Painting under Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan
How the style changed under each emperor.
The essentials
Each emperor shaped Mughal painting according to his personal taste.
Akbar
Akbar loved stories and history. His atelier produced large illustrated manuscripts with crowded, dynamic scenes full of action. The Hamzanama, the adventures of Amir Hamza, was painted on large sheets of cloth (about 1400 paintings) under the supervision of Mir Sayyid Ali and later Abdus Samad. Other works include the Tutinama (tales of a parrot), the Razmnama (Persian translation of the Mahabharata), the Ramayana, and the Akbarnama (history of Akbar's reign). Leading artists included Basawan, Daswanth, Lal, Miskin and Kesu Das.
Jahangir
Jahangir was a keen observer of nature and a connoisseur who claimed he could recognise each artist's hand. He preferred single paintings and portraits mounted in albums rather than long manuscripts. Ustad Mansur painted birds, animals and flowers with scientific precision. Abul Hasan, given the title Nadir-uz-Zaman, painted portraits and allegorical works. Bishandas was a leading portraitist. Allegorical paintings, such as one showing Jahangir preferring a Sufi shaikh to kings, used symbols like halos and globes.
Shah Jahan
Under Shah Jahan painting became formal, elegant and richly decorated, like jewellery. Court scenes and portraits were stiff and ceremonial. The Padshahnama (history of his reign) is the major manuscript. Artists such as Bichitr worked in this period.
Key points
- Akbar: action, narrative, large manuscripts, many artists.
- Jahangir: portraits, nature studies, albums, refined naturalism.
- Shah Jahan: formality, rich ornament, idealised royalty.
Exam tips
- Mansur = birds and animals; Abul Hasan = Nadir-uz-Zaman; Basawan = Akbar period.
Common mistakes
- Assigning the Hamzanama to Jahangir; it belongs to Akbar's reign.