The art and the subjects narrated in art are always like a mirror. It reflects the contemporary society; and so did the art of painting known as Mughal Miniatures, that was a style of painting developed in sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Descended from the art of Persia and Turkey, these miniature paintings and the artists were supported by Mughal Emperors the Rajput Kings.
Abul Fazl Presenting Akbarnama
In many ways, the subjects and objects painted in these paintings are narrative. They show how the people of India lived in those days. On a close look, we can see the style of living and the types of costumes and ornaments these people were wearing in the medieval or post-medieval era. For those who want to know more about the living of Indian Princes, Kings, and Emperors of those days, here are some articles which narrate the different aspects of these Miniature paintings.
Miniature Paintings Depicting Costumes of Medieval Indian society : Main aspect that catches our eyes is the colourful and costly costumes the people have put on. The costumes shown in these paintings represent the lifestyle prevalent in the period of Mughal Emperors and Rajput kings. Especially the female figures painted in Mughal Miniatures depict the characteristics of Indian tradition of the time.
Miniature Paintings Depicting the Beauty and Elegance of Indian Women: The miniature artists of Mughal era focused their attention on the beauty. They were much attentive to the intricacies of the designs of jewels and drapes, sometimes forgetting the factor of realism that they considered less important.Here in the above miniature the serene beauty of the Mughal characters, especially the sensuality of the lady are the prime, attractive aspects.
Miniatures Painting History of India: The miniature paintings were done by Indian artists since many centuries; we can see some paintings done in sixth and seventh century, too. But the art of miniature painting reached its golden period during the reign of Mughal Emperors. Baburnama, Akbarnama, and Jahangirnama were the books narrating the heroic deeds of the emperors. Mughal Miniature Paintings are the pictorial history of India India
Paintings Depicting Medieval Indian Culture and Lifestyle : The miniature paintings depicted the life and lifestyle of the Mughal and Rajput Kings of the time. The miniatures were painted to narrate how the princes lived, what they wear and how they fought the wars. However the major portions of the artists’ endeavours were devoted in showing the ways and manners in which these medieval kings and princes enjoyed their life.
Akbarnama, The Book of Secular Art : This was the era when art lover Emperor and kings of other states in Rajasthan augmented the pace of development of the art of painting.
Akbarnama, The Art of Court: Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556-1605) was known for his liberal views about following one’s religion. He regularly held religious holds religious assemblies with the heads of different religions.
Baburnama, An Autobiography of an Emperor: In many of the Mughal Miniature Paintings, painted in the time of Emperor Babur and afterwards, the artists have taken the love scenes and the scenes of bravery of Mughal princes as their subjects. Here the Emperor Babur is shown as hunting. [Image courtesy By Евгений Ардаев at ru.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia ]
