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Frontispiece. 


A-2     A  Persian  Painting 

Ettrlv  i8M  centiirv. 


CATALOGUE  OF  PAINTINGS 

IN  THE  CENTRAL  MUSEUM 
LAHORE. 


BY 

S.  N.  GUPTA, 

Assistant  Principal : 
Mayo  School  of  Arts.     Lahore. 


CALCUTTA  : 

PRINTED  AT  THE  BAPTIST  MISSION    PRESS. 
1922. 


N 

5750 


PREFACE. 

THE  bulk  of  the  paintings  mentioned  in  this  catalogue 
was  collected  from  time  to  time  by  different  curators  of 
this  Museum.  The  collection  has  since  been  developed 
and  materially  improved  by  Mr.  Lionel  Heath  the  present 
curator,  and  it  may  be  hoped  that  in  course  of  time  it  will 
become  a  more  representative  gallery  of  Indian  miniature 
paintings. 

Only  those  drawings  and  pictures  which  are  exhibited 
are  listed  in  this  catalogue.  Others  which  are  kept  in 
portfolios  in  the  Museum  Office  are  not  worthy  of  inclu- 
sion in  it. 

The  general  arrangement  and  classification  of  the 
drawings  and  paintings  is  according  to  chronological  order 
of  the  subjects  and  in  case  of  portraits  genealogical  order 
has  been  maintained  as  far  as  possible  to  give  them  a  his- 
torical interest.  It  has  not  been  possible  to  get  autho- 
ritative particulars,  up  to  the  time  of  going  to  press,  about 
some  of  the  portraits.  The  inscriptions  on  pictures  are 
not  always  reliable  and  are  sometimes  ambiguous.  For 
this  reason  it  often  becomes  extremely  difficult  to  identify 
a  portrait  when  there  is  more  than  one  person  having  the 
same  name.  Pictures  having  little  or  no  historical  interest 
have  been  exhibited  mainly  on  account  of  their  artistic 
merits  with  a  view  to  help  to  the  understanding  and  ap- 
preciation of  Indian  pictorial  art. 

Ordinarily  caligraphy  should  be  considered  with 
manuscripts,  but  a  few  typical  specimens  of  illuminated 
works  of  caligraphy  have  been  included  in  this  cata- 
logue with  a  view  to  demonstrate  their  relation  with  the 
Moghal  paintings.  The  Moghal  art  of  caligraphy  is  as  im- 
portant as  painting.  Some  of  the  best  illuminated  works 


IV 


possess  the  beauty  and  draftmanship  of  the  best  Moghal 
miniatures. 

The  object  of  exhibiting  the  series  of  drawings  and 
unfinished  paintings  is  to  show  the  method  employed  in 
painting  and  copying  pictures.  The  drawings  may  not 
appeal  to  a  careless  observer  but  they  are  of  great  interest 
to  artists  and  students  of  Indian  art.  It  is  often  an 
artist's  drawing  which  speaks  more  clearly  of  his  ideals  and 
aspirations  than  his  finished  paintings. 

With  regard  to  portraits  it  is  of  interest  to  note 
that  portraiture  was  one  of  the  principal  arts  of  the 
Moghal,  Rajput  and  Punjab  Hill  Schools  of  painting. 
The  Sikh  School  is  a  school  almost  exclusively  of  portraits. 
From  the  purely  realistic  standpoint  these  portraits  may 
be  said  to  be  defective  as  they  embody  certain  man- 
nerisms which  render  them  more  or  less  conventional. 
But  in  spite  of  this  conventionality  Indian  portraits  are 
essentially  correct  representations  of  the  persons  they 
portray,  for  otherwise  it  is  unlikely  that  such  a  large 
number  of  portraits  would  have  been  painted.  Literary 
references  show  that  both  the  Moghal  and  Sikh  artists  used 
to  draw  from  life  and  it  may  be  reasonably  assumed  that 
this  practice  of  drawing  portraits  from  life  may  also  have 
been  in  vogue  in  Rajputana  and  in  the  Punjab  hills. 

Very  few  of  the  portraits  in  this  collection  are  con- 
temporaneous with  the  persons  represented,  but  most  of 
them  are  probably  faithful  copies  of  earlier  and  authentic 
portraits.  Other  pictures  have  been  dated  after  taking  into 
consideration  the  different  styles  of  painting  the  periods  of 
which  have  been  more  or  less  ascertained  with  accuracy. 

The  catalogue  covers  a  considerable  field  and  it  may 
contain  some  mistakes.  I  shall  feel  grateful  for  correc- 
tions. 

S.  N.  GUPTA. 


NOTE. 

Through  an  oversight  the  plates  have  been  wrongly  numbered, 
in  consequence  of  which  it  has  not  been  possible  to  place  them  in 
accordance  with  the  serial  number  they  bear.  The  author  very 
much  regrets  that  this  should  have  happened,  and  expects  that 
readers  will  kindly  overlook  this  defect. 


ERRATA. 

P.    37,  1.  17.  For  but  was  read  but  it  was. 

P.    52,  1.    3.  For  Treasurer  to  read  Treasurer. 

P.  115, 1.    7.  For  Phulasajyya  read  Phulasajjya. 

P.  122,  1.    9.  For  varandah  read  verandah. 

P.  123,  1.  19.  For  is  read  are. 

P.  131,  1.    2.  For  clothmonnted  read  cloth  mounted 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

A-2  A  PERSIAN  PAINTING  (in  colours)         . .  Frontispiece 

6-17  A  PORTRAIT  OF  DURBAR  KHAN  ..  Facing  page  12 

3-48  A  PORTRAIT  OF  FARRUKH  SIYAR          ..  ,,         20 

B-55  A  PORTRAIT  OF  AHMAD  SHAH  DURRANI  „         22 

6-85  A  PORTRAIT  OF  JEHANGIR  (in  colours)  , ,         26 

C--i  THE  VIRGIN  MARY  (in  colours)  , .          . .  ,,         29 

D-i  A  PORTRAIT  OF  RAN  JIT  SINGH  ..         ..  ,,         37 

D-ioo  A  PORTRAIT  OF  RAJA  PARKASH  CHAND  „  62 

K-i8  THE  RETURN  OF  RAMA   ..         ..         ..  ,,         77 

F-38  GURU  NANAK  PREACHING          ..         ..  ,,  91 

G-6  PLAYING  BALI, „  99 

H-i  A  PORTRAIT  OF  RAO  CHAND      ..         ..  ,,  105 

H-3O  BOAR  HUNT          . .         . .         . .         . .  „  107 

1-3  RADHA  AND  KRISHNA  UNDER  A  TREE  (in  colours)  112 

1-5  KRISHNA  WITH  THE  FLUTE         ..         ..  ,,  113 

1-22  THE    PHULASAJJYA   OF   RADHA  AND   KRISHNA 

(in  colours)        ..          .,          ..          ..  „  115 

J-3  SHOEING  OF  A  HORSE      ..         ..         . ;  ,,-  119 

J-2i  MUSICIANS  ENTERTAINING  A  HILL  CHIEF  ,,  122 

J-36  CARICATURE  OF  VAISHNAVAS      . .         . .  „  126 

K-2  KALI  SLAYING  ASURAS  (in  colours)       ..  ,,  131 

K~4i  THE  GODDESS  SHY  AM  A    „„         ..         ..  ,,  133 

Q-2i  FIVE  PORTRAITS    ,.         ..         ..         ..  ,,  134 

0-7  CHAITANYA  LEAVING  HOME        . .         . .  „  154 


PERSIAN  AND  I-NDO-PERSIAN  DRAWINGS 
AND  PAINTINGS. 


PERSIAN   AND    INDO-PERSIAN    DRAWINGS   AND 

PAINTINGS. 

A-  i  to  A-4    Four  Persian  Paintings.    A-4  on  the  back  of  A-i. 

Persian  ;  early  i6th  century. 
A-  5  Battle  scene. 

Persian  ;  early  i6th  century. 
A-  6  King  Afrasyab. 

Afrasyab,  a  mythical  king  of  Turan,  receiving 
the  news  of  the  death  of  his  enemy  Manuchehr, 
one  of  the  legendary  kings  of  Persia. 

Indo-  Persian  ;  late  i6th  century. 

A-  7  A  prince  and  his  tutor. 

Moghal  ;  early  or  middle  xyth  century. 

A-  S  Khusrau  listening  to  the  music  of  Barbad. 

An  episode  from  Nizami's  Khusrau  and  Shirin. 
Persian  ;  late  I5th  century. 

A-  9  to  A-  1  1    Three  illustrations  from  a  Persian   manuscript. 
Debased  Persian  style.         Early  i8th  century. 

A-  12  A  led  horse. 

Persian;  middle  i6th  century. 

A-  13  A    book    illustration    probably    representing    an 

episode  from  the  Shah  Namah. 

Indo-Persian  ;  early  lyth  century. 


A-  1  4  A  rider.     Moghal  with  Persian  influence. 

Early  i7th  century. 


A  -15  An  episode  from  Nizami's  Khusrau  and  Shirin. 

Khusrau,  on  his  way  to  Armenia,  sees  Shirin 
bathing.  Persian ;  late  i6th  century. 

A-i6  to  A-I7    Portraits.     A-iy  on  the  back  of  A-i6. 

Persian ;  early  i6th  century. 


PORTRAITS  OF  MOGHAL  EMPERORS 
AND  NOBLEMEN. 


PORTRAITS  OF  MOGHAL  EMPERORS  AND 
NOBLEMEN. 

B-  i        King  Iraj  on  horseback. 

Faridoon,  the  legendary  hero  of  Persia,  had  three 
sons.  He  divided  his  kingdom  among  them.  Persia,  the 
seat  of  royalty,  was  given  to  Iraj,  whereupon  a  quarrel 
ensued  between  the  two  elder  brothers  and  Iraj.  Iraj 
was  eventually  slain  and  his  head  sent  to  his  father 
Faridoon. 

Perhaps  no  authenticity  could  be  ascribed  to  the 
portrait  as  apparently  it  is  not  a  Persian  work. 

Moghal ;  i8th  century. 

B-  2        Alexander  the  Great. 

Invaded  India  in  326  B.C.  He  crossed  the  Indus 
near  Attock  and  defeated  Porus  on  the  Jhelum.  Alex- 
ander reinstated  Porus  on  the  throne  of  his  ancestors  and 
bound  him  by  ties  of  friendship.  He  advanced  as  far  as 
the  Beas  where  his  Indian  campaign  terminated,  as  his 
troops  refused  to  go  any  further.  He  turned  to  the 
south  and  made  his  way  through  the  Punjab  and  down 
the  Indus  to  the  sea. 

This  is  perhaps  an  imaginary  portrait. 

A  Kangra  copy  from  a  Moghal  painting. 

Middle  igth  century. 

B-  3        Chingiz  Khan. 

Chingiz  Khan,  the  Mongol  conqueror,  ravaged  por- 
tions of  the  western  Punjab  in  1221. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  the  portrait  is  that  of  the 
Mongol  Emperor  or  of  a  grandee  of  Akbar's  time  of  the 
same  name. 


8 

B-  4        Sultan  Nasir-ud-din  Mahmud. 

Son  of  Sultan  Shams-ud-din  Altamash.  Succeeded 
to  the  throne  of  Delhi  in  1246,  reigned  twenty  years  and 
died  in  1266.  He  was  succeeded  by  Sultan  Ghayas-ud- 
din  B  alb  an. 

B-  5        Sultan  Ghayas-ud-din  Balban. 

