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Home / IAS Preparation / Medieval History UPSC Notes / Mughal Paintings

Mughal Paintings: Know Its Origin, Key Features, Growth & More - UPSC Notes

Last Updated on Jun 27, 2025
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Mughal paintings refer to a style of miniature painting. They developed during the reign of the Mughal Empire from the 16th to the 18th century. The Mughals patronized painting, literature, and architecture. Mughal emperors established the tradition of miniature painting at their courts. 

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Syllabus

General Studies Paper I

Topics for Prelims

Mughal Paintings

Topics for Mains

The Mughal Empire and its impact on Indian art, Significance of Mughal paintings as a part of India's artistic heritage, reflecting the cultural and artistic developments during the Mughal rule. 
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Mughal paintings show a synthesis of Persian, European, and Indian styles. They are renowned for their brilliance of colour, the delicacy of execution, and the fusion of artistic traditions. This style of miniature painting reached its creative zenith under Akbar and Jahangir.

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Mughal Painting is one of the essential topics for UPSC IAS Aspirants. It is a subpart of Art and Culture. Candidates preparing for UPSC will find it helpful.

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History & Origin of Mughal Paintings

Mughal paintings began in the 16th century during Emperor Akbar’s rule. They blend Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles, often showing court life, battles, and nature.

  • The Delhi Sultanate reigned over most of the Indian subcontinent before the emergence of the Mughal Empire.
  • Miniature painting has developed in many places since the 10th century and flourished in numerous regional courts throughout the Sultanate of Delhi.
  • When Humayun, the second Mughal emperor, returned from exile, he took two renowned Persian artists – Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd al-Samad – with him.
  • These Persian artists created several notable paintings, notably the 'Khamsa of Nizami,' based on Humayun's directions.
  • These paintings strayed from traditional Persian Art, resulting in a new art form called 'Mughal Painting.' Subsequent Mughal kings expanded on the Mughal paintings.
  • The Tutinama ('Tales of a Parrot') Painting is the first example of the Mughal painting style.

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Key Features of Mughal Paintings

Key features of Mughal paintings include detailed portraits, vibrant colors, fine brushwork, and scenes of royal life, battles, and nature. They also show a mix of Persian and Indian styles. Some key features of Mughal paintings are:

  • The Mughal paintings are known as Mughal miniature paintings' because of their small size.
  • Mughal paintings represent a fusion of Persian, Indian, and European styles of Art. They combine miniature traditions of Iran and Central Asia with local Indian traditions.
  • Mughal paintings are known for their lavish use of gold and vibrant colours. The bright pigments create a rich visual canvas.
  • Fine detailing, delicate brushstrokes, and graded shading characterize Mughal paintings. These lend them a majestic quality. The scale was mainly miniature.
  • Mughal paintings depicted court life, royal persons, landscapes, mythological scenes, and events from religious texts.
  • Though not entirely realistic, Mughal paintings aimed for contextual naturalism.
  • Over time, individual painters emerged and developed distinct styles.

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Growth of the Mughal Painting Under Various Mughal Emperors

Mughal painting became popular among monarchs because it allowed them to portray themselves royally. It was also a way for them to show their bravery and accomplishments.

Let's look at how Mughal painting evolved and grew during the reigns of several Mughal kings.

Growth of Mughal Paintings under Akbar

  • Akbar was a great patron of the arts, and Mughal painting flourished during his reign.
  • He commissioned many paintings and paid close attention to the details.
  • Some of the most famous Mughal paintings were commissioned by Akbar, including the "Tutinama" and the "Hamzanama."
  • Both Persian and Indian art traditions influenced Akbar's painters.
  • They developed a unique painting style characterized by rich colours, delicate brushwork, and complex compositions.

Growth of Mughal Paintings under Jahangir

  • Jahangir was also interested in the arts, and Mughal painting flourished during his reign.
  • He was influenced by European painting and instructed his painters to use a single-point perspective.
  • As a result, Mughal paintings under Jahangir tended to have finer brushwork and warmer colours.
  • Jahangir's painters also began experimenting with new techniques, such as shading and shadow.

Growth of Mughal Paintings under Shah Jahan

  • Shah Jahan commissioned a large number of paintings for his library.
  • These paintings were influenced by themes such as gardens and flowers.
  • The "Padshahnama" was one of the most important works produced during his reign. It was a luxurious work that detailed the king's accomplishments.
  • Shah Jahan's painters were known for their attention to detail and vibrant colours.

Growth of Mughal Paintings under Aurangzeb

  • Aurangzeb did not support or encourage any Art, including painting.
  • However, some of the best Mughal arts were created during his reign.
  • These paintings were made by veteran painters who realized that Aurangzeb would eventually order the closing of the workshops.
  • These paintings were characterized by their use of bold colours and their realistic portrayal of people and events.

Growth of Mughal Paintings under Muhammad Shah

  • Muhammad Shah patronized the arts, and Mughal painting experienced a brief renaissance during his reign.
  • He employed two of the best artists of the time, Nidha Mal and Chitarman.
  • Their paintings often featured scenes from the royal court, feasts, festivals, the king's hunting experiences, and dangerous pastimes like hawking.

