Indian Painting under the Mughals, A.D. 1550 to A.D. 1750 c14.21

c14.21

Information of the untimely death of Humayun was brought post-haste to his young son Akbar, who was campaigning in the foot-hills of the Punjab Himalayas. A picture of the prince receiving the news at Hariana¹ is reproduced on Plate VIII, Fig. 1, and there is no mistaking the look of genuine excitement on the face of the messenger who has brought it. Akbar was enthroned without delay, but almost immediately signs of insubordination became apparent, indicative of the troublous times which lay ahead. The first rebellious act was that of a truculent noble named Shah Abu’l-Ma‘ali, who stubbornly refused to obey promptly a summons to the coronation durbar. He was at once arrested, and what might have been a serious mutiny was nipped in the bud. Contemporary records attach considerable importance to this incident and to the quick and effective manner in which it was suppressed, for it is fully described in the *Akbarnāma*,² and it forms the subject of a spirited sketch by the Persian painter Abdus Samad (Plate VIII, Fig. 2), who was probably an eyewitness of the scene. Both artist and historian follow the custom of the age in demeaning and belittling the culprit, who is represented in the picture as a simpering youth, while the loyal chief who arrested him takes the form of a bearded and burly giant. The traitorous noble had been invited to dine, and ‘ when the festive board was about to be spread, and when he put out his hands to wash them, Tuluq Khan Qochi, who was strong and nimble, behaved dexterously, and coming from behind seized both of Shah Abu’l-Ma‘ali’s arms, and made him a prisoner ’. Much disaffection of a similar nature had to be overcome during the next few years, when the young emperor’s energies were entirely occupied in disposing of rival claimants, defining the limits of his imperial control, devising a stable administration, and in general making his position in India tolerably secure. It was natural, therefore, that, while this period of political and military activity prevailed, the arts of peace, as for instance that of painting and the small group of artists brought together by Humayun, should be left very much to themselves; and no great progress was made for the first fifteen years of Akbar’s reign. Mir Sayyid Ali, still retained as court painter, continued to produce his illustrations to the Amir Hamzah, when, having finished rather less than half of them, he retired in order to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Later, he re-joined Akbar’s service; but in the meantime his brother artist from Shiraz was placed in sole charge of the work, which was eventually brought to completion some years afterwards.