It  was  the  favour  of  Sultan  Altamash  that  brought 
Ghayas-ud-din  to  the  throne  of  Delhi.  In  his  youth  he 
was  sold  as  a  slave  to  the  Sultan  of  Delhi  who  recog- 
nising his  merits  freed  him  from  the  bondage  of  slavery, 
gradually  raised  him  to  the  rank  of  a  noble  and  gave 
him  his  daughter  in  marriage.  When  Nasir-ud-din 
Mahmud  became  the  Sultan  of  Delhi 3  Ghayas-ud-din  was 
appointed  his  wazir.  After  Mahmud's  death  he  ascend- 
ed the  throne  of  his  master  and  reigned  for  twenty 
years,  from  1266  to  1286. 

B-  6        Sultan  Usman  of  Bokhara. 

The  first  Sultan  of  the  Turks  and  founder  of  the 
Ottoman  power.  He  is  said  to  have  reigned  from  1289 
to  1327. 

B-  7        Firoz  Shah  Tughlaq. 

He  was  the  nephew  of  Sultan  Ghayas-ud-din 
Tughlaq  and  cousin  to  Sultan  Muhammad  Tughlaq 
whom  he  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  Delhi  in  1351  and 
reigned  till  1388.  Very  few  Muhammadan  rulers  have 
been  as  just  and  enlightened  as  he.  He  constructed 
numerous  buildings  and  canals  and  founded  Ferozabad 
near  Delhi  whose  ruins  are  still  to  be  seen.  Being  very 
religiously  disposed  he  resigned  in  1387  the  reigns  of 
sovereignty  to  his  intemperate  and  pleasure-seeking  son 
Nasir-ud-din  Muhammad.  But  the  son  proved  entirely 
incapable  of  managing  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom  and 


9 

Firoz  Shah  a  ad  to  resume  his  authority  and  reigned  till 
the  end  of  his  days. 

B-  8        Amir  Timur. 

A  veil  of  obscurity  covers  Amir  Timur 's  ancestry. 
Some  say  he  was  the  son  of  a  shepherd }  while  others 
contend  that  he  was  of  Mongol  lineage.  Timur  is  how- 
ever known  to  students  of  history  not  as  a  man  of  obs- 
cure parentage  but  as  the  ancestor  of  the  Moghal 
Emperors  of  Delhi.  In  1398  he  came  to  India  and 
sacked  Delhi  then  ruled  over  by  Mahmud,  the  last  of 
the  Tughlaqs. 

B-  9        Miran  Shah  Mirza. 

He  was  the  eldest  surviving  son  of  Amir  Timur. 
During  the  lifetime  of  his  father  he  was  entrusted  with 
the  government  of  Iraq,  Syria  and  a  few  other  places. 
He  was  slain  shortly  after  his  father's  death. 

B-io        Babur. 

Babur,  the  sixth  in  descent  from  Amir  Timur,  was 
the  first  Moghal  emperor  of  Delhi.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  undaunted  leaders  of  his  age.  When  he  was  twelve 
years  of  age  he  succeeded  his  father  as  king  of  Farghana. 
Two  years  later  he  tried  to  seize  Samarkand  but  was  not 
only  unsuccessful  in  getting  it  but  even  lost  his  own 
kingdom.  Failure  however  did  not  depress  him  and  he 
fought  with  varying  success  for  eleven  years  with  Tartar 
and  Uzbak  princes  but  was  ultimately  obliged  to  fly  to 
Kabul  which  he  seized  without  much  opposition.  It 
was  from  Kabul  that  he  invaded  India  for  the  first  time 
in  1519,  for  the  second  time  in  1526  when  he  defeated 
the  Pathan  Sultan  of  Delhi,  Ibrahim  Lodhi  at  Panipat. 
In  1527  he  overthrew  the  Rajput  confederacy  under 
Rana  Sanga  of  Chitor.  He  died  in  1530. 


10 

B-II        Humayun. 

He  was  the  eldest  son  and  successor  of  Babur.  De- 
feated by  Sher  Shah  Sur  in  1540,  he  sought  for  a  refuge 
from  place  to  place  till  at  last  he  was  obliged  to  quit 
the  kingdom  and  seek  the  protection  of  Shah  Tahmaspof 
Persia.  After  a  period  of  fifteen  years  he  returned  to 
India  and  regained  the  sovereignty  he  had  lost.  He  was 
killed  in  1556  by  a  fall  down  a  staircase. 

B-I2        Islam  Shah  Sur. 

He  was  the  younger  son  of  Sher  Shah,  who  turned 
Humayun  out  of  his  kingdom.  Islam  Shah  ascended  the 
throne  of  Delhi  and  reigned  from  1545  to  1554. 

B-i3        Akbar. 

Son  and  successor  of  Humayun.  When  Humayun 
regained  his  kingdom  he  sent  Akbar  with  Bairam  Khan 
against  Sher  Shah.  While  Akbar  was  at  Kalanur  he 
heard  of  his  father's  death.  Bairam  Khan  and  other 
officers  raised  him  to  the  imperial  throne  of  Delhi. 
Akbar  was  only  thirteen  years  old  at  that  time.  Bairam 
Khan  as  regent  to  Akbar  began  to  take  undue  advantage 
over  Akbar  whereupon  the  latter  in  his  seventeenth  year 
took  the  management  of  the  empire  entirely  into  his  own 
hands.  Before  Akbar,  the  Moghal  emperors  of  Delhi  were 
rulers  of  only  the  country  round  Delhi  and  Agra.  But 
Akbar  was  the  first  to  foresee  that  if  the  Moghals  were  to 
make  their  position  secure  in  India,  they  must  count  on 
the  loyalty  not  only  of  their  own  men  but  also  of  others. 
The  first  few  years  of  Akbar 's  reign  were  spent  in  secur- 
ing the  loyalty  of  his  immediate  followers.  When  he 
'  was  in  a  position  to  count  upon  their  loyalty  he  turned  his 
attention  to  the  principal  chieftains  of  India.  The  Raj- 
put princes  were  the  most  chivalrous  rulers  whom  Akbar 
wanted  to  bring  under  his  feudal  overlordship.  He 
captured  Chitor  in  1568  and  was  partly  successful  in 


11 

making  an  alliance  with  the  Rajputs.  Next  he  brought 
Guzrat,  Bengal,  Sindh  and  Kashmir  under  his  subjuga- 
tion. It  was  in  his  reign  that  the  campaign  against 
Ahmednagar  was  made.  The  first  siege  however  was  not 
successful.  Chand  Bibi's  heroic  defence  saved  Ahmed- 
nagar and  it  was  not  till  she  was  killed  in  the  second  siege 
that  Ahmednagar  fell.  With  the  fall  of  Ahmednagar, 
Bijapur  and  Golconda  submitted  to  the  supremacy  of  the 
Moghal  emperor.  Akbar  set  his  face  against  bigotry  and 
intolerance  which  were  so  strongly  nurtured  by  his  ances- 
tors. He  tried  to  conciliate  all  classes  of  his  subjects 
irrespective  of  caste,  creed  or  religion.  He  married  Raj- 
put princesses.  He  is  said  to  have  renounced  Islam  and 
promulgated  the  Din-i-Ilahi — the  faith  divine.  It  was 
the  possession  of  such  a  conciliatory  and  catholic  spirit 
that  made  Akbar  the  greatest  of  all  the  Moghals. 

B-i4        Raja    Todar  Mai. 

Amongst  Akbar 's  ministers  Raja  Todar  Mai  was 
perhaps  the  ablest.  His  brilliant  talent  made  him.  rise 
from  a  humble  position  to  that  of  minister  of  finance. 
He  was  a  native  of  Ignore  and  died  in  that  place  in 

1589- 

B-i5        Mirza  Shahrukh. 

He  was  a  descendant  of  Amir  Timur.  About  the 
year  1575  he  took  possession  of  Badakhshan  and  reigned 
for  about  ten  years.  In  1585  Abdullah  Khan  Uzbak 
conquered  Badakhshan  and  drove  out  Mirza  Shahrukh 
from  the  province.  Shahrukh  came  to  India  and  was 
kindly  received  by  Akbar  who  gave  him  his  daughter 
Shakar-un-Nisa  in  marriage.  He  died  in  1607. 

B-i6        Mullah  Do-Piaza. 

He  was  a  celebrated  wit  of  Akbar' s  court.  He  was 
born  in  Arabia  and  came  to  India  in  the  train  of  one  of 


12 

Humayun's  generals.  He  derived  his  name  of  Do-Piaza 
from  his  fondness  for  a  dish  of  meat  of  that  name. 
Many  humerous  stories  attributed  to  him  are  current  even 
to  this  day. 

B-i7        Durbar  Khan. 

A  story-teller  in  the  imperial  court  of  Akbar.  He 
is  said  to  have  been  buried,  according  to  his  own  wishes 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  a  tomb  erected  by  Akbar 
over  the  remains  of  a  favourite  dog. 

B-i8        Nawab  Mukim  Khan. 

An  equestrian  portrait  of  Nawab  Mukim  Ithan  who 
held  high  military  rank  during  the  reign  of  Akbar  and 
Jehangir. 

B-IQ        Jehangir. 

The  son  and  successor  of  Akbar.  He  gave  Akbar 
considerable  trouble  by  trying  to  secure  independence. 
The  blackest  deed  that  remains  as  a  blot  on  his  name  is 
the  assassination  of  Abul  Fazl,  the  faithful  friend  and  his- 
torian of  his  illustrious  father.  Earty  in  his  youth  he 
fell  in  love  with  Mehr-un-Nisa,  afterwards  Nur  Jehan, 
but  Akbar  did  not  allow  him  to  marry  her.  She  was 
married  to  Sher  Afghan.  But  this  did  not  abate  the 
passion  of  the  prince.  As  soon  as  Jehangir  ascended  the 
throne  of  Delhi  he  had  Sher  Afghan  killed  Mehr-un-Nisa 
was  seized  and  brought  to  Delhi  and  Jehangir  married 
her  in  the  sixth  year  of  his  reign,  changing  her  name  to 
Nur  Jehan,  the  lyight  of  the  World. 

It  was  in  the  court  of  Jehangir  that  Sir  Thomas  Roe 
visited  the  Moghal  emperor  as  an  ambassador  of  James  I. 
Jehangir  died  in  1627.  He  lies  buried  at  Shahdara,  near 
Lahore. 


B-17     Durbar  Khan 

\Ju°hal :  lute  i6th  century. 


Plate  II. 


13 

B-20        Nur  Jehan. 

Nur  Jehan— the  Light  of  the  World.  No  other 
woman  ever  held  such  a  position  in  the  history  of  the 
Moghals  Her  story  is  a  wonderful  romance.  She  was 
born  at  Kandahar  while  her  father  Ghiyas  Beg,  after- 
wards Itimad-ud-daula,  a  Persian  noble  was  flying  to 
India  from  his  native  country.  Ghiyas  Beg  entered  the 
service  of  Akbar  and  received  royal  favour.  Jehangir  as 
a  prince  saw  Nur  Jehan,  then  Mehr-un-Nisa,  for  the  first 
time  in  the  royal  seraglio.  Her  wonderful  beauty  and 
brilliant  accomplishments  so  captivated  him  that  after 
her  marriage  to  him  she  became  the  head  of  the  govern- 
ment. With  the  death  of  Jehangir  her  influence  came  to 
an  end.  A  humble  tomb,  recently  repaired  and  reno- 
vated, at  Shahdara  marks  her  resting  place. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that   in  the  portrait  Nur 
Jehan  has  been  painted  dark. 
B-2i         Portrait.     (May  be  either  of  Akbar  or  Jehangir.) 

B-22        Sher  Afghan  Khan. 

Sher  Afgan,  the  first  husband  of  Nur  Jehan,  was 
renowned  for  his  extraordinary  bravery.  His  original 
name  was  Ali  Quli  Beg,  but  having  killed  a  lion  was 
dignified  with  the  title  of  Sher  Afghan  Khan.  He  served 
in  the  wars  of  Akbar  with  distinction  and  had  a  Jagir 
at  Burdwan,  Bengal,  where  he  was  slain  in  1607. 

