{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O9611"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O9611/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009BX3690/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009BX3690/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009BX3690","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AP7162","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KL2573","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O9611/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O9611","accessionNumber":"IS.2:72-1896","objectType":"Painting","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This page of the <i>Akbarnama</i> depicts a battle scene in which bullocks are dragging cannons uphill during the siege of Ranthambhor Fort, Rajasthan. Akbar set out from Agra in December, 1568, pausing on the way to visit sacred places in Delhi and the tomb of his father, Humayun. The campaign began in February 1569 and was won by the end of March when the ruler, Surjan Hara, submitted. See IS.2:74 and IS.2:76 for other paintings of this battle. \r\n\r\nThe <i>Akbarnama</i> was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by his court historian and biographer Abu'l Fazl between 1590 and 1596 and is thought to have been illustrated between about 1592 and 1594 by at least 49 different artists from Akbar's studio. After Akbar's death in 1605, the manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) and later Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658). The Victoria and Albert Museum purchased it in 1896 from Mrs Frances Clarke, the widow of Major-General John Clarke, who bought it in India while serving as  Commissioner of Oudh between 1858 and 1862.","physicalDescription":"Painting, in opaque watercolour and gold on paper, depicts bullocks dragging cannons uphill during the siege of Ranthambhor. The bullocks are being driven up a steep incline running diagonally from bottom left to the middle of the page at right. Cannons are firing from the cliff at top left, directed by the Mughal general at top right.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Miskina","id":"A1609"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":"composition"},{"name":{"text":"Paras","id":"A1612"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":"colours and details"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"opaque watercolour","id":"x35013"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painted","id":"AAT54216"},{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted in opaque watercolour and gold on paper","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Images Online","id":"THES48937"},{"text":"Animals and Wildlife","id":"THES250852"},{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Military","id":"THES250701"},{"text":"Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project","id":"THES263148"}],"styles":[{"text":"Mughal","id":"AAT18939"},{"text":"Akbar","id":""}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2009BX3690","2006AP7162","2017KL2573"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES403517"},"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. 1590-95","earliest":"1585-01-01","latest":"1595-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from Mrs. Clarke, The Dingle, Sydenham Hill, S. E","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"37.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"page","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"25","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"page","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'tarh Miskina/amal Paras'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"Persian","medium":"ink","method":"","position":"","script":"Persian","translation":"'Composition by Miskina/Painted by Paras'","transliteration":"","type":"Maker's identification","note":"The contemporary attribution in Persian at the bottom of the page, beneath the picture, is written in red ink"}],"objectHistory":"The Akbarnama, or \"Book of Akbar\", was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by 1590 and 1596 and is thought to have been illustrated between ca. 1592 and 1594  by at least forty-nine different artists from Akbar's studio. After Akbar's death in 1605, the manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r.1605-1627) and later Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658). The Victoria and Albert Museum purchased it in 1896 from Mrs. Frances Clarke, the widow of Major General John Clarke, an official who had been the Commissioner in Oudh province between 1858 and 1862.\r\n\r\nHistorical significance: It is thought to be the first illustrated copy of the Akbarnama. It drew upon the expertise of some of the best royal painters of the time, many of whom receive special mention by Abu'l Fazl in the A'in-i-Akbari, the third volume of the Akbarnama. The inscriptions in red ink on the bottom of the paintings refer to the artists and indicate that this was a royal copy.\r\n\r\nPurchased from Mrs. Clarke, The Dingle, Sydenham Hill, S. E. 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\nRegistered Papers: 85488/95","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Painting, <i>Akbarnama,</i> bullocks dragging siege-guns up hill, outline by Miskina, painting by Paras, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca.  1590-95","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Geeti Sen, Paintings from the Akbar Nama, 1984, p. 120, pl. 52, detail pl. 53, p. 122."},{"reference":{"text":"The Indian Heritage. Court life and Arts under Mughal Rule London: The Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982 Number: ISBN 0 906969 26 3","id":"AUTH352798"},"details":"Andrew Topsfield; cat. no. 27. p. 33","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"The art of India and Pakistan, a commemorative catalogue of the exhibition held at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1947-8. Edited by Sir Leigh Ashton. London: Faber and Faber, [1950]","id":"AUTH343744"},"details":"p. 151, cat. no. 670a","free":""}],"production":"Composition by Miskina, colours and details painted by Paras.\r\nAttribution place is likely to be Lahore.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"Bullocks dragging cannons uphill during the siege of Ranthambhor. The bullocks are being driven up a steep incline running diagonally from bottom left to the middle of the page at right. Cannons are firing from the cliff at top left, directed by the Mughal general at top right.","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Rajasthan","id":"x29841"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Fazl, Abu'l","id":"N104"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"bullocks","id":"x47481"},{"text":"cannons","id":"AAT183060"},{"text":"hills","id":"AAT8777"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Akbarnama"],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"BULLOCKS DRAGGING SIEGE GUNS UP A HILL\r\nIllustration to the Akbarnama\r\nOpaque watercolour and gold on paper\r\nMughal, composition by Miskina, painted by Paras\r\nc. 1590-95\r\nIS.2:72-1896\n\r\nAfter hunting at Palam, Akbar set out to capture the Rajput stronghold of Ranthambore. It was seen as impregnable, but was of immense strategic importance to the expanding Mughal empire. The emperor himself led the army to besiege the fortress in February 1569. When the heavy Mughal cannon breached the walls at the end of March, Rai Surjan Hara, the ruler, surrendered.\r\nRAI SURJAN","date":{"text":"27/9/2013","earliest":"2013-09-27","latest":"2013-09-27"}}],"partNumbers":["IS.2:72-1896"],"accessionNumberNum":"2","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1896,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"inscription/original number","id":"THES51028"},"number":"158"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-12","recordCreationDate":"1998-11-11","availableToBook":true}}