Indian Art Chronology: The Mughal Era (16th-18th Centuries)
Figure 1.--A traditional Ragamala miniature painting (today at British Museum) shows the toddler Krishna on a swing. The Ragas was a traditiinal Hindu music and painting form that thrived durung the Muslim Mughal era. The Mughal minatures are better known. This Raga minature is dated during the mid-18th centyry as the Europeans were beginning to seize power in India. We can note the changes in the clothing conventions. The children are unclothed in 18th as in 12th century. Only in 12th century image the woman is shirtless. As in most Indian art until modern times, the artist is not identified, a reflection of the staus of artists whuch is in sharp contrast to the status of Western artists.
The Mughals doninated India for over two centuries and almost conquered the entire Sub-continent. The Mughal Empire at ists peak was the most powerful in the world measured in military and economic power-rivaled only by Ming China--cerainly not Europe. About all a quater of all world wide manufacturing occurred in India. [Dalrymple, p. xxvi.] And inevitably the economy is a major driver of the arts. The Mughals had a powerful impact on the the thoughts and arts of India. The artistic flowering under Akbar is one of the glories of India, expressed in painting, glass, and carpets. And of course one of the architectural treasures of all time is the Taj Mahal near Delhi. The Mughal Empire in the mid 16th century was arguably the greatest empire in the world. Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal (1630–1653). It was built at Agra as a tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. She died giving birth to their 14th child and Shah Jahan never fully recovered. Art during this era, art was not limited to Mughal forms. India had an amazingly diverse society. The Mughals invaded India (16th century). The uninially tolerant Mughals came close to comquering the entire sub-continent). More austere Islamic emperors caused a reaction anf increasing Hindu resitance. The Mughals had a major impact on Indian art. They were at first less doctrinare about human depictions. The most famous early Indian paintings date from the modern era -- Mughal paintings. They were minatures displayed in books rather thn painted on or hung on walls. This was a painting tradition resulting from a fusion of the Persian miniature with ancient Indian traditions (16th century). It is a rare devloped painting tradition from a Muslim-dpminated society which as a result of Koranic teachings prohibited the depiction of the human form. Mughal art, however. is noted for the many beautiful mimatutres with human depictions. The minature was an established Indian art form before the Mughals. The Mughals adopted the minature, but did not follow musical set convention of Ragamaka painting. We suspect that the minature was perfect for the Mughals, allowing them to enjoy neautiduk art, including human depoctions, without showin the violation of Koranic prphibitios through public art. This style spread throughout India as a result of Mughal conquests, nearly uniting India (17th century). It was adopted by the Indian princely courts of all religions and developed into an Indian style with many destinctive local diffrences. An important type of Ibdian painting. are the Ragamaka, sets of miniature paintings depicting different musical modes. The Ragas dominated north Indian music abs art. Tewere not Amyghal, but they influenced Nughal art. The minature became a major Mughal artistic style. While not originated by the Mughals, it is during the Mughal era that the Ragamaka reached its peak of artistocratic aristocratic expression. And as Mughal power declined (18th century), Hindu art forms expanded despite increasing Europran (British) power and influence.
Sources
Dairymple, William. The Anarchy (Bloomsbury Publishing: Sydney, 2019), 522p.