6-23        Asaf  Khan. 

The  son  of  Itimad-ud-daula.  He  was  the  father  of 
Mumtaz  Mahal— the  lady  of  the  Taj.  After  his  father's 
death  he  was  appionted  Wazir  by  Jehangir.  He  died  in 
1641  and  was  buried  at  Shahdara,  near  Lahore. 

B-24  Mirza  Shahryar. 

The  youngest  son  of  Jehangir.  He  was  married  to 
the  daughter  of  Nur  Jehan  by  her  first  husband  Sher 


14 

Afghan  Khan.  Nur  Jehan's  ambition  was  to  secure  the 
succession  to  him  but  Shahryar  was  a  notorious  imbecile. 
On  the  death  of  Jehangir  he  seized  the  royal  treasure  at 
Lahore  and  marched  out  to  oppose  Asaf  Khan,  Nur 
Jehan' s  brother,  who  had  proclaimed  Dawar  Bakhsh, 
surnamed  Bulaki,  the  king.  Shahryar  was  defeated, 
imprisoned  and  blinded.  Later  on  he  was  put  to  death 
by  the  order  of  Shah  Jehan. 

B-25         Jodh  Bai. 

Her  maiden  name  was  Balmati.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Raja  Udai  Singh  of  Jodhpur.  She  was  married  to 
Jehangir  and  received  the  name  of  Jodh  Bai  in  the  royal 
seraglio  because  she  was  a  princess  of  ]  odhpur.  She  was 
the  mother  of  Shah  Jehan.  She  took  poison  at  Agra  in 
1619  and  lies  buried  in  Sohagpura,  a  village  founded  by 
her 

B-26        Shah  Jehan. 

Son  of  Jehangir.  At  the  time  of  the  death  of  his 
father  he  was  absent  in  the  Deccan.  Asaf  Khan  the 
brother  of  Nur  Jehan  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  secur- 
ing the  throne  of  Delhi  for  him.  He  was  the  most 
magnificent  of  all  the  Moghal  rulers.  The  architectural 
triumph  of  the  Moghals  reached  its  zenith  during  his 
reign.  The  famous  peacock  throne  adorned  his  court. 
The  inimitable  Taj  was  his  creation.  The  closing  years 
of  Shah  Jehan 's  life  were  full  of  deep  tragedy.  After  a 
prosperous  reign  of  thirty  years  he  was  confined  in  a 
prison  for  nearly  eight  years  by  his  son  Aurangzib  till  in 
1666  death  set  him  at  liberty.  He  was  buried  in  the 
Taj  by  the  side  of  Mamtaj  Mahal. 

B-27        Shah  Jehan  in  Durbar. 

The  figures  of  Sadullah  Khan,  Mahabat  Khan  and 
Salabat  Khan  are  labelled. 


15 

Sadullah  Khan  was  one  of  the  most  famous  ministers 
in  Moghal  history.  He  served  both  under  Shah  Jehan 
and  Aurangzib.  Died  in  1656. 

Mahabat  Khan,  a  native  of  Kabul,  was  one  of  the 
most  eminent  soldiers  of  the  time  of  Jehangir  and  Shah 
Jehan.  He  entered  the  Moghal  court  during  the  reign  of 
Akbar,  and  became  a  power  in  the  time  of  Jehangir. 
Shah  Jehan  conferred  on  him  the  high  responsibility 
of  the  government  of  Delhi.  Died  in  1634. 

Salabat  Khan  held  the  office  of  Mir  Bakshi  or  pay- 
master-general in  the  time  of  Shah  Jehan.  Killed  in 
1644  by  Amar  Singh  Rathor. 

B-28        Dara  Shikoh  and  Bawa  Lai  Dayal. 

Dara  was  the  eldest  son  of  Shah  Jehan.  The  life 
and  the  violent  end  of  Dara  are  full  of  tragic  events. 
His  religious  toleration,  his  broad  and  catholic  sympa- 
thies make  him  a  worthy  descendant  of  Akbar.  But 
destiny  had  reserved  for  him  a  grim  fate.  In  the  life- 
time of  his  father  a  great  battle  was  fought  between 
Dara  Shikoh  and  Aurangzib  for  the  imperial  throne. 
Dara  was  defeated  and  subsequently  murdered  in  1659. 
It  is  said  his  head  was  brought  to  Aurangzib  on  a 
platter. 

Bawa  Lai  Dayal,  a  notable  Hindu  spiritual  leader, 
flourished  nearSirhind  in  the  Punjab.  Dara  Shikoh  was 
one  of  his  admirers. 

B-2Q        Suleman  Shikoh. 

After  Dara  Shikoh's  death  Aurangzib  turned  his 
attention  to  Dara's  son.  Suleman  Shikoh,  Dara's  eldest 
son  was  imprisoned  in  the  fort  of  Gwalior  where  he  died 
within  a  short  space  of  time. 

6-30        Khalil-ullah  Khan. 

When  Jehangir  was  confined  by  Mahabat  Khan, 
Khalil-ullah  Khan  was  with  him.  Under  Shah  Jehan  he 


16 

rose  to  high  office  and  was  appointed  governor  of  Delhi. 
In  the  battle  between  Aurangzib  and  Dara  Shikoh  he 
was  on  the  side  of  Dara,  but  remained  purposely  inactive 
throughout  the  engagement.  This  treachery  made  him 
a  favourite  of  Aurangzib  under  whom  he  received  fresh 
honour  and  became  governor  of  the  Punjab.  He  died  in 
1662. 

B-3i        Nawab  Lutf-ullah  Khan. 

Nawab  Lutf-ullah  Khan  was  the  son  of  Sadullah 
Khan,  the  Wazir  of  Shah  Jehan.  Under  Aurangzib  he 
distinguished  himself  at  the  siege  of  Golconda  in  1687 
and  was  raised  to  high  rank.  He  died  in  1702  while 
engaged  in  besieging  the  fort  of  Gandana  in  the  Deccan. 

B-32        Aurangzib. 

The  third  son  of  Shan  Jehan  and  Mumtaz  Mahal. 
On  his  accession  to  the  throne  he  took  the  title  of  Alam- 
gir.  The  circumstances  relating  to  his  accession  were  as 
eventful  as  they  were  crueL  Shah  Jehan  had  four  sons, 
Dara  Shikoh,  Murad  Bakhsh,  Aurangzib  and  Shah 
Shujah.  Of  these  Dara  Shikoh  the  eldest  was  the  pros- 
pective heir  apparent.  Before  he  aspired  to  the  imperial 
throne  Aurangzib  had  been  busy  in  making  expeditions 
against  Balkh  and  Kandahar.  But  his  attempts  were 
unsuccessful  and  in  1655  he  returned  to  the  Deccan  and 
gained  some  easy  victories  over  the  kingdoms  of  Golconda 
and  Bijapur.  In  1658  Shah  Jehan  became  seriously  ill 
and  the  internecine  struggle  among  his  sons  for  the  coveted 
throne  of  Delhi  began.  In  conjunction  with  his  brother 
Murad  Bakhsh,  Aurangzib  seized  Agra  and  made  his 
father,  the  old  Shah  Jehan,  a  prisoner.  .  He  did  not 
remain  faithful  even  to  Murad  who  had  taken  his  side. 
Murad  too  was  imprisoned  soon  after.  Next  he  defeated 
Dara  Shikoh  in  battle.  Dara  fled  towards  Sindh  but 
was  captured  and  put  to  death.  Shah  Shuja,  the  last 


17 

brother,  was  driven  into  Arakan  from  where  he  never 
returned.  All  obstacles  being  thus  removed  the  trium- 
phant Aurangzib  proclaimed  himself  emperor. 

The  most  eventful  thing  in  his  reign  was  the  rise  of 
the  Maharatha  power  under  Sivaji.  Bijapur  and  Gol- 
conda  became  Sivaji's  tributaries  and  affairs  in  the 
Deccan  became  so  serious  that  the  emperor  himself  had 
to  take  the  field  in  1681  and  during  the  last  twenty- six 
years  of  his  life  he  was  engaged  in  constant  warfare.  He 
died  in  1707. 

3-33        Zeb-un-Nisa. 

The  talented  daughter  of  Aurangzib.  She  was  well 
versed  in  Persian  and  Arabic  and  received  a  reward  of 
30  ooo  gold  pieces  from  her  father  when  she  committed 
the  Quran  to  memory.  Unlike  her  father  she  was  a  very 
liberal  patron  of  poetry  and  herself  composed  under  the 
pen  name  of  Makhfi — the  concealed  one. 

She  remained  unmarried  and  her  name  had  been  con- 
nected with  scandal.  Died  in  1702. 

B-34        Muhammad  Mu'azzim. 

The  second  son  of  Aurangzib  who  succeeded  him 
with  the  title  of  Shah  Alam  Bahadur  Shah. 

B-35        Muhammad  Azam  Shah. 

The  third  son  of  Aurangzib.  He  was  slain  in  a 
battle  against  his  elder  brother  Muhammad  Mu'azzim 
who  succeeded  Aurangzib. 

6-36        Jafar  Khan. 

A  Brahmin  by  birth,  was  converted  to  Muham- 
madanism.  His  former  name  was  Murshid  Quli  Khan. 
When  appointed  governor  of  Bengal  by  the  emperor 
Aurangzib  in  1704,  he  founded  the  capital  Murshidabad 


18 

naming  it  after  his   original  title.     He   died   about   the 
year  1726. 

6-37        Iftikhar  Khan. 

An  equestrian  portrait  in  outline  of  Iftikhar  Khan, 
a  general  in  the  time  of  Aurangzib.  His  former  name 
was  Sultan  Hussain  but  was  honoured  with  the  title  of 
Iftikhar  Khan  in  the  first  year  of  Aurangzib's  reign. 
He  was  appointed  general  of  Jaunpur  where  he  died  in 
1681. 

3-38        Khan  Jahan. 

Saiyad  Khan  Jahan  of  Bar  ha  was  an  officer  of  high 
rank  in  the  time  of  Shah  Jehan.  Died  in  1645. 

B-39        Shaista  Khan. 

He  was  the  son  of  Asaf  Khan  the  brother  of  Nur 
Jehan.  During  the  reign  of  Shah  Jehan  he  was  made 
governor  of  Berar.  Aurangzib  sent  him  to  the  Deccan 
as  viceroy  of  Gujrat.  He  served  in  the  war  of  Golconda 
and  made  himself  conspicuous  in  the  struggle  with  Sivaji. 
He  died  in  1694. 

B-40        Jan  Nisar  Khan. 

Probably  Kamal-ud-din  Hussain,  one  of  the  Amirs 
in  Shah  Jehan's  time,  who  bore  this  title.  Died  in  1639. 

B-4i        Nawab  Sa'adat  Ullah  Khan. 

Ruled  the  Karnatic  from  1710  till  his  death  in  1732. 

6-42        Bahadur  Shah  I. 

Succeeded  his  father  Aurangzib.  As  a  prince  he  was 
called  Mu'azzim.  He  was  the  second  son.  His  elder 
brother  Sultan  Muhammad  having  died  during  the  life- 


19 

time  of  his  father  he  became  heir  apparent  to  the  throne 
of  Delhi.  But  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death  Mu'azzim 
was  at  Kabul.  His  younger  brother  Azim  took  advant- 
age of  his  absence  and  proclaimed  himself  sovereign  of 
the  Moghal  Empire,  in  disregard  of  the  late  emperor's 
wishes.  But  Mu'azzim  was  not  to  be  deprived  of  his 
rights  so  easily.  He  also  assumed  the  crown  at  Kabul 
with  the  title  of  Bahadur  Shah  and  marched  on  India  to 
assert  his  rights  by  force  of  arms.  The  armies  of  the 
two  brothers  met  between  Dhaulpur  and  Agra.  The 
battle  was  decisive  Azim  Khan  being  killed.  This  was 
in  1707.  Bahadur  Shah  however  did  not  reign  very 
long.  He  died  in  1712. 

