Shah Jahan in battle

A very large and impressive view of the Siege of Khandahar, the Mughal-Safavid war of 1649-1653, as presented in the Padshahnameh of Shah Jahan.

The Padshahnameh is illustrated chronicle of the reign of Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor, commissioned during his reign as a propagandist celebration of his kingdom and dynasty. The text is a detailed chronological narrative of each day of the emperor's reign, describing his daily activities, court ceremonies as well as the significant events in Emperor Shah-Jahan's life such as the durbars, lavish processions, and glorious victories on the battlefield.

Single large illuminated miniature on paper, ink and gouache on paper, depicting the view of the Siege of Khandahar in modern-day Afghanistan, total leaf 760 x 545 mm, miniature 690 x 470 mm; miniature double-ruled in gilt framed, decorated with spiraling florettes, a few light surface smudges, leaf a little cockled, mounted to thick card.