Indian Painting under the Mughals, A.D. 1550 to A.D. 1750 c18.22

c18.22

As in the two previous instances the next group of manuscripts illustrated by Akbar’s school of painters is also composed of two books, the *Bahāristan* in the Bodleian Library, and the *Khamsah*, the property of Mr. Dyson Perrins. They represent this art in its maturity. Much of the high quality of the painting is due to the fact that, with a few exceptions, each picture is the sole handiwork of one artist. Both books are also somewhat smaller than the others, contain considerably fewer illustrations, and each picture is evidently a supreme individual effort on the part of the artist whose name it bears. It is true that in some cases this effort has not been an unqualified success, but on the whole the majority of the pictures are good examples of the miniature painters’ art. The *Bahāristan* is a collection of poems in praise of the season of spring, and was composed by the famous Persian poet Jami. Sixteen of Akbar’s leading painters assisted in the embellishment of the Bodleian copy, of whom five are included in Abu’l Fazl’s list and have each contributed a full-page picture; they are Miskin, Madhu, Mukund, Basawan, and Lal. By far the finest miniature in the book is the one by Basawan, which is reproduced on Plate XXXV. It fully bears out Abu’l Fazl’s praise of this artist, and, although there are miniatures bearing his name in other works, usually however with a collaborator, it is probably one of the best examples of his brush. Another picture from the same manuscript, by the artist Lal, is shown on Plate XL, Fig. 1. For brilliant colouring, careful drawing, and minute finish, the paintings in this book are only equalled by those in Mr. Dyson Perrins’s *Khamsah*, the other volume of the group. The *Khamsah*, or Five Treasures, is a collection of five *mathnawis* by Nizami, a Persian poet of the twelfth century. The writing of Mr. Perrins’s copy was executed by Abd ur-Rahim, a calligraphist under the Mughal emperor, who, on account of his excellent workmanship was styled *Ambar-i-qalam*, or ‘amber-pen’. It bears the date equivalent to A. D. 1593, and was therefore executed towards the end of Akbar’s reign, so that it is probably one of the latest of this series of illustrated books that have been handed down to us. Thirteen of the most prominent painters at Akbar’s court were employed in the illumination of this manuscript, seven of whom are mentioned in the *A’in*. One of the pictures, reproduced on Plate XXXVI, is inscribed with the name of the Persian artist Abdus Samad, who must have been an old man, over seventy years of age at least, when the book was finished. Yet the handling shows all the vigour and spirit of youth; there is no sign of failing in the clear outline and sense of vitality which are its outstanding features. It is difficult to believe that it is an original work by one who, many years before, began his career in the Safavid school at Tabriz under Shah Tahmasp. Two other miniatures from this work may be studied on Plates XXXVII and XL, Fig. 2. The former is by Farrukh Chela (not to be confused with Farrukh Beg) and depicts an incident in the story of *Laila and Majnun*; the latter is by Lal.