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| Keywords: Jahangir with sufi.jpg en Jahangir d 1627 preferring Sufi shaikhs over King James I of England; by Bichitr earlier 1620's Source Stuart Cary Welch Imperial Mughal Painting New York George Braziller 1978 Image Plate 22 p 82; scan by FWP Aug 2001 Commentary by Stuart Cary Welch Haggard and resignedly gazing upwards Jahangir offers a book to Shaikh Husain of the Chishti Shrine a spiritual descendant of Shaikh Salim to whom Akbar had gone prayerfully and successfully in the hope of an heir The boon was granted and at birth the prince later Jahangir was named Salim in gratitude to the saint In this allegory painted almost a lifetime later Jahangir sits on an hourglass throne Although cupids have inscribed it with the wish that he might live a thousand years the sands of time have almost run out The Emperor is turning from this world to the next The picture is inscribed Though outwardly shahs stand before him he fixes his gazes on dervishes He offers the book of his life to the saint rather than to the earthbound standing by his curious throne; not to the Ottoman sultan a generalized likeness based perhaps on a European print nor to King James I of England copied from an English miniature ; and not even to Bichitr a symbolic ruler of art who painted himself holding a miniature showing two horses and an elephant--presents from his appreciative patron--and a deeply bowing self-portrait Like the hourglass throne which may have been based on a small gilt-bronze and glass original the idea of allegorical state portraits came from Europe as did the cupids who cover their eyes either out of sadness for the aging emperor or more likely for protection against the blinding radiance of his sun and moon halo Bichitr was a brilliant young follower of Abu'l Hasan who became one of Shah Jahan's leading court artists Like Abu'l Hasan he was prolific and all-encompassing capable of painting everything from complex historical subjects to animals highly inventive ornament and sensitive individual portraits The verse quoted above was translated by Wheeler Thackston 1620 http //www columbia edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1600_1699/jahangir/jahangirsufi/jahangirsufi html Creator Bichitr PD-old-100 Bichitr Uploaded with UploadWizard Jahangir Sufis from India James I of England 1978 paintings | ||||