B-43        Bahadur  Shah  I. 

A  portrait  in  outline  of  Bahadur  Shah  and  probably 
one  of  his  sons,  either  Azim-ush-Shan  or  Rafi-ush-Shan. 

6-44        Baud  Khan. 

The  name  of  Daud  Khan  is  associated  with  many 
stories  of  reckless  courage  and  undaunted  bravery  in  the 
Deccan  during  the  reigns  of  Aurangzib,  Bahadur  Shah 
and  Farrukh-Siyar.  For  a  very  long  time  he  held  sway 
over  the  Deccan  and  when  in  the  reign  of  Farrukh-Siyar, 
Husain  Ali  Khan,  one  of  the  Saiyad  brothers,  marched 
towards  the  Deccan,  Daud  Khan  received  secret  orders 
from  the  emperor  to  oppose  Husain  Ali  Khan  and  get 
rid  of  him.  An  engagement  brought  Daud  Khan  and 
Husain  Ali  Khan  face  to  face  in  1715  in  which  the 
former  lost  his  life. 

6-45        Saiyad  Abdullah  Khan. 

Styled  Qutub-ul-Mulk.  He  was  one  of  the  Saiyad 
brothers  who  overthrew  Jaharidar  Shah  and  set  up  in 
succession  Farrukh-Siyar,  Rafi-ud-Darjat,  Rafi-ud-Daulah 


20 

and  Muhammad  Shah.  The  Saiyad  brothers  have  been 
for  this  reason  cnlled  the  "  King  Makers"  in  Moghal 
history.  In  the  time  of  Bahadur  Shah,  Abdullah  Khan 
was  governor  of  Allahabad.  During  Farrukh  Siyar's  reign 
he  became  the  prime  minister  and  received  the  title  of 
Qutub-ul-Mulk.  Muhammad  Shah  was  the  last  king 
whom  the  Saiyad  brothers  set  on  the  throne  of  Delhi. 
But  he  was  not  so  weak  as  his  immediate  predecessors. 
At  his  instance  Husain  Ali  Khan,  brother  of  Abdullah 
Khan,  revolted  and  Abdullah  Khan  was  taken  prisoner. 
After  three  years'  imprisonment  Abdullah  Khan  died 
in  1722. 

B-46        Jahandar  Shah. 

The  eldest  son  and  successor  of  Bahadur  Shah  I. 
He  reigned  only  nine  months.  Indolent  and  ease-loving 
as  he  was  he  did  not  in  the  least  deserve  the  succession. 
The  intrigues  and  support  of  his  minister,  Zulfikar  Khan, 
raised  him  to  the  throne.  Farrukh-Siyar,  his  nephew, 
defeated  Jahandar  Shah  in  battle,  took  him  prisoner  and 
murdered  him  in  1713. 

6-47        Jahan  Shah. 

The  third  son  of  the  emperor  Bahadur  Shah-I.  He 
was  slain  in  the  battle  after  the  death  of  his  father, 
in  1712. 

6-48        Farrukh-Siyar. 

He  was  the  son  of  Azim-ush-Shan,  the  second  son  of 
Bahadur  Shah  I,  whom  Jahandar  Shah  had  killed  in 
order  to  succeed  to  the  throne.  To  ensure  his  safety  on 
the  throne  Jahandar  Shah  on  his  accession  had  tried  to 
put  to  death  as  many  of  the  princes  of  the  royal  blood 
as  possible.  Farrukh-Siyar  fortunately  happened  to  be  in 
Bengal  at  the  time  and  he  thus  escaped  from  the  general 


B-48     Farrukh  Siyar. 

Moghal :  early  i&th  century. 


Plate  IV. 


21 

massacre  of  princes.  Farrukh-Siyar  sought  the  protec- 
tion and  counsel  of  the  Saiyad  brothers.  With  the  help 
of  these  noblemen  he  raised  an  army,  defeated  Jahandar 
Shah,  murdered  him  and  ascended  the  throne  jn  1713. 
Several  inhuman  and  atrocious  assassinations  followed  his 
accession.  He  had  reigned  for  only  five  years  when  a 
jealousy  arose  between  him  and  the  Saiyads  who  had 
set  him  on  the  throne.  He  tried  to  assume  indepen- 
dence but  was  deposed,  blinded  and  subsequently 
murdered  in  1719. 

B-49        Farrukh-Siyar  as  before. 

B-SO        Mir  Jumla. 

A  private  favourite  of  Farrukh-Siyar  who  was  pro- 
moted by  the  emperor  to  the  Subedari  o!  Behar.  In  the 
reign  of  Muhammad  Shah  also  he  held  high  position.  Died 
about  1731. 

(Should  not  be  confounded  with  the  other  Mir 
Jumla  who  flourished  during  the  time  of  Shah  Jehan  and 
Aurangzib.) 

B-5i        Mirza  Alia  Sail. 

A  son  of  Zul  Kadir  Khan,  flourished  about  1720. 

6-52        Nawab  Sarfaraz  Khan. 

Was  governor  of  Bengal  for  a  short  time  about 
1739.  He  was  murdered  by  Mahabat  Jang. 

B-53        Nadir  Shah. 

He  was  the  son  of  a  shepherd  in  Persia.  By  his 
personal  bravery  and  iinpetuons  valour  he  made  himself 
the  leader  of  a  considerable  number  of  adherents  by 
whose  aid  he  expelled  the  Afghan  usurpers  under  Ashraf 
in  1729  and  restored  Shah  Tahmasp  II,  King  of  Persia  to 


22 

his  former  position.  But  when  Shah  Tahmasp  made  an 
unfavourable  treaty  with  the  Turks  during  his  absence, 
Nadir  deposed  the  king  and  had  himself  proclaimed 
emperor.  He  conquered  Afghanistan  and  in  1739 
marched  against  India  at  the  head  of  a  huge  army.  He 
defeated  Muhammad  Shah,  the  then  Moghal  emperor  of 
Delhi,  at  Karnal,  and  sacked  Delhi.  The  general 
massacre  that  he  ordered  is  one  of  the  most  blood-curd- 
ling events  in  Indian  history.  When  he  withdrew  from 
India,  he  carried  with  him  a  vast  amount  of  treasure 
including  the  famous  peacock  throne.  His  unbounded 
tyranny  made  some  of  his  nobles  conspire  against  him 
and  he  was  assassinated  in  1747. 

B-54        Adina  Beg. 

Was  formerly  a  Hindu  but  as  he  was  brought  up  in 
a  Moghal  family  he  became  a  Muhammadan  and  adopted 
this  name.  At  the  time  Nadir  Shah  invaded  India,  he 
was  governor  of  Sultanpur.  Subsequently  he  became 
governor  of  the  Punjab  in  1758  and  defeated  the  Afghans 
near  Lahore. 

B-55        Ahmad  Shah  Durrani. 

Was  taken  prisoner  in  his  infancy  by  Nadir  Shah 
who  employed  him  as  a  mace-bearer.  His  extraordinary 
abilities  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  his  master  and  by 
degrees  Ahmad  Shah  rose  to  high  office  under  Nadir  Shah. 
On  the  assassination  of  his  master  he  was  proclaimed 
king  at  Kandahar.  In  1747  he  took  Peshawar  and 
Lahore  and  in  the  following  year  he  marched  from 
Lahore  and  advanced  as  far  as  Sirhind  in  the  Punjab,  and 
then  returned  to  Kabul.  In  1757  he  again  invaded 
India  and  penetrated  as  far  as  Delhi  and  Agra,  sacked 
Delhi  and  Mathura  and  retreated  to  Kandahar.  In  1761 
he  defeated  the  Mahratta  confederacy  at  Panipat.  After 


B-55     Ahmed  Shah  Durrani. 

Moghal :  late  i&th  century. 


• 


Shah  I> 


Plate  V. 


23 

this  victory  he  returned   to  his  own  country  where  he 
died  in  1772. 

B-56        Mohammad  Shah. 

Was  surnamed  Roshan  Akhtar.  He  was  the  last 
emperor  set  up  by  the  Saiyad  "  King  Makers"  on  the 
throne  of  Delhi.  On  his  accession  however  the  Saiyads 
lost  their  power.  During  the  reign  of  Muhammad  Shah 
both  Nadir  Shah  and  Ahmad  Shah  Durrani  invaded  the 
Moghal  empire.  He  died  in  1748. 

B-57        Khanazad  Khan. 

He  was  governor  of  Peshawar  in  1723  and  later  he 
was  deputed  to  act  as  governor  of  Allahabad  by  the 
emperor  Muhammad  Shah. 

6-58        Qamr-ud-din  Khan. 

Wazir  of  Muhammad  Shah  ;  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Sirhind  in  1748  in  which  Ahmad  Shah  Durrani  was 
defeated  by  the  emperor's  son  Ahmad  Shah. 

B-59        Ghazi-ud-din  Feroz  Jang. 

This  is  probably  a  portrait  of   Ghazi-ud-din  Feroz 
Jang,  father  of  the  famous  Nizam-ul-Mulk  whose  descen- 
dants are  the  Nizarns  of  Hyderabad.  Deccan. 

B-6o         Mir  Mannu. 

He  was  greatly  instrumental  in  defeating  Ahmad 
Shah  Durrani  at  Sirhind  in  1748,  after  which  he  was 
appointed  governor  of  I/ahore.  Ahmad  Shah  Durrani 
defeated  him  in  1752  but  subsequently  made  him  gover- 
nor of  the  Punjab.  He  died  in  1754. 

B-6i         Mir  Mannu  as  above. 


24 

B-62        Alamgir  II. 

The  son  of  Jahandar  Shah.  After  the  deposition  and 
imprisonment  of  Ahmad  Shah,  he  was  raised  to  the 
throne  by  Ghazi-ud-din  Khan,  the  Wazir.  Alamgir  never 
held  any  great  power  and  was  but  a  nominal  ruler  for 
only  live  years  after  which  he  was  assassinated  in  1759 
by  the  same  Ghazi  ud-din  who  had  placed  him  on  the 
throne.  It  was  during  the  reign  of  Alamgir  II  that 
Ahmad  Shah  Durrani  sacked  Delhi  in  1757. 

B-63        Akbar  Shah  II. 

The  son  of  the  nominal  emperor  Shah  Alam ;  suc- 
ceeded his  father  at  the  age  of  fourty-eight ,  as  titular  king 
of  Delhi.  On  his  accession  he  made  some  attempts  to 
increase  his  power  but  the  attempts  were  futile  and  his 
supremacy  remained  confined  to  the  precincts  of  the  fort 
harem.  He  died  in  1837  at  about  the  age  of  eighty 
and  was  succeeded  by  Bahadur  Shah  II,  the  last  king  of 
Delhi. 

3-64        Mirza  Salim. 

One  of  the  sons  of  Bahadur  Shah  II,  the  last  king 
of  Delhi. 

B-65        Mirza  Salim  as  above. 
B-66        Asaf-ud-Daula. 

* 

The  eldest  son  of  Nawab  Shuja-ud-Daula  of  Oudh. 
Succeeded  his  lather  in  1775.  He  transferred  the  seat 
of  the  government  from  Fyzabad  to  Lucknow. 

B-(>7        Nizam  All  Khan. 

