f. 26
recto:

Calligraphy by Mir Ali, c. 1500.

Verse on pale blue coloured paper ascribed to Mir Ali. Surrounded by multicoloured floral arabesques against gold and a black border of red and gold cartouches with floral arabesque decoration.

Signed: 'Poor Mir Ali the calligrapher'


verso:

The wedding procession of Dara-Shukoh,c.1700. 

A painting based on Prince Dara-Shukoh's Wedding Procession in the Padshahnamah (RCIN 1005025.x). It depicts Dara-Shukoh on leading his barat procession in the Agra Fort on the evening of 12th February 1633.

Dara-Shukoh rides a horse decorated in the Rajput style with the lower half of its body painted with red sandalwood. Immediately behind him are his brothers (Shah-Shuja and Awrangzeb, rather than Murad-Bakhsh in the Padshahnamah painting) and two nobles (Asaf Khan and Jafar Khan). Inscriptions name famous Mughal singers and musicians performing in the foreground (Sakhar Sen, Lal, Khoshhal and Jagannatha) and the courtier Tir Andaz Khan on the left. Prince Awrangzeb gestures towards the musicians, many of whom, as well as some courtiers, look towards him, rather than towards Dara-Shukoh. 

In the background is a troupe of performers who danced, sang and played on important occasions. The same image of this group also appears in a painting attributed to Nidha Mal, c.1735-40 in the BNF (Reserve Od 44 f.14).

A later copy of this painting with Hindi and Persian inscriptions exists in the British Museum (BM 1999,1202,0.17.1-2)


For further information on this album see RCIN 1005068.