Akbar

Created between 1592 and 1595, the miniature reflects the refined brushwork and compositional conventions of late‑Mughal court painting. Though the visual elements are minimal, the illustration follows the precise, delicate line work typical of royal ateliers, while the surrounding Persian script is rendered in fine, legible calligraphy.

The Akbarnama was commissioned by Akbar and written in Persian by his historian Abu’l‑Fazl between 1590 and 1596.

The Akbarnama was commissioned by Akbar and written in Persian by his historian Abu’l‑Fazl between 1590 and 1596. This particular copy, illustrated for the emperor, later passed to his son Jahangir and then to Shah Jahan. In the 19th century it entered the collection of Major General John Clarke, who acquired it in Oudh; after his death it was sold by his widow Frances Clarke to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1896.

The manuscript belongs to a broader project of imperial self‑representation, where visual and textual elements combined to legitise Akbar’s rule. The inclusion of artist signatures in red ink beneath the images confirms the royal patronage and the involvement of leading court painters listed in the A’in‑i Akbari, the third volume of the Akbarnama.