The  son  of  N'zam-ul-Mulk  Asaf  Jah  of  Hyderabad, 
Deccan.  After  deposing  and  imprisoning  his  brother,  he 


25 

assumed  the   government  of  the  Deccan  in  1762.     He 
made  Hyderabad  the  seat  of  his  government. 

B-68  Babur. 

B~6g  Akbar. 

£$-70  Jehangir. 

£-71  Shah  Jehan. 

6-72  Aurangzib. 

6-73  Bahadur  Shah  L 

B-74  An  unfinished  painting  of  Babur  in  Durbar. 

B-75  A  Moghal  chief  inspecting  the  construction  of  a  palace. 

B~76        A  hunting  scene  in  outline. 

Hutnayun  as  a  young  man  is  seen  in  the  centre. 

B-  77        A  battle  scene. 

The  picture  is  inscribed  as  the  "  Battle  of  Hardwar." 
Akbar  on  horseback  is  a  prominent  figure. 
(Probably  Lucknow  work.) 

8-78        Shah  Jehan  with  his  army. 
(Kangra  work.) 

6-79        Aurangzib's  encounter  with  a  fighting  elephant. 

This  is  an  unfinished  copy  of  an  old  painting  depict- 
ing the  notable  incident  of  the  boyhood  of  Aurangzib 
when  he  fearlessly  faced  the  righting  elephant  Sudhakar 
which  had  suddenly  charged  him  during  a  combat  with 


26 

another  elephant  Surat-sundar.  This  happened  in  1633 
when  he  was  only  fourteen  years  old.  (Kangra  copy  ; 
late  i8th  century.) 

B-8o  Shah  Jehan  in  Durbar. 

B-8i  The  siege  of  Golconda  by  Aurangzib. 

B-82  Portrait  of  a  Moghal  lady. 

B-83  Portrait  of  a  boy. 

6-84        Portrait  of  a  boy. 
B-85        Jehangir. 

B-86        Portrait  of  a  nobleman. 

Probably  AH  Mardan  Khan  who  was  formerly  at- 
tached to  the  Persian  court  as  governor  of  Kandahar 
which  was  then  a  Persian  possession  but  in  order  to 
escape  from  the  tyranny  of  the  Persian  monarch  he  made 
over  Kandahar  to  Shah  Jehan  in  1637  an(*  to°^  refuge 
in  the  Moghal  court.  He  was  a  keen  architect  and  con- 
structed several  canals  for  irrigating  purposes.  He 
governed  Kashmir  and  afterwards  the  Punjab.  He  died 
and  was  buried  in  Lahore  in  1657. 

6-87        Portrait  of  a  lady. 

It  is  probably  a  portrait  of  some  lady  in  the  royal 
harem  of  the  time  of  Shah  Jehan.  Painted  by  Anupkar. 


B-85     Jehangir. 

Moghal:  17 th  ce-ntury. 


Plate  III. 


EUROPEAN  SUBJECTS. 


Plate  VL 


C-l     The  Virgin  Mary  with  a  Ministering  Angel 

Moghal '-:  early  ijth  century. 


EUROPEAN  SUBJECTS. 


Oi        The  Virgin  Mary  with  a  ministering  angel. 

century. 


C-2        An  unidentified  painting  probably  representing  a  bibli- 
cal subject. 

It  is  either  a  copy  or  an  imitation  of  some  European 
work  and  bears  the  signature  of  "  Pars  "  who  was  one  of 
the  court  painters  of  Akbar. 

0-3        A  prince  and  his  tutor. 

It  is  the  reverse  of  C-2  and  has  the  signature  of 
"  Tiriyya  "  a  painter  in  the  court  of  Akbar. 

C-4        A  European  soldier. 


COMPOSITE  ANIMALS. 


COMPOSITE  ANIMALS. 
C-(a)  i        An  angel  riding  a  composite  horse. 
C-(0)  2        An  angel  playing  a  harp  on  a  composite  camel. 
C-(a)  3        A  mutilated  unidentified  painting. 


PORTRAITS  OF  THE  SIKH  PERIOD  AND 
RULERS  OF  THE  PUNJAB  STATES 


Plate  XX. 


D-l      Maharaja  Ranjit  Singh. 

Sikh  :  earlv  iqth  cent-itrv. 


PORTRAITS  OF  THE  SIKH   PERIOD  AND 
RULERS  OF  THE  PUNJAB  STATES. 

D-  i        Maharaja  Ran  jit  Singh. 

Ranjit  Singh  was  the  only  son  of  Mahan  Singh  of 
the  Sukerchakia  misl  or  confideracy.  During  his  infancy 
he  lost  his  left  eye  in  an  attack  of  smallpox.  He  was 
only  twelve  years  of  'age  when  his  father  died  and  he 
took  over  the  administration  of  his  estates  at  the  early 
age  of  seventeen.  Taking  advantage  of  internal  dis- 
sensions that  existed  in  Lahore  at  that  time  he  took 
possession  of  the  city  in  1800.  With  this  start  in  his 
career  he  gradually  expanded  and  consolidated  his  power 
and  authority  and  assumed  the  title  of  Maharaja  the  next 
year. 

By  dint  of  his  military  genius  and  tact  he  was  able 
to  gain  an  ascendency  over  most  of  the  Sikh  chiefs, 
but  was  not  before  the  latter  part  of  his  life  that  he 
became  the  recognised  leader  of  the  Sikhs.  Practically 
his  whole  life  was  spent  in  warfare.  He  overran  the 
different  parts  of  the  Punjab  several  times  before  the 
bulk  of  the  province  came  under  his  undisputed  control. 
He  wished  to  extend  his  dominion  beyond  the  Sutlej, 
but  this  he  had  to  forego  at  the  intervention  of  the 
British  Government.  He  next  turned  his  attention  to- 
wards Multan,  Peshawar,  Jammu  and  Kashmir  all  of 
which  he  brought  under  subjugation  after  several  un- 
successful attempts. 

When  Jaswant  Rao  Holkar  was  defeated  and  per- 
sued  by  the  British  army  he  came  to  the  Punjab  and 
sought  help  from  Ranjit  Singh  against  the  British. 
Ranjit  Singh  did  not  accede  to  this  proposal  but  was 
instrumental  in  effecting  the  treaty  of  peace  between  the 
British  and  the  Mahrattas  in  1806. 


38 

In  1 8 10  Shah  Shuja  of  Kabul  being  driven  out  of 
his  kingdom  came  to  the  Punjab  in  the  hope  of  securing 
assistance  from  Ranjit  Singh.  It  was  during  Shah 
Shuja's  stay  in  Lahore  in  1813  that  Ranjit  Singh  extorted 
the  famous  Koh-i-noor  diamond  from  him. 

Ranjit  Singh  saw  the  advantage  of  the  European 
system  of  military  drill  and  introduced  it  in  his  army. 
He  employed  Ventura,  Allard,  Court  and  Avitabile  to 
organise  his  army  on  the  European  system.  He  had  the 
foresight  of  realising  the  growing  power  of  the  British. 
He  met  Lord  Bentinck  at  Ropar  in  1831  and  entered 
into  a  second  treaty  of  friendship  with  the  British 
Government,  and  maintained  his  cordial  relations  with 
that  Government  throughout  his  life. 

Ranjit  Singh  had  received  absolutely  no  education 
but  endowed  with  a  brilliant  intelligence  he  managed 
the  affairs  of  his  state  with  great  success.  He  en- 
tirely remoulded  the  political  condition  of  the  Sikhs. 
He  was  a  great  military  genius  and  a  man  of  almost 
superhuman  energy.  Born  under  different  conditions 
and  in  another  part  of  the  world,  he  would  have  been 
perhaps  one  of  the  greatest  conquerors  in  history.  But 
even  as  it  was  he  became  paramount  in  the  Punjab,  and 
well  earned  his  proud  designation  of  <(  The  I/ion  of  the 
Punjab."  Born  in  1780;  died  in  1839. 

D-  2        Maharaja  Ranjit  Singh  as  above. 

D-  3        An   unfinished    painting   of    Maharaja    Ranjit    Singh 
holding  Durbar. 

(a)  General  Allard ;  (b)  General  Court. 

Monsieur  Allard,  a  Frenchman,  was  a  cavalry  colo- 
nel in  the  French  army.  He  came  to  India  overland 
through  Kandahar,  and  Kabul  and  in  1822  joined  Ranjit 
Singh's  army  as  general. 


39 

Monsieur  Court,  another  Frenchman,  had  formerly 
been  in  Spanish  military  service.  In  1826  he  came  to 
Ranjit  Singh's  court  and  was  put  in  charge  of  the  artillery. 

D-  4        Maharaja  Kharak  Singh. 

Kharak  Singh  was  the  eldest  son  of  Ranjit  Singh. 
He  succeeded  his  father  in  1839.  He  had  none  of  the 
qualities  of  his  father  and  proved  himself  quite  unworthy 
of  the  position  he  inherited.  A  plot  was  made  to  de- 
throne and  kill  him.  His  life  was  however  spared  but 
he  was  deposed  and  his  son  Nau  Nehal  Singh  succeeded 
him.  Born  in  1802  ;  died  in  1840. 

D-  5        Maharaja  Nau  Nehal  Singh. 

Nau  Nehal  Singh,  the  son  of  Kharak  Singh,  possessed 
many  qualities  of  his  illustrious  grandfather  Ranjit  Singh. 
Ranjit  Singh  had  noticed  the  ability  of  his  grandson 
and  had  cherished  the  hope  that  some  day  Nau  Nehal 
Singh  would  rule  the  Punjab.  When  Nau  Nehal  Singh 
was  hardly  fourteen  years  of  age  Ranjit  Singh  sent  him 
to  reduce  Peshawar  in  1834  accompanied  by  Generals 
Ventura  and  Court. 

After  the  deposition  of  Kharak  Singh,  Nau  Nehal 
Singh  was  proclaimed  ruler  of  the  Punjab.  He  met  with 
a  tragic  death  immediately  after  the  demise  of  his  father 
Kharak  Singh.  Born  in '1821 ;  died  in  1840. 

D-  6        Maharaja  Sher  Singh. 

It  is  said  that  Sher  Singh  was  not  the  son  of  Maha- 
raja Ranjit  Singh  and  that  Mahtab  Kaur,  one  of  the  Ranis 
of  the  Maharaja,  gave  out  during  the  absence  of  Ranjit 
Singh  in  1807  that  she  had  given  birth  to  Sher  Singh. 
But  whatever  the  truth  might  be  Sher  Singh  was  treated 
by  Ranjit  Singh  as  his  son.  At  the  death  of  Nau  Nehal 
Singh  he  succeeded  to  the  sovereignty  of  the  Punjab 
after  defeating  the  party  of  Chand  Kaur,  the  wife  of 


40 

Kharak  Singh.  As  soon  as  Sher  Singh  came  to  power 
he  confiscated  the  property  of  the  Sindhianwala  Sardars 
who  had  taken  up  the  cause  of  Chand  Kaur.  This  made 
the  Sindhianwala  Sardars  his  mortal  enemies  and  he  was 
killed  in  1843  by  Ajit  Singh  Sindhianwala.  Born  in 
1807  ;  died  in  1843. 

D-  7        Maharaja  Sher  Singh  as  before. 

D-  8        Maharaja  Dalip  Singh  in  Durbar. 

Dalip  Singh  was  the  son  of  Ranjit  Singh.  His 
mother  was  Rani  Jindan.  He  was  made  titular  ruler  of 
the  Punjab  in  1843  but  was  deposed  by  Lord  Dalhousie 
in  1848.  He  became  a  Christian  and  was  taken  over  to 
Europe.  Died  in  Paris  in  1893. 

D-  9        Maharaja  Gulab  Singh. 

