Indian History

Chief components of Mughal paintings were Indian, Persian and Chinese. The imported style introduced by the Mughals mingled with the contemporary Indian schools of painting flourishing in different parts of the country. Gujarat, Rajputana and Kashmir were important centres of Indian painting in the early Mughal period. Court life and natural life inspire most of the subjects of Mughal paintings. Portraits of the Mughal emperors are also one of the themes of the  Mughal   paintings.  Persian painter Abdus Samad was appointed tutor to the Prince Akbar by Humayun. Abdus Samad and Mir Sayyid Ali were invited to the Mughal court to prepare a lavishly illustrated manuscript of the Persian translation of the Hamzanama, the celebrated Arab epic about a legend Hamza. Hamzanama had 1004 illustrated pages in its twelve volumes. Development of fresco painting (Frescoes on the walls of Fatehpur Sikri) was an important contribution to the field painting during Akbar’s period which also witnessed th

In   1581, Akbar was faced with one of the most critical periods of his reign when Mirza Muhammad Hakim, the governor of Kabul, advanced to Lahore.   Muhammad Hakim, Akbar’s half brother, was an orthodox and ambitious ruler who was planning to seize the Mughal throne for himself.   He was supported in his bid by some discontented officers of the Mughal court such as Khwaja Mansur. Thereupon Akbar proceeded to Kabul from his capital on 8 th February, 1581 with about 50, 000 cavalry, 500 elephants and great number of infantry.   He reached Kabul on 9 th August and defeated Mirza Muhammad Hakim and compelled him to submit. Hakim, however, was reinstated on vow of loyalty to the emperor. After the death of Muhammad Hakim in July 1586, the province of Kabul was formally annexed to the Mughal Empire. According to Smith, Akbar’s victory of Kabul “may be regarded as the climax of his career”.