The Illustrated Baburnama

467 Pages·2016·82.371 MB·English

by  Som Prakash Verma

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Th e Illustrated Baburnama
This book presents the Persian Baburnama, a key primary source and the earliest record of Babur’s
memoirs. The authoritative translation uses paintings from the original work and draws on con-
temporary texts of the period to delve into the history of the legendary Mughal ruler. It provides
a fresh treatment of the source material and highlights vivid accounts of the historical events of
the time. The paintings are divided thematically, offering a unique and rare perspective into the
Mughal world. Accompanied by a detailed introduction, the volume also touches upon narrative
art and analyzes the infl uence of European Renaissance art on Mughal painting.
With more than 150 Mughal paintings and illustrations in colour, this volume will be an important
sourcebook for scholars and researchers of Medieval Indian history, especially Mughal history, and
art historians, as well as connoisseurs of art.
Som Prakash Verma taught at the Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, Aligarh
Muslim University and was Tagore National Fellow (2010–12). At present, he is Senior Aca-
demic Fellow at the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi. He is also a practising
artist and a recipient of two awards from the Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta (1981) and Indian
Academy of Fine Arts, Amritsar (1982).

Th e Illustrated Baburnama
Som Prakash Verma
First published 2016
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2016 Som Prakash Verma
The right of Som Prakash Verma to be identifi ed as author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation without intent to
infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-1-138-95893-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-66094-3 (ebk)
Typeset in Goudy
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
MAY IT NOT BE PERFECT;
BUT IT IS THE RIGHT ONE
—Author

Contents
Preface xi
Introduction 1
The National Museum manuscript: Baburnama 3
Babur, the Mughal 15
PART I
Catalogue: illustrations 35
Historical notes and an appraisal of art 35
PART II
Depictions of natural history 271
PART III
Interpreting similar themes in related manuscripts 372
Sixteenth-century manuscript painting 397
Appendices
Appendix A 417
Appendix B 423
Appendix C 431
Glossary 435
Bibliography 439
Index 447