Paintings Patrons Tradition Miniatures

Miniatures or small-scale paintings are often created with watercolours on fabric or paper, however, the earliest was created on palm leaves and wood. They were primarily employed by the Mughals to portray historical narratives of wars, court scenes, people's lives, and so on. In addition, they were used to depict Jain scriptures. Later, this style inspired Rajasthani and Deccan paintings, which included mythology, poetry, and regal portraiture. In the late 17th century, the Himalayan foothills developed a type of miniature painting known as 'Basohli' (present-day Himachal Pradesh). 

Mughal painters also used Vaishnavite traditions when they migrated to the plains, resulting in the Kangra style of painting, which uses gentle colours and tones. This is how miniature painting began with the Mughals and evolved as it moved to other parts of the world. As they began to live and work with people from different parts of the country, the Mughals adopted new fashions as well.

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The Mughal Impact

The Mughals were known to be art aficionados, and emperors like Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan were known to commission highly accomplished painters of the time to illustrate manuscripts holding historical records and poetry. These were distinguished by their bright colour palettes and depictions of many areas of social life, as well as events from the court or battlefield. They also depicted hunting situations in great detail on occasion. Many artists were compelled to relocate to the courts of other developing regional rulers when the Mughal empire crumbled.

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They extended their Mughal artistic influence to the Deccan regional courts and the Rajasthani Rajput courts. Despite this, they kept their characteristics. Aside from these, places such as Mewar, Jodhpur, Bundi, Kota, and Kishangarh include portrayals of mythology and poetry in their paintings. These paintings were frequently given as presents and were only seen by a select group of people, including the Emperor and his close allies. These paintings were frequently considered as a precious item and were only permitted to be seen by the emperor, his close companions, and a select few when they were exchanged as gifts.

Nadir Shah’s Impact

Emperor Nader Shah, Shah of Persia and founder of the Iranian Afsharid dynasty of Persia, invaded Northern India in March 1739, finally conquering Delhi. At the Fight of Karnal, his army handedly destroyed the Mughals, and in the wake of the battle, he would seize the Mughal capital. Nader Shah's success in the far east over the weak and disintegrating Mughal Empire allowed him to turn around and continue the war against Persia's archrival, the Ottoman Empire, as well as additional battles in the North Caucasus and Central Asia.

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In 1739, Nadir Shah invaded Delhi's plains. Frightened by the uncertain times, many Mughal artists relocated to the hills, where they found many willing patrons. As a result, the Kangra style of painting arose. By the mid-eighteenth century, Kangra painters had created a style that gave miniature painting a fresh lease of life. Many notable aspects of these paintings were inspired by Vaishnavite traditions, such as the use of soft colours like cool blues and greens, as well as a poetic presentation of the theme. 

The Tradition of Miniatures

Another practice that evolved in many ways was miniature painting. The term "miniature" refers to a tiny size. Essentially, these were small-scale watercolour paintings done on fabric or paper. The oldest miniatures were made on palm leaves or wood before the invention of paper. These lovely paintings were mostly found in Western India and the Himalayan foothills in what is now the state of Himachal Pradesh. By the second half of the 17th century, this region had evolved its distinct style, which was marked by strong and vivid paintings known as Basohli. Rasamanjari by Bhanudatta was one of the most popular texts to be portrayed as miniature paintings. These are mostly depicted in several Jaina scriptures in the western region of India.

Interesting Facts

• Tabla and sitar musicians are commonly used in Kathak (dance-drama) music.

• The word Kathak comes from the Sanskrit word Katha, which means "storey."

• Natural colours produced from vegetable and mineral extracts were utilised by Kangra artists.

• Manipravalam was a literary style employed in mediaeval liturgical works in the southern region of the Indian subcontinent, combining Tamil and Sanskrit.

• 'Kathak' was largely a temple ritual dance form. It evolved into royal court entertainment under Persian and Mughal influences.

• Bengali belongs to the Indo-European language family.

• In India, the Palas of Bengal were the forerunners of miniature painting.

The earliest miniature paintings were created on palm leaves and wood. They were primarily employed by the Mughals to portray wars, court scenes, people's lives, and so on. Later, this style inspired Rajasthani and Deccan paintings, which included mythology, poetry, and regal portraiture. Nader Shah, Shah of Persia (1736–47) invaded Northern India in 1739, conquering Delhi. Many Mughal artists relocated to the hills, where they found willing patrons. Kangra painters created a style that gave the miniature painting a fresh lease of life.