Indian Painting under the Mughals, A.D. 1550 to A.D. 1750 c11.10

c11.10

Among the Hindus painting was originally known as *Chitravidya*, but with the Mughals, to quote the definition of a contemporary writer, Abu’l Fazl, ‘drawing the likeness of anything is called *taswīr*’, and the word *taswīr* is the one generally used in India to the present day for a picture, including, of course, a miniature painting. In Europe, notably among French connoisseurs whose acquaintance with the subject is far from superficial, pictures from India are referred to as ‘Indo-Persian miniatures’, a term which has at least the merit of being descriptive of the art in its earlier stage. When fully developed, however, this form of painting took on a character of its own, essentially Indian and closely associated with the Mughal dynasty, so that in the circumstances that phase of it which was connected with the ruling court is best designated by the word ‘Mughal’. Exception has been taken in some quarters to the use of the term ‘miniature’ in this connexion. To describe a Persian painting, which is a book illustration, as a miniature, may possibly be open to objection, and the same may be said of the earlier Mughal paintings for an equal reason. But as the Indian art matured, the painters were inclined to discard the illustrative art, and to devote themselves more to the production of separate pictures. When the Mughal art was at its best it took the latter form, and the average size of one of these, including the mount, approximates to a sheet of modern foolscap. The dimensions within which a picture may be termed a miniature are variously given, but it is now generally accepted that any painting that is easily portable, and can be passed from hand to hand to be viewed, is a miniature, and to this very reasonable description the Mughal paintings fully conform. Moreover, according to its ancient derivation from *minium*, the Indian picture can also lay a claim to the title of miniature. For it was the practice of the Indian artist to outline his painting first of all in a red colour—*gairikā*—which, although not obtained from lead, was a mineral pigment—an oxide of iron. On the whole the designation ‘Mughal miniature’ for this form of Indian painting has everything to commend it.