Painting for Patrons The Tradition of Miniatures

Painting for Patrons: The Tradition of Miniatures:

Miniature paintings was another tradition that developed in different ways.The word “miniature” means small in size. Thus, essentially these were small-sized paintings that were done on cloth or paper with the help of watercolours. Before the advent of paper, the earliest miniatures were done on palm leaf or wood.

These beautiful paintings were predominantly found in the regions of Western India and Himalayan foothill around the present day state of Himachal Pradesh. By the latter half of the 17th century, this particular region had developed their own peculiar style characterized by the bold and intense style of paintings known as Basohli. Bhanudatta’s Rasamanjari was one of the most popular texts to be painted in the form of the miniature paintings. In the western part of India, these are predominantly illustrated in various Jaina texts.

The Mughal Impact

The Mughals emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan patronished highly skilled painters who primarily illustrated manuscripts containing historical accounts and poetry. These were generally painted in brilliant colors and portrayed court scenes of battle or hunting, and other aspects of social life.

When the Mughal empire started to decline many painters were forced to move out to the courts to other emerging regional states. They carried with them their Mughal artistic influence to the regional courts of the Deccan and the Rajput courts of Rajasthan. In spite of this, they still retained their distinctive features. Consequently, the portraits of rulers and court scenes came to be painted.

A Closer Look: Bengal:

Bengal became the centre of a regional kingdom under the Palas centuries; Bengal was ruled by sultans who were independent of the rulers in Delhi. In 1586, when Akbar conquered Bengal, it formed the nucleus of the Bengal Suba. While Persian was the Language of administration, Bengali developed as a regional language.

From the fourth-third centuries BCE, commercial ties began to develop between Bengal and Magadha (south Bihar), which may have led to the growing influence of Sanskrit. During the fourth century the Gupta rulers established political control over north Bengal and began to settle Brahmanas in this area.

In the seventh century the Chinese traveler Xuan Zang observed that languages related to Sanskrit were in use all over Bengal. Bengal became the centre of a regional kingdom under the Palas.

Between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, Bengal was ruled by Sultans who were independent of the rulers in Delhi. In 1586, when Akbar conquered Bengal, it formed the nucleus of the Bengal suba. While Persian was the language of administration, Bengali developed as a regional language.

Bengali is derived from Sanskrit, it passed through several stages of evolution. Also, a wide range of non-Sanskrit words, derived from a variety of sources including tribal languages, Pakistan, and European languages, have become part of modern Bengali. Early Bengali literature may be divided into two categories – one indebted to Sanskrit and the other independent of it.

The first includes translations of the Sanskrit epics, the Mangalakavyas (literally auspicious poems, dealing with local deities) and bhakti literature such as the biographies of Chaitanyadeva, the leader of the Vaishnava bhakti movement. In second includes Nath literature such as the songs of Maynamati and Gopichandra, stories concerning the worship of Dharma Thakur, and fairy tales, folk tales and ballads.

Chapters

Tracing Changes Through Thousand Years - I

Tracing Changes Through Thousand Years - II

Kings and Kingdoms

Delhi 12th to 15th Century I

Delhi 12th to 15th Century II

The Mughals 16th-1 Century I

The Mughals 16th-1 Century II

Tribes Nomads And Settled Communities

Devotional Paths To The Divine I

Devotional Paths To The Divine II

The Making Of Regional Cultures I