Gulab  Singh,  the  eldest  of  the  well-known  Mian 
brothers,  entered  Ranjit  Singh's  service  as  a  cavalry 
man  but  soon  distinguished  himself  and  received  special 
favour  from  the  Maharaja.  He  was  made  Raja  of  Jammu 
in  1822.  When  after  the  death  of  Nau  Nehal  Singh  his 
mother  Chand  Kaur  tried  to  assume  sovereign  authority, 
Gulab  Singh  embraced  her  cause  but  on  Sher  Singh's 
accession  he  withdrew  to  his  own  territories  in  Jammu. 
On  the  death  of  his  brother  Suchet  Singh  and  his 
nephew  Hira  Singh,  he  seized  their  property  but  when 
Jawahir  Singh,  the  brother  of  Rani  Jindan,  rose  to  power 
he  had  Gulab  Singh  brought  to  Lahore  in  1845  and  a 
heavy  fine  was  imposed  upon  him  after  payment  of  which 
he  was  allowed  to  return  to  Jammu.  During  the  first 
Sikh  war  Gulab  Singh  became  the  leader  of  the  Sikhs. 
When  the  war  came  to  a  close  the  province  of  Kashmir 
was  made  over  to  him  for  a  price  and  he  was  invested 
with  the  title  of  Maharaja  by  the  British  in  1846.  He 
died  in  1857. 


41 
D-io        Maharaja  Gulab  Singh  as  before. 

D-n        Raja  Dhian  Singh. 

Dhian  Singh  was  the  second  brother  of  the  three 
Mian  brothers  who  rose  to  prominence  in  the  Court 
of  Ranjit  Singh.  He  joined  the  service  of  Ran  jit  Singh 
and  was  within  a  short  time  appointed  chamberlain  to 
the  Maharaja.  Soon  afterwards  in  1828  he  was  made 
a  Raja.  After  the  death  of  Nau  Nehal  Singh,  Dhian 
Singh  very  strongly  advocated  the  cause  of  Sher  Singh 
and  was  instrumental  in  bringing  the  hostilities  between 
Sher  Singh  and  Gulab  Singh  to  a  close.  When  Sher 
Singh  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  Lahore,  he  made  Dhian 
Singh  his  Prime  Minister.  In  the  meantime  however  the 
Sindhianwala  Sardars  were  restored  to  favour  and  by 
their  clever  machinations  induced  Sher  Singh  to  pass 
orders  for  the  assassination  of  Dhian  Singh.  This  caused 
Dhian  Singh  to  plot  against  Sher  Singh  in  return  and  he 
conspired  against  the  life  of  Sher  Singh  in  co-operation 
with  the  Sindhianwala  Sardars  who  were  playing  a  double 
game  and  immediately  after  Sher  Singh's  assassination 
they  assassinated  Dhian  Singh  also  in  1843. 

D-i2        Raja  Dhian  Singh  as  before. 

0-13        Raja  Suchet  Singh. 

Suchet  Singh  was  the  youngest  brother  of  Gulab 
Singh.  He  also  joined  the  service  of  Ranjit  Singh  along 
with  his  brothers  and  very  soon  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  Maharaja.  Unlike  his  other  brothers  Gulab  Singh 
and  Dhian  Singh,  he  was  in  the  beginning  more  or  less 
indifferent  to  affairs  of  state  and  was  content  to  lead 
the  life  of  a  soldier  and  a  gay  courtier.  But  when  Dalip 
Singh  was  proclaimed  Maharaja  he  was  favoured  by  Rani 
Jindan,  the  mother  of  the  infant  Maharaja,  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  aspired  to  become  the  Wazir  of  the  state 


42 

and  to  get  supreme  control  by  removing  Hira  Singh,  the 
son  of  Dhian  Singh,  who  held  that  office  at  the  time. 
This  led  to  the  enmity  and  jealousy  between  Hira  Singh 
and  Suchet  Singh,  and  the  latter  was  suspected  of  intrigue 
with  the  British  and  looked  upon  as  the  enemy  of  the 
state.  Suchet  Singh  however  escaped  personal  injury 
mainly  on  account  of  Gulab  Singh's  influence,  and  the  two 
brothers  retired  to  the  Jammu  hills.  In  the  meantime 
the  Khalsa  army  of  Lahore  was  so  much  annoyed  with 
Hira  Singh  that  they  invited  Suchet  Singh  to  come  to 
Lahore  promising  him  assistance  against  Hira  Singh. 
Suchet 'Singh  marched  towards  Lahore  in  1843  at  the 
head  of  a  small  army  with  the  hope  of  regaining  his  for- 
mer position  by  the  aid  of  the  Khalsa  troops.  But  when 
Suchet  Singh  came  to  Lahore  the  Khalsas  changed  their 
mind.  He  was  surrounded  by  Hira  Singh's  troops  and 
fell  righting  to  the  last. 

D-i4        Mian  Udham  Singh. 

Udham  Singh,  the  eldest  son  of  Gulab  Singh,  was 
with  Nau  Nehal  Singh  when  the  latter  met  with  his  fatal 
accident.  He  too  was  crushed  to  death  by  a  portion  of 
the  wall  which  killed  Nau  Nehal  Singh. 

D-i5         Raja  Hira  Singh. 

Hira  Singh  was  the  son  of  Dhian  Singh.  Ranjit 
Singh  was  exceedingly  fond  of  him  and  conferred  on  him 
.  the  title  of  Raja  when  he  was  a  young  boy.  When  Dhian 
Singh  was  assassinated  Hira  Singh  immediately  avenged 
his  father's  death  by  getting  killed  A  jit  Singh  and  other 
Sindhianwala  chiefs.  Soon  after  this  he  was  proclaimed 
Wazir  of  Dalip  Singh.  When  he  held  this  high  office  he 
greatly  increased  his  popularity  and  although  he  was 
once  disgraced  by  the  Khalsa  troops  he  soon  regained  his 
former  power  by  his  excessive  shrewdness..  He  drove  out 
his  uncle  Suchet  Singh  from  the  Lahore  Durbar  and 


43 

fought  with  him,  the  latter  being  killed.  But  the  in- 
creasing power  of  Hira  Singh  excited  the  jealousy  of 
Rani  Jindan,  mother  of  Dalip  Singh  and  her  brother 
Jawahir  Singh.  He  was  put  to  death  in  1844  by  the 
dissatisfied  Khalsa  troops  who  deserted  Hira  Singh 
and  went  over  to  the  side  of  Jawahir  Singh. 

D-i6        Jawahir  Singh. 

Jawahir  Singh  was  the  younger  brother  of  Hira  Singh. 
When  after  the  death  of  Suchet  Singh  a  dispute  arose 
between  Hira  Singh  and  Gulab  Singh  as  to  the  division 
of  the  property  belonging  to  Suchet  Singh,  a  mutual 
reconciliation  was  effected  by  which  it  was  arranged  that 
Jawahir  Singh  would  remain  at  Jammu  as  a  hostage, 
while  in  return  Sohan  Singh,  one  of  the  sons  of  Gulab 
Singh,  should  stay  in  the  same  capacity  in  Lahore. 

D-i;        Mian  Moti  Singh. 

Moti  Singh  was  the  youngest  son  of  Raja  Dhian 
Singh.  The  Rajas  of  Poonch  are  descended  from  him. 

D-i8        Jawahir  Singh. 

Jawahir  Singh  was  the  brother  of  Rani  Jindan,  the 
mother  of  Dalip  Singh.  When  Hira  Singh  was  installed 
as  the  Wazir  of  Dalip  Singh,  Jawahir  Singh  with  the 
help  of  Suchet  Singh  tried  to  intrigue  against  him.  But 
Jawahir  Singh  was  suspected  of  trying  to  hand  over  the 
young  Dalip  Singh  to  the  British  Government.  On  this 
account  Jawahir  Singh  was  put  in  prison;  but  when 
Hira  Singh  displeased  the  Khalsa  army  by  righting 
against  Kashmira  Singh  and  Peshora  Singh,  Jawahir 
Singh  was  released  and  soon  afterwards  became  Wazir 
in  place  of  Hira  Singh.  Later  on  through  the  advice 
of  Gulab  Singh,  he  had  Peshora  Singh  killed  for  whom 
the  Khalsa  army  had  great  regard.  The  Khalsas  avenged 
Peshora  Singh's  death  by  killing  Jawahir  Singh  in  1845. 


44 

D-ig        Hari  Singh  Nalwa. 

Hari  Singh  Nalwa,  joined  Ranjit  Singh's  army  at 
an  early  age  and  soon  distinguished  himself  by  his  gal- 
lantry.    After  serving  in  the  plains  for  a  few  years  he 
was  sent  in  1819  as  one  of  the  commanders  of  the  army 
invading  Kashmir.     In  the  next  year  he  was  appointed 
governor  of  Kashmir  by  Ranjit  Singh  but  was  soon  re- 
called as  he  proved  himself  too  strong  a  ruler.     Hari 
Singh  was  next  appointed  governor  of  Hazara  which  was 
the  most  troublesome  district  at  that  time  under  Sikh 
rule.     When  in  1827  the  Yusafzai  Pathans   raised  an 
insurrection  against  the  Sikhs,  Hari  Singh  subdued  them 
with  an  iron  hand.     In  1833  Hari  Singh  took  possession 
of  Peshawar  and  afterwards  he  was  constantly  engaged 
in  short  skirmishes  with  the  forces  of  Dost  Muhammad 
Khan  stationed  near  Peshawar  in  order  to  dislodge  the 
Sikhs  if  possible.     At  the  order  of  Ranjit  Singh,  he  built 
in    1836   a  fort  at  Jamrud.     The  building  of  this  fort 
resulted  in  a  war  in  1837  between  Dost  Muhammad  Khan 
and  the  Sikhs.     The    Amir's    huge  army  outnumbered 
the  Sikhs  at  Jamrud  fort   by   several  thousands.     Hari 
Singh  was  ill  at  that  time  but  he  led  his  gallant  troops 
with  his  usual  bravery.     He  fell  at  the  head  of  his  troops 
who  continued  to  resist  the  Pathans  till  help  came  from 
Lahore  and  the  Pathans  were  routed  and  driven  off.     Of 
all  the  Sikh  generals,  Hari  Singh  Nalwa  was  the  bravest, 
the  most  dashing  and   the  most   brilliant.     His  name 
inspired  terror  among  the  Pathans  and  it  is  said  that 
long  after  his  death  Afghan  mothers  used  to  quiet  their 
naughty  children  by  mentioning  the  name  of  the  terrible 
"Haria." 

D-2o        Hari  Singh  Nalwa  as  above. 

D-2i        Rai  Keshri  Singh. 

Rai  Keshri  Singh  was  one  of  the  courtiers  of  Sher 
Singh.     When  both  Sher  Singh  and  Dhian  Singh  were 


45 

murdered,  Keshri  Singh  took  up  the  cause  of  Hira  Singh 
and  helped  him  to  take  revenge  on  his  father's  assassins. 
At  first  Keshri  Singh  was  friendly  to  both  Hira  Singh 
and  his  uncle  Suchet  Singh.  But  when  the  former 
checkmated  and  drove  out  his  uncle  he  espoused  the 
cause  of  Suchet  Singh.  He  fell  in  battle  in  1843  fighting 
most  gallantly  for  his  master  Suchet  Singh  against  Hira 
Singh. 

D-22        Raja  Khushal  Singh. 

Khushal  Singh  was  originally  a  Brahmin.  He  entered 
the  services  of  Ranjit  Singh  and  became  a  Sikh.  At 
first  he  was  only  a  doorkeeper  in  the  royal  palace  but 
soon  became  a  favourite  of  Ranjit  Singh  and  was  created 
a  Raja.  After  the  capture  of  Multan  by  Ranjit  Singh  in 
1818,  Khushal  Singh  fell  into  disfavour  and  was  put 
under  restraint  for  some  time  but  subsequently  regained 
his  former  position  and  power.  He  captured  Dera  Ghazi 
Khan  in  1820. 

