Indian Painting under the Mughals, A.D. 1550 to A.D. 1750 c20.41.3

c20.41.3

This is his tomb at Agra, a white marble pavilion profusely inlaid with precious stones. His chief claim to fame, however, is that he was the father of Jahangir’s queen, Nur-Jahan, who herself was one of the most attractive and at the same time remarkable women of her time. I‘timad-ud-daula had a most distinguished career, and retained all his life the friendship of his royal son-in-law, so much so that on his death the emperor wrote, ‘ he was a wise and perfect Vizier, and a learned and affectionate companion ’. Immediately below him is his son Asaf Khan, who was one of the pillars of state during Jahangir’s reign. His tomb near Lahore was, in its time, a beautiful building profusely covered with exquisitely coloured tiles, but, alas, much of its decoration is now decayed. It seems not unlikely that both father and son were of an artistic disposition, as apart from the beauty of their tombs both were recipients of copies of the Jahangir-nama, most probably fully illustrated, from the hands of its royal author. Jahangir gave such works of art only to those who he knew would appreciate them and enjoy their contents. Behind Asaf Khan, and leaning on a staff, is the portly figure of the Khwaja Abu’l Hasan, most of whose service was spent in the Deccan, of which part of the Mughal empire he had an intimate knowledge; Jahangir made great use of the Khwaja’s shrewd advice in the administration of this distant and difficult portion of his dominions.