The Foundation of Muslim Rule in India: A History of the Establishment and Progress of the Turkish Sultanate of Delhi, 1206–1290 A.D. c19.45

c19.45

Of cultivation of the arts, contemporary writings furnish little definite evidence. Architecture occupied their whole interest; in its decorative scheme, as evidenced by the surviving monuments, mural painting entered but little. Stray references to ornamental figures, both animate and inanimate, painted on walls or engraved or embroidered on furniture, flage, tents saddles and arms³, on the other hand, lead us to assume that the visual arts also reached high excellence under the Memelukes. Whether the protraits of the Sultans as found in the Mongol miniature albums were copied from earlier originals must remain a matter of speculation. Firuz Tughluq at any rate interdicted the practice of decorating the walls by coloured representation of living objects. The feeling for colour found concrete expression in the *unwan* of manuscripts produced for the nobles and royalties. Calligraphy was a widely diffused art which, when transferred to stone and paper, can embody almost as sensuous a beauty as that of the plastic art. Music has an irresistible appeal and despite the supposed legal ban it formed an essential part of festivities. With music went dancing, but one should hardly expect at this period that these two arts were cultivated for anything approaching intellectual satisfaction. With increased dependence on Indian performers the Muslims, it is reasonable to presume, rapidly acquired a taste for the Indian form of these arts and the inter-mingling, notably in music, had a highly enriching effect. Amir Khusrau was an accomplished musician himself; he not only set some of his poems to Indian tunes but is the reputed inventor of new *Ragas*.