D-23        Raja  Khushal  Singh  as  above. 

0-24        Attar  Singh  Kalianwala. 

Attar  Smgh  Kalianwala  became  a  prominent  gene- 
ral during  the  latter  part  of  Ranjit  Singh's  reign.  In 
1834  ne  was  placed  under  the  command  of  Nau  Nehal 
Singh  to  serve  in  Peshawar.  But  there  a  disagreement 
rose  between  him  and  Dewan  Hakim  Rai  and  he  forsook 
the  army  for  which  his  family  estate  was  partly  con- 
fiscated. Under  Maharaja  Sher  Singh  he  regained  his 
property.  He  served  throughout  the  Sutlej  campaign  of 
1845-46  at  the  termination  of  which  he  was  appointed 
to  a  seat  in  the  Council  of  Regency  at  Lahore.  During 
the  Multan  disturbances  of  1848  Attar  Singh  co-operated 
with  Major  Edwards  against  Mul  Raj.  He  died  in 
1851. 


46 

D-25        Sirdar  Sham  Singh  Attariwala. 

The  name  of  Sardar  Sham  Singh  of  Attari  is  associat- 
ted  with  the  battle  of  Subraon  in  1846  which  brought 
the  first  Sikh  war  to  a  close.  His  long  experience  as  a 
soldier  had  led  him  to  realise  the  utter  futility  of  the 
Sikhs  waging  war  with  the  British  and  yet  he  fought  like 
a  true  soldier  when  he  had  failed  to  avert  war.  If  the 
Sikhs  fought  bravely  and  proved  a  worthy  foe  of  the 
British  at  Subraon  it  was  entirely  due  to  the  gallant 
conduct  of  the  hoary-headed  Sham  Singh. 

D-26        Hukam  Singh  Malwai. 

Hukam  Singh  Malwai  was  the  son  of  Sirdar  Dhanna 
Singh  Malwai,  one  of  Ranjit  Singh's  favourite  generals. 
He  sided  with  Nau  Nehal  Singh  and  afterwards  with 
Sher  Singh.  He  was  present  when  Sher  Singh  was  assas- 
sinated and  was  himself  wounded  in  the  struggle  that 
followed.  After  this  Hukam  Singh  led  a  retired  life  till 
the  battle  of  Subraon  in  1846  in  which  he  fought  and 
was  killed. 

D-27        Diwan  Bhawani  Das. 

Bhawani  Das  was  formerly  a  revenue  officer  in  the 
court  of  Kabul  under  Shah  Shuja.  Having  left  Kabul  in 
disgust  he  came  to  Lahore  in  1808  and  was  appointed 
by  Ranjit  Singh  as  head  of  the  finance  department.  In 
the  next  year  he  conquered  Jammu  for  Ranjit  Singh. 
He  fought  in  the  Multan,  Peshawar  and  Kusafzai  cam- 
paigns. He  was  an  eminent  financier  and  although  he 
was  once  charged  with  embezzlement  and  in  consequence 
thereof  was  disgraced  and  dismissed,  he  was  soon  rein- 
stated in  his  high  position  on  account  of  his  valuable 
and  indispensable  services.  He  died  in  1834. 

D-28        Raja  Dina  Nath. 

Dina  Nath  was  introduced  to  the  court  of  Ranjit 
Singh  by  Diwan  Ganga  Ram,  the  head  of  the  state  office. 


47 

On  the  death  of  the  latter  Dina  Nath  succeeded  him  and 
soon  distinguished  himself.  When  Bhawani  Das  died 
Dina  Nath  succeeded  him  as  the  Finance  Minister.  He 
was  instrumental  in  causing  the  first  Sikh  war  but  when 
it  terminated  unfavourably  he  lost  no  time  in  sueing  for 
peace  with  the  British  Government.  During  the  minority 
of  Dalip  Singh  he  became  the  most  prominent  member 
of  the  Council.  In  the  history  of  the  Sikh  period  Dina 
Nath's  place  is  perhaps  unique.  He  associated  himself 
with  different  parties  from  time  to  time  and  yet  his  own 
reputation  and  power  never  suffered.  It  was  his  crafti- 
ness, which  often  verged  on  unscrupulousness,  that  made 
him  so  influential.  He  died  in  1857. 

0-29        Faqir  Aziz-ud-din. 

Sayyad  Aziz-ud-din,  the  eldest  of  the  Faqir  brothers, 
gained  great  distinction  in  the  court  of  Ranjit  Singh  as 
a  physician,  and  a  wise  and  honest  statesman.  He  en- 
tered the  service  of  Ranjit  Singh  as  physician  but  soon 
became  one  of  his  most  influential  councellors  and  was 
held  high  in  the  confidence  of  the  Maharaja.  He  was  fre- 
quently employed  on  military  service  also,  and  in  matters 
connected  with  the  British  Government  he  was  Ranjit 
Singh's  right-hand  man.  Both  as  a  councellor  and  a  physi- 
cian he  was  indispensable  to  Ranjit  Singh.  His  far  sighted- 
ness  made  him  realise  the  desirability  of  seeking  British 
friendship  for  the  welfare  of  the  Lahore  state  and  he 
always  tried  to  avoid  a  friction  between  the  Sikhs  and  the 
British  Government.  After  Ranjit  Singh's  death  Aziz- 
ud-din 's  power  declined  and  he  kept  aloof  from  court  in- 
trigues of  the  time.  He  died  in  1845. 

D-30        Faqir  Nur-ud-din. 

Faqir  Nur-ud-din,  the  youngest  brother  of  Aziz- 
ud-din,  was  not  as  brilliant  and  able  as  his  brother 
although  he  served  under  Ranjit  Singh  in  several  respon- 


48 

sible  capacities.  He  served  as  a  general  and  later  on  was 
attached  to  the  court  being  placed  in  charge  of  the  trea- 
sury, arsenal  and  royal  gardens  and  palaces,  and  also  be- 
came the  Almoner  to  the  Maharaja.  After  the  termina- 
tion of  the  first  Sikh  war,  he  was  one  of  the  principal 
men  of  the  Lahore  Durbar  to  open  peace  negotiations 
with  the  British  and  one  of  the  signatories  to  the  treaty 
of  1846.  Nur-ud-din  was  appointed  a  member  of  the 
Council  of  Regency  to  carry  on*  the  government  during 
Dalip  Singh's  minority.  He  died  in  1852. 

D-3i        Faqir  Nur-ud-din  as  before. 

0-32        Faqir  Taj-ud-din. 

Faqir  Taj-ud-din,  son  of  the  second  brother  of  Faqir 
Aziz-ud-din,  served  for  some  time  under  Ranjit  Singh  as 
Zamadar  of  Gobindgarh  fort.  He  died  in  1846. 

D-33        Sheikh  Imam-ud-din. 

Sheikh  Imam-ud-din  Khan  became  the  governor  of 
Kashmir  in  1845  and  held  the  same  office  when  that 
province  was  made  over  to  Maharaj  Gulab  Singh  next 
year.  This  transfer  was  not  at  all  popular  and  Raja  Lai 
Singh,  the  minister  of  Lahore,  intrigued  with  Imam-ud- 
din  to  prevent  Gulab  Singh  from  taking  possession  of 
Kashmir.  As  Imam-ud-din  was  himself  interested  in  it 
he  acted  according  to  Lai  Singh's  advice  and  did  not 
evacuate  Kashmir  when  ordered  to  do  so  by  the  Lahore 
Durbar.  But  when  he  found  his  opposition  was  useless, 
he  voluntarily  surrendered  giving  up  at  the  same  time 
documents  which  showed  that  he  had  acted  according  to 
the  orders  of  Lai  Singh.  This  led  to  the  banishment  of 
Lai  Singh  to  Agra  for  treason  but  Imam-ud-din  was 
pardoned.  From  that  time  Imam-ud-din  remained  loyal 
to  the  British  Government  and  rendered  assistance  during 
the  Multan  disturbance  of  1848  and  the  Sepoy  Mutiny. 
He  died  in  1859. 


49 

D-34        Diwan  Karam  Chand. 

Diwan  Karam  Chand  was  made  the  custodian  of 
Ranj it  Singh's  private  seals  in  1808. 

0-35        Lehna  Singh  Majithia. 

Lehna  Singh  Majithia  stands  out  in  the  history  of 
the  Sikhs  as  one  of  the  very  few  honest  men  whose  names 
are  not  sullied  by  corruption,  treachery  or  love  of  personal 
aggrandisement.  His  remarkable  abilities  brought  him 
the  special  favour  of  Maharaja  Ranj  it  Singh  and  he 
served  with  great  credit  in  the  Multan  Campaign  of 
1818.  After  the  death  of  Ranjit  Singh,  Lehna 
Singh  had  a  troublous  time  and  when  he  thought 
his  life  was  in  danger  on  account  of  court  intrigues  he 
left  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Bengal.  The  first  Sikh  war  broke 
out  about  this  time.  When  the  campaign  was  closed 
Lehna  Singh  returned  to  the  Punjab  and  was  invited  to 
join  the  Council  where  his  services  were  greatly  appre- 
ciated. Besides  possessing  administrative  powers  of  a 
high  order  Lehna  Singh  was  a  good  scholar  and  was  also 
skilful  as  a  mechanic.  He  died  in  1854  at  Benares. 

0-36        Diwan  Hakim  Rai. 

Hakim  Rai  was  the  favourite  chamberlain  of  Nau 
Nehal  Singh.  When  in  1834  Attar  Singh  Kalianwala  was 
sent  to  serve  under  Nau  Nehal  Singh  in  Peshawar,  Hakim 
Rai  induced  some  of  the  troops  under  the  command  of 
Attar  Singh  to  go  over  to  him.  This  led  to  friction  be- 
tween the  Diwan  and  Attar  Singh. 

0-37        Pandit  Madhusudan. 

Pandit  Madhusudan  was  the  chief  of  the  Brahmin 
Pandits  in  the  court  of  Ranjit  Singh.  He  died  in  1863. 

0-38        Jassa  Singh  Ramgarhia  and  Amar  Singh  Phulkia. 

Jassa  Singh  of  the  Ramgarhia  confederacy  was 
a  carpenter's  son.  At  first  he  was  a  freebooter  but  after- 


50 

wards  made  himself  conspicuous  by  his  remarkable  abi- 
lity as  a  soldier  and  became  the  head  of  the  Ramgarhias. 
He  fought  Ahmad  Shah  Abdali  and  increased  his  strength 
by  joining  the  Kanhias,  by  whose  help  he  established  him- 
self in  Amritsar.  A  quarrel  however  rose  between  the 
two  parties  and  in  consequence  thereof  Jassa  Singh  was 
driven  out  of  his  territories  by  the  Kanhias  and  stayed 
for  some  time  in  Hissar.  Subsequently  a  war  broke  out 
between  the  Kanhias  and  Sukerchakias  and  the  latter 
called  Jassa  Singh  to  their  aid.  On  the  Kanhias  being 
defeated  Jassa  Singh  regained  his  former  possessions. 
He  died  in  1816. 

Amar  Singh  Phulkia. 

When  Jassa  Singh  was  defeated  by  the  Kanhias  and 
driven  across  the  Sutlej  he  received  assistance  from 
Amar  Singh  Phulkia  and  established  himself  in  the  dis- 
trict of  Hissar  from  whence  he  made  several  freebooting 
expeditions. 

D-39        Surjan  Singh  Kumedan. 

Surjan  Singh  was  a  general  of  Ranjit  Singh. 

D-40        Gurmukh  Singh  Lamba. 

