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Mughal artist

The Padshahnamah frontispiece: Timur c. 1650 - 1657

Painting in opaque watercolour including metallic paints. | 57.9 x 36.6 cm (page dimensions) | RCIN 1005025.d

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  • Padshahnamah fol. 2v
    (plate 3)

    A 17th century Mughal portrait of Amir Timur enthroned, holding the imperial Timurid crown.

    The Padshahnamah manuscript’s illuminated frontispiece contains portraits of the Mughal progenitor Timur and Emperor Shah-Jahan, both seated on golden thrones inlaid with precious stones. The term ‘Mughal’ (a corruption of ‘Mongol’) is in fact a European misnomer for the dynasty that considered itself ‘Timurid’. When the two pages (this and RCIN 1005025.e) are read together the images imply that Timur, the great ruler of Central Asia, is passing the imperial Timurid crown to Shah-Jahan. The Padshahnamah’s introduction which follows these paintings includes a long discourse on Shah-Jahan’s imperial genealogy from Timur.

    The portrait of Timur is possibly based on a painting of c.1630 by the artist Govardhan (V&A IM.8-1925). The crown he passes to Shah-Jahan is a Timurid cap, similar to that which belonged the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah, captured in the aftermath of the Indian rebellion of 1857 (RCIN 67236).

    Bibliography:
    Milo Beach and Ebba Koch, King of the world : the Padshahnama, an imperial Mughal manuscript from the Royal Library, Windsor Castle, 1996
    Saqib Baburi, Beyond the Akbarnamah: Padshahnamahs and Official Regnal Chronography for Shah-Jahan Padshah (r. 1037/1628-1068/1658), 2010.

    Provenance

    Illustration from a Padshahnamah manuscript formerly in the Mughal imperial library and acquired by Asaf al-Dawlah, Nawab of Awadh, c.1780-90; presented by Saadat Ali Khan, Nawab of Awadh, to George III via Lord Teignmouth in June 1799.

  • Medium and techniques

    Painting in opaque watercolour including metallic paints.

    Measurements

    57.9 x 36.6 cm (page dimensions)

    45.8 x 26.1 cm (panel)

  • Category
  • Alternative title(s)

    Timur


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