Search Results:

<< Viewing Record 3 of 65 >>
View : Light Box | List View | Image List | Detailed
 


Maker(s):Unknown
Culture:Indian
Title:Emperor Aurangzeb at the Shrine of Mu‘in al-Din Chishti in Ajmer, Rajasthan
Date Made:early 18th century
Type:Painting
Materials:Opaque and transparent watercolor with gold heightening on mounted paper
Measurements:Sheet: 16 3/4 in x 12 1/2 in; 42.5 cm x 31.7 cm
Accession Number:  AC 1963.4
Credit Line:Gift of Doctor and Mrs. Frank L. Babbott (Class of 1913)
Museum Collection:  Mead Art Museum at Amherst College
1963_4.jpg

Label Text:
The shrine covering the gravesite of Mu'in al-Din Chishti (d. 1236), a revered Sufi (Muslim mystic), is one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in India. This nim qalam (half-tone) painting shows the gold-nimbused Mughal emperor Aurangzeb (r. 1658-1707) presenting a donation to the custodians of this famous shrine, an event that most likely took place during his 1679-1681 military campaigns in Rajasthan. An ostrich egg, an auspicious symbol of life and rebirth, hangs over the saint's grave, while in the painting's lower registers throngs of military personnel (on the left) and colorfully garbed courtiers (on the right) gather in attendance. Minute Persian inscriptions identify the two young pearl-and-gem-adorned men as Aurangzeb's sons Bahadur Shah and A'zam Shah. This nostalgically retrospective painting may date from the former's brief reign, from 1707-1712, a period that many historians believe marks the beginning of the Mughal dynasty's political decline.
- Yael Rice, 2015

Tags:
emperors; figures; inscriptions; nobility; interiors; soldiers; weapons

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=AC+1963.4

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.

<< Viewing Record 3 of 65 >>