{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O9648"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O9648/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009BX3698/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009BX3698/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009BX3698","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB3674","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O9648/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O9648","accessionNumber":"IS.2:53-1896","objectType":"Painting","titles":[{"title":"Wazir Khan and Bahadur Khan","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This illustration to the <i>Akbarnama</i> (<i>Book of Akbar</i>) depicts the fight that took place in 1567 between Wazir Khan and ‘Ali Quli Khan in order to free the captive Mughal noble Asaf Khan. Formerly loyal to the Mughal emperor Akbar (r.1556–1605), Asaf Khan had rebelled and, with his brother Wazir Khan, joined another disloyal faction, headed by ‘Ali Quli Khan and Bahadur Khan. However, they became disaffected with this new alliance and tried to flee, but Asaf Khan was captured, shackled and put inside an elephant litter (seen in the foreground). Wazir Khan attacked the rebels and freed the captive. The overall composition of the painting was designed by the Mughal court artist Jagan, with the details being painted by Narayan, except for the most important portraits which, according to the contemporary inscriptions at the bottom of the page, were done by Madhav the Younger. \r\n\r\nThe <i>Akbarnama</i> was commissioned by Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written in Persian by his court historian and biographer, Abu’l Fazl, between 1590 and 1596, and the V&A’s partial copy of the manuscript is thought to have been illustrated between about 1592 and 1595. This is thought to be the earliest illustrated version of the text, and drew upon the expertise of some of the best royal artists of the time. Many of these are listed by Abu’l Fazl in the third volume of the text, the <i>A’in-i Akbari</i>, and some of these names appear in the V&A illustrations, written in red ink beneath the pictures, showing that this was a royal copy made for Akbar himself. After his death, the manuscript remained in the library of his son Jahangir, from whom it was inherited by Shah Jahan.\r\n\r\nThe V&A purchased the manuscript in 1896 from 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, the fight between Vazir Khan and Bahadur Khan, near Chanar, Mirzapur, in 1565. The image is overlaid by two bands of text extending from the top and from the bottom of the left hand margin.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Jagan","id":"A1588"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"artist, outline"},{"name":{"text":"Narayan","id":"A6115"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":"artist, painting"},{"name":{"text":"Madhav Khord","id":"A6109"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"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":"ELISE","id":"THES48961"},{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Images Online","id":"THES48937"},{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Bonita Trust Indian Paintings Cataloguing Project","id":"THES263148"}],"styles":[{"text":"Mughal","id":"AAT18939"},{"text":"Akbar","id":""}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2009BX3698","2017KB3674"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES403518"},"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":"33.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"20","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","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 Jagan/work [= painting] by Narayan/faces by Madhav the Younger'","transliteration":"'Tarh Jagan/Amal Narayan/Chehra nami Madhav Khord'","type":"Maker's identification","note":"Contemporary librarian's attribution in Persian written beneath the image at the bottom of the page 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>, fight between Wazir Khan and Bahadur Khan, outline by Jagan, painting by Narayan, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Mughal, ca. 1590-95","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"Outline composed by Jagan, painting by Narayan and portraits by Madhav the Younger.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"The fight between Vazir Khan and Bahadur Khan, near Chanar, Mirzapur, in 1565.","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Khan, Bahadur","id":"N114"},{"text":"Khan, Vazir","id":"N133"}],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Fazl, Abu'l","id":"N104"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Akbarnama"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IS.2:53-1896"],"accessionNumberNum":"2","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1896,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"inscription/original number","id":"THES51028"},"number":"137"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-12","recordCreationDate":"1998-11-13","availableToBook":true}}