{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O153114"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O153114/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HC2463/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HC2463/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HC2463","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BD6415","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GB0926","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB8475","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O153114/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O153114","accessionNumber":"IM.275-1913","objectType":"Painting","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Babur (r. 1526-1531), a Central Asian prince descended from the great ruler Timur, was the founder of the Mughal empire. He wrote an account of his life in his first language, Chaghatay Turkish. By the time Akbar succeeded to the throne, few at court understood the language, and in 1589 the emperor ordered Babur's memoirs to be translated into Persian. Several illustrated copies were made for the emperor. In this page from a copy done in about 1590, an event of 1582 celebrating Babur's recent victory over Ibrahim Lodi is depicted. The new ruler is shown seated beneath a deep red rectangular canopy, sitting on a low platform receiving Uzbek envoys in the garden full of flowers and blossoming trees. Behind him, at the top of the composition, are the red sandstone walls of a city, with figures being allowed entry through a wooden door in the gateway.The time taken to complete the painting, 50 days, is recorded in minute lettering at bottom left of the page. A contemporary inscription records the name of the artist, Ramdas.","physicalDescription":"Painting, opaque watercolour on paper, <i>Baburnama</i> illustration, by Ram Das, Babur receiving Uzbek and Rajput envoys in a garden at Agra. Babur, seated beneath a scarlet rectangular canopy, sits on a low <i>takht</i> receiving envoys in a garden full of flowers and blossoming trees. Behind him, at the top of the composition, are the red sandstone walls of a city, with figures being allowed entry through a wooden door in the gateway.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Ram Das","id":"A6122"},"association":{"text":"painter","id":"x36959"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"opaque watercolour","id":"x35013"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"paper","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"","id":""}],"techniques":[{"text":"painted","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted in opaque watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Gardens & Gardening","id":"THES49002"},{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Manuscripts","id":"THES48922"},{"text":"Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project","id":"THES263148"}],"styles":[{"text":"Mughal court","id":"x30977"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2014HC2463","2006BD6415","2013GB0926","2017KB8475"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES403520"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"painting","id":"AAT33618"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Mughal Empire","id":"THES262021"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1590","earliest":"1585-01-01","latest":"1594-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from Messrs luzac & Co., 46 Great Russell Street","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"24.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"painted surface","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"13.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"painted surface","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"26.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"page","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"16.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"page","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Ramdas\r\n187","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"[Name of the artist]\r\n[illustration number]","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"The time taken to complete the painting, 50 days, is recorded in minute lettering at bottom left of the page."}],"objectHistory":"S.A.A Rizvi, in Religious and Intellectual History of the Muslims in Akbar's Reign (Delhi, 1975, 220-221), notes:\r\nThe Babur Nama, in Chaghta'i Turkish, a mine of information relating to Central Asia, Kabul and India, was of an absorbing interest for the Indian Timurids. The portions relating to the Indian period of Babur's autobiography had already been translated by his sadr, Zainu'd Din Khwafi, into Persian. In 994/1584 Mirza Payandah Hasan Ghaznavi commenced its translation at the insistence of Bihruz Khan (who was afterwards given the title of Naurang Khan by Akbar and died as a governor of Junahgarh in 1002/1593-94), but he could not translate the account beyond the first sixth and a part of the seventh year. Subsequently one Muhammad Quli Mughal HIsari continued the work and brought it down to 935/1528-29. Akbar ordered Mirza 'Abdu'r Rahim Khan-i Khanan to translate it again and he completed the work in 998/1589. He presented his translation to the Emperor as he was returning from Kabul on 24 November 1589. The Khan-i Khanan excelled all the previous translators.\r\n\r\nThe museum bought 16 folios from the Baburnama at the end of December 1912 (IM.260-274-1913) from Luzac & Co for £250. This folio was bought separately, in March 1913 from the same source, for £25. The double page composition of Babur directing the laying out of a garden (IM.276&a-1913) was bought at the same time as this, for £50.\n\nPurchased from Messrs luzac &amp; Co., 46 Great Russell Street. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.\r\n\r\nRP 1913-1239M","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Painting, <i>Baburnama</i> illustration, Babur receiving Uzbek and Rajput envoys in garden at Agra, by Ram Das, opaque watercolour on paper, Mughal, ca. 1590","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Asok Kumar Das, Dawn of Mughal Painting, Bombay 1982, Plate VI, page 20 \r\nSusan Stronge, Painting for the Mughal Emperor. The art of the book 1560-1650, V&A Publications, 2002, plate 57, p. 88."},{"reference":{"text":"Stronge, S. Made for Mughal Emperors. Royal Treasures from Hindustan. London and New York, 2010","id":"AUTH327057"},"details":"p.104, pl. 72","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"Babur receiving Uzbek and Rajput envoys in a garden at Agra. Babur, seated beneath a scarlet rectangular canopy, sits on a low <i>takht </i>receiving envoys in a garden full of flowers and blossoming trees. Behind him, at the top of the composition, are the red sandstone walls of a city, with figures being allowed entry through a wooden door in the gateway.","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Babur","id":"N954"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"garden","id":"AAT8090"},{"text":"canopy","id":"AAT69732"},{"text":"city","id":"AAT8389"},{"text":"gate","id":"AAT2916"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"BABUR RECEIVING ENVOYS IN A GARDEN\r\n\r\nFrom an imperial copy of the Baburnama (“Book of Babur”)\r\nOpaque watercolour and gold on paper\r\nMughal, by Ramdas\r\nca.1590\r\n\r\nIM.275-1913\r\n\r\nBabur (r. 1526-1531), a Central Asian prince descended from the great Timur, was the founder of the Mughal empire. He wrote an account of his life in his first language, Chaghatay Turkish. By the time Akbar succeeded to the throne, few at court understood it, and in 1589 he ordered the memoirs to be translated into Persian. Several illustrated copies were made for the emperor.\r\n\r\n","date":{"text":"1980","earliest":"1980-01-01","latest":"1980-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["IM.275-1913"],"accessionNumberNum":"275","accessionNumberPrefix":"IM","accessionYear":1913,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-19","recordCreationDate":"2008-04-23","availableToBook":true}}