Indian Painting under the Mughals, A.D. 1550 to A.D. 1750 c18.29

c18.29

Of the remaining painters of foreign origin or extraction, very few details are available in addition to those already given. Mir Sayyid Ali, the other member of the Safavid school, does not appear to have attained to the high official position of his colleague Abdus Samad, although he was probably the better artist. Abu’l Fazl certainly honours him with the first place in his list, and alludes to him in glowing terms. ‘From the time of his introduction at Court, the ray of royal favour shone upon him. He had made himself famous in his art, and has met with much success.' But beyond the historian's reference to his ability we know nothing further of the Sayyid's life or his later connexion with the Mughal school. Another foreign painter, Farrukh Beg, as we have seen, is briefly mentioned in Akbar's reign, and remarks about his skill are made by Jahangir in his memoirs, which have been already quoted. His work should not be confused, however, with that of two later artists, Farrukh Khurd and Farrukh Chela, who although they might have been his disciples, and accordingly took his name, never approached the status of their Kalmack master. Among other painters who figure in the inscriptions on the Akbari pictures, but who are presumed to be not of Indian birth, are Khusrau Quli and Jamshid. The former was apparently of Turki descent, while the latter was probably a Persian; both contribute illustrations to the British Museum Bāburnāma. A very able Muhammadan artist, who went by the name of Miskin, may not have been a native of India. He was responsible for a number of pictures which are to be found in most of the Akbari manuscripts, including one forceful example in the Bodleian Bahāristan. To complete the list of Muhammadan artists at Akbar's court, although not exactly of alien origin, we may include a group of five painters from Kashmir, a country which for centuries has maintained a high artistic tradition.