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Process of Mughal Paintings

The process of Mughal paintings involved sketching, coloring with natural dyes, and detailed brushwork by skilled artists. Multiple artists often worked on a single painting for perfection.

  • Most Mughal miniature paintings we encounter originated within manuscripts and royal albums, wherein visual and textual elements coexisted within a defined format. 
  • A specific procedure was followed to create these book paintings. 
  • First, sheets of handmade paper were meticulously prepared and trimmed to match the manuscript's dimensions. 
  • A designated space was reserved for the artist to craft an appropriate visual composition. Subsequently, the pages were ruled and filled with text. 
  • Once the textual content had been inscribed, it was handed over to the artist, who created a condensed visual representation of the written material. 
  • The artist embarked on a journey that encompassed various stages, commencing with the composition itself (referred to as "tar"), then moving on to portraits ("chiharanama"), and ultimately culminating in the application of colours ("randomize").

Techniques and Colours Used in Mughal Paintings

  • Artists in the Mughal atelier were skilled in both painting and colour production.
  • Mughal paintings were created on handmade paper crafted explicitly for this purpose.
  • The colours used were opaque and sourced from natural materials, with ground pigments mixed to achieve precise shades.
  • Brushes made from squirrel or kitten hair were employed to apply the paint.
  • In workshop settings, the painting was a collaborative effort among artists, with tasks such as basic draft drawing, colour grinding, filling, and adding details typically divided among them.
  • However, some paintings may have been created by a single artist.
  • Early Mughal artworks resulted from teamwork, with each artist specializing in a particular aspect of the painting based on their comfort and expertise.
  • Artists received incentives and salary increments based on their contributions to the work.
  • The recorded names of master artists indicate their position and importance in the royal atelier.
  • After completion, agate, a gemstone, was used to burnish the painting to set the colours and enhance its radiance.
  • Various pigments and colours were derived from natural sources, including vermilion from cinnabar, ultramarine from Lapiz Lazuli, bright yellow from orpiment, shells for white, and lampblack from charcoal.
  • Gold and silver powders were mixed with colours or sprinkled on paintings to add extravagance.

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Major Painters During Mughal Period

Major painters during the Mughal period included Abd al-Samad, Mir Sayyid Ali, Basawan, and Daswanth. They served in royal courts and created detailed artworks under emperors like Akbar and Jahangir.

  • Each painting project required the collaboration of multiple artists, each with specific roles.
  • Some artists focused on the composition, others handled the actual painting, and a third group concentrated on intricate details.
  • Initially, Persian painters, like Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd al-Samad, played pivotal roles in the evolution of Mughal painting in India.
  • In the 16th and 17th centuries, painters like Daswanth, Basawan, Miskin, and Lal were instrumental in sustaining Mughal Art in the court.
  • During Akbar's rule, an artist named Kesu Das introduced European techniques into Mughal paintings.
  • The renowned painter Govardhan worked under three significant Mughal emperors: Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan.
  • Other notable Mughal artists included Kamal, Mushfiq, and Fazl.
  • As the Mughal Empire declined, many artists, including Bhawanidas and Dalchand, found employment in Rajput courts.

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The Decline of Mughal Painting

Mughal painting declined in the late 18th century due to weak emperors, loss of royal patronage, and British influence. Regional styles gradually replaced the rich Mughal art tradition.

  • Unfortunately, the Mughal paintings began to decline after Muhammad Shah's death.
  • Various additional schools of painting with Mughal influence evolved in several provincial courts during the Mughal Empire's decay, including Rajput and Pahari paintings.
  • Almost all genres of Indian painting were influenced by Western Art after the arrival of the British East India Company.
  • With the arrival of Shah Alam II, Art had practically vanished, and new schools of painting, known as Rajput paintings, began to emerge.

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Conclusion

The Mughal art, on the other hand, had left an indelible impression and spread to several local courts. Many Hindu paintings depicting the Ramayana and Mahabharata have Mughal influences, as many were made during the peak of the Mughal school of painting.

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Mughal Painting FAQs

Keshav Das made an early self-portrait in which he is the sole subject and a later piece in which he shares the platform with his emperor and patron, Akbar.

Among the various Mughal paintings are amzanama, Tutinama, Baburnama, Tarikh-i Alfi, Razmnama, and others. Mughal painting is distinguished by its fusion of Persian and Indian traditions. The illustration of the HamzaNama was the first important undertaking performed during Akbar's reign.

The art of Pietradura, the concept of divinity in Mughal paintings, three-dimensional techniques, and foreshortening were all introduced by Europeans, demonstrating the impact of European skills. The Europeans also introduced the influence of light and shade. Oil painting is another European technique that has been adopted.

The Mughal miniature painting style was notable for fusing indigenous themes and styles with Persian and later European themes and styles. The arts of this time period display a blend of European and indigenous influences.

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