Muhammad Faqirullah Khan
Let's move to the Mughal Empire, specifically to 17th-century South Asia.
Today, we present an illustration from the Dara Shikoh Album, which is among the most renowned and significant Mughal artifacts. Dara Shikoh (1615–1658), the eldest and favorite son of Emperor Shah Jahan (who ruled from 1627 to 1658), married his cousin Nadira Banu Begum in 1633. He presented her with this album in 1641. Dara Shikoh likely began assembling the album, however, between 1631 and 1633 (before his marriage), rather than during the years between his wedding and the eventual gift, as has long been assumed.
The album’s only signed and dated painting is the one you see, made by the otherwise obscure artist Muhammad Khan, who may have come from the Deccan and been commissioned by Dara Shikoh during the imperial court’s stay in Burhanpur from 1630 to 1632. Look at a vase depicted in his painting, filled with an abundant bouquet of various flowers, which stands apart from other contemporary Mughal representations of floral arrangements in its distinctive style.
The album is generally celebrated for its exquisite studies of flowers. The scholars see in it the European source of inspiration, especially for the prints that shaped the floral imagery found both in individual works and in the decorative borders of imperial albums from the reigns of Jahangir (who ruled from 1605 to 1627) and Shah Jahan.
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P.P.S. The Mughal emperors were not only known for their power and military might but also as great patrons of the arts. Explore the world of Mughal miniature painting!