Indian Painting under the Mughals, A.D. 1550 to A.D. 1750 c18.13

c18.13

While they owed something to the productions of the Persians, notably for their small size and effect, in every other particular they reflect plainly the temperament of the indigenous artist. The reason for this is not far to seek. At no time in its history was the Hindu element so strong in the Mughal school of painting as during the latter half of Akbar’s reign, that is, towards the end of the sixteenth century. Abu’l Fazl’s expression of admiration at the skill of the Hindu painters has been already quoted, and he had good cause for recording it; for by far the majority of the artists who produced the paintings which are contained in these manuscripts were Hindus. And the result of the Indian talent, drawn from all parts of the Mughal empire, shows its influence in the most pronounced manner in the illustrative painting now being described.