pahari and Deccani painting, so understanding it helps with the whole syllabus.

Key ideas

• Humayun brought Persian masters Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad to India.
• Akbar's atelier produced large illustrated manuscripts such as the Hamzanama and Razmnama.
• Jahangir preferred portraits, albums and natural history studies.
• Shah Jahan's period is formal, jewel-like and highly polished.
• Paintings were often made by teams: one artist drew, another coloured, a specialist painted faces.
• Naturalism, fine detail and refined colour are hallmarks.

How to prepare

• Learn emperor–artist–manuscript links (for example Jahangir – Mansur – bird studies).
• Understand the difference in character between Akbari, Jahangiri and Shahjahani painting.
• Expect identification questions from descriptions of famous paintings.