Gurmukh  Singh  was  one  of  the  well-known  generals 
of  Ranjit  Singh.  During  his  childhood  he  was  Ranjit 
Singh's  play  fellow.  When  Ranjit  Singh  assumed  power, 
Gurmukh  Singh  was  made  paymaster  of  the  army.  He 
took  part  in  many  of  the  campaigns  of  Ranjit  Singh. 
His  popularity  however  made  him  incur  the  enmity  of 
the  Mian  brothers  who  by  their  hostile  influence  over 
Ranjit  Singh  reduced  Gurmukh  Singh's  power.  On  his 
death  bed  Ranjit  Singh  is  said  to  have  realised  the  wrong 
done  to  his  faithful  follower  and  he  commissioned  Kharak 
Singh  to  restore  him  to  his  former  jagirs.  He  served  also 
under  Sher  Singh. 


51 

D-4i        Mihan  Singh. 

Mihan  Singh  was  the  governor  of  Kashmir  when 
Sher  Singh  ascended  the  throne  of  I^ahore.  He  was 
murdered  in  1841  by  some  men  belonging  to  the  party  of 
Ghulam  Mohi-ud-din,  father  of  Sheikh  Imam-ud-din. 

D-42        Bela  Singh  Mokal. 

Bela  Singh  served  under  Nau  Nehal  Singh.  When 
the  first  Sikh  war  broke  out  Bela  Singh  with  his  cavalry 
joined  the  Sikh  army  and  fought  at  Mudki  and  Firoz 
Shah.  In  the  battle  of  Subraon  Bela  Singh  was 
wounded  and  was  drowned  in  the  Sutlej  while  attempting 
to  ford  the  liver. 

D-43         Portraits  of  :— 

(a)  Faqir  Aziz-ud-din. 

(b)  Misr  Beli  Ram. 

(c)  Misr  Megh  Raj. 

(d)  Amir  Singh  Langri. 

(e)  Phula  Singh  Nihang. 

(a)  Faqir  Aziz-ud-din ;  see  D-2Q. 

(b)  Misr  Beli  Ram  was  the  treasurer  at  Ranjit  Singh's 
court  and  he  held  his  office  with  great  credit.    According 
to  the  will  of  Ranjit  Singh  the  Koh-i-noor  diamond  was 
to  be  bequeathed  to  a  temple  but  Beli  Ram  refused  to 
deliver  it  saying  that  it  was  the  property  of  the  state  and 
could   not  be  given    away   in  charity.     He  was  put  to 
death  by  order  of  Hira  Singh  in  1843  as  he  was  believed 
to  have  been  instrumental  in  getting  Dhian  Singh  assa- 
ssinated. 

(c)  Misr  Megh  Raj ,  the  third  brother  of  Misr  Beli 
Ram,  joined  Ranjit  Singh's  service  as  treasurer  of  Gobind- 
garh   fort    at   Amritsar.     He   was   imprisoned   by   Nau 
Nehal  Singh.     When  Sher   Singh   ascended   the   throne 
Megh  Raj  was  sent  to  Gobindgarh  in  his  former  capacity 
as  treasurer  but  was  again  placed  in  confinement  by  Hira 


52 

Singh.  At  the  fall  of  the  latter  Megh  Raj  was  released 
and  after  the  Sutlej  campaign  was  appointed  treasurer  to 
to  the  Lahore  Durbar.  He  died  in  1864, 

(d)  Amar  Singh  Langri  was  the  Jamadar  of  Ranjit 
Singh's  kitchen  servants. 

(e)  Phula  Singh  Nihang  was  the  leader  of  the  class 
of  Sikh  ascetics  known  as  the  Akalis.     He  wielded  a  great 
influence  over  his  followers  and  tried  to  assume  authority 
as  an  independent   chief.     In  1814  he  revolted  against 
Ranjit  Singh  and  espoused  the  cause  of  the  rebel  Prince 
Partap  Singh  of  Jind.     He  was  defeated  but  he  continued 
to  retain  his  strength  by  dint  of  his  remarkable  ability  as 
a  soldier."    His  splendid  courage  and  dash  in  the  battle- 
field made  him  a  celebrity  amongst  the  Sikhs.     He  fell 
on  the  battlefield  of  Nowshera  1823,  when  Ranjit  Singh 
defeated  the  Afghans  under  Azim  Khan  of  Kabul. 

0-44        Diwan  Ayodhya  Prasad. 

Ayodhya  Prasad  entered  Ranjit  Singh's  service  about 
1816.  He  served  as  paymaster  of  the  troops  under  Gene- 
rals Ventura  and  Allard  and  commanded  for  some  time 
the  Fauj  Khas  with  great  success  during  the  absence  of 
Ventura  and  afterwards  also.  The  title  of  Diwan  was 
conferred  on  him  by  Ranjit  Singh.  After  the  annexa- 
tion of  the  Punjab  he  was  put  in  charge  of  the  young 
Dalip  Singh  and  was  with  him  till  1851.  He  is  described 
as  a  man  of  great  ability  and  honourable  conduct.  He 
died  in  1870. 

D'45        Maharaja  Earam  Singh  of  Patiala. 

Karam  Singh  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  Patiala  in 
1813.  During  the  Gurkha  war  of  1814  he  rendered  valu- 
able services  to  the  British  in  recognition  of  which  the 
British  Government  conferred  upon  him  portions  of  the 
states  of  Keonthal  and  Baghat.  When  in  1845 
hostilities  broke  out  between  the  Lahore  and  British 


53 

Governments  Karani  Singh  declared  his  readiness  to  help 
the  latter.     He  died  in  1848. 

0-46        Maharaja  Narender  Singh  of  Patiala. 

Narender  Singh  succeeded  his  father  Karam  Singh 
and  continued  to  help  the  British  Government  during  the 
first  Sikh  war.  During  the  disturbances  of  1857, 
Narender  Singh  rendered  valuable  service  to  the  British 
and  in  recognition  thereof  his  territories  were  greatly  ex- 
•  tended  and  he  was  granted  administrative  jurisdiction 
over  them.  He  was  created  a  K.C.S.I.  in  1861  and  died 
in  the  following  year. 

D-47        Haider  All  Khan. 

Haider  AH  was  the  commander  inJCapurthala  in  the 
time  of  Raja  Nehal  Singh.  Although  according  to  the 
treaty  of  1806  the  state  of  Kapurthala  was  to  abstain 
from  any  act  of  hostility  against  the  British,  Haider  AH 
fought  against  the  British  both  at  Aliwal  and  Budhowal. 

0-48        Sirdar  Partap  Singh. 

Partap  Singh  of  Patiala  was  sent  to  Delhi  during  the 
Mutiny  by  Maharaja  Narender  Singh  as  the  commander 
of  500  horse  and  foot.  He  rendered  excellent  service 
during  the  siege  and  at  the  assault  of  Delhi. 

0-49        Sirdar  Khushal  Singh  Singhpuria. 

Khushal  Singh  was  the  nephew  of  Kapur  Singh,  the 
founder  of  the  powerful  Singhpuria  family  in  the  Patiala 
State.  His  territory  extended  over  a  large  area  both  in 
the  plains  and  hills  of  the  Punjab. 

D-5o        Raja  Nehal  Singh  of  Kapurthala. 

When  the  war  on  the  Sutlej  broke  out  in  1845  Nehal 
Singh  was  the  ruler  of  the  Kapurthala  State.  As  a  Cis- 
Sutlej  feudatory  under  the  British  Government  he  ought 


54 

to  have  helped  the  British  at  that  time.  But  he  was 
weak  and  had  no  control  over  his  own  state.  His  soldiers 
broke  away  from  him  and  fought  against  the  British 
under  the  command  of  Haider  AH.  In  the  second  Sikh 
war  however  Nehal  Singh  rendered  valuable  services 
and  proved  himself  a  loyal  ally  of  the  British.  He  died 
in  1852. 

D-SI        Sirdar  Bhag  Singh. 

Bhag  Singh  was  a  cousin  of  Jassa  Singh  Ahluwalia 
who  brought  the  Ahluwalia  family  of  Kapurthala  to  dis- 
tinction. When  Jassa  Singh  died  Bhag  Singh  became  the 
chief  of  the  state  and  ruled  it  for  nearly  eighteen  years. 
He  died  in  1801. 

D-52        Raja  Bikram  Singh. 

Bikram  Singh  of  Kapurthala  was  a  distinguished 
soldier  and  rendered  valuable  help  during  the  Mutiny. 
When  the  Mutiny  broke  out  he  maintained  perfect  order 
in  his  state  and  subsequently  took  an  active  part  in  the 
subjugation  of  Oudh,  for  which  he  received  both  grants 
of  land  and  title.  He  died  in  1887. 

D-53        Raja  Jaswant  Singh. 

Jaswant  Singh  of  Nabha  was  the  fifth  in  descent 
from  Phul,  the  common  ancestor  of  the  Phulkian  States. 
During  the  Cis-Sutlej  expeditions  of  Ranjit  Singh  in 
1807-8,  Jaswant  Singh  acted  as  his  ally  and  in  recog- 
nition of  his  services  became  the  recipient  of  several 
grants.  But  he  did  not  find  Ranjit  Singh's  friendship 
very  reliable  and  in  1809  he  sought  the  protection 
of  the  British  Government.  His  administrative  capacity 
was  of  a  high  order  but  his  conduct  towards  his  rivals 
and  particularly  towards  his  son  is  not  free  from  blame. 
Born  in  1775  ;  died  in  1840. 


55 

D-54        Sirdar  Didar  Singh. 

Didar  Singh  led  a  detachment  of  the  Nabha  forces  to 
Delhi  during  the  Mutiny  and  did  good  service  there 
throughout  the  siege. 

D-55        Raja  Govind  Chand. 

Govind  Chand  was  the  ruler  of  Datarpur  when  it 
fell  into  the  hands  of  Ranjit  Singh.  He  died  in  1818. 

D-56        Raja  Autar  Singh. 

Autar  Singh  was  the  ruler  of  Bhadu  in  Kashmir  in 
the  early  part  of  the  igth  century.  The  Bhadawal  family 
of  Tilokpur  is  descended  from  him. 

D-57        Raja  Ummed  Singh. 

Ummed  Singh  Bhadawal  was  one  of  the  rulers  of 
Tilokpur  in  the  Kangra  District.  He  died  in  1876. 

0-58        Raja  Ranjit  Deo. 

Ranjit  Deo  was  the  grand  uncle  of  Maharaja  Gulab 
Singh  of  Jammu.  On  the  decline  of  the  Moghal  rule  he 
assumed  independence  and  tried  to  bring  some  of  the 
adjoining  hill  states  under  subjugation.  He  made  efforts 
to  seize  Chamba  when  the  state  was  under  Raj  Singh 
but  was  driven  off  by  the  Ramgarhia  Sirdars  whose  assist- 
ance was  sought  by  the  latter.  He  died  in  1780. 

D-59        Raja  Ranjit  Deo  as  above. 

D-6o        Raja  Jit  Singh. 

Jit  Singh  was  the  grandson  of  Ranjit  Deo  to  whom 
the  chieftainship  of  Jammu  passed  on  the  latter's  death. 
He  was  deposed  in  1816  by  Ranjit  Singh  and  shortly 
afterwards  the  state  of  Jammu  was  transferred  to  Gulab 
Singh,  a  cousin  of  Jit  Singh. 


56 

D-6i        Raja  Ummed  Singh. 

Ummed  Singh  succeeded  to  the  state  of  Chamba  in 
1748.  The  Moghal  empire  had  lost  its  authority  at  that 
time  and  Ummed  Singh  threw  off  his  allegiance  to  the 
Moghals  and  regained  some  of  the  districts  of  the  state 
which  had  been  confiscated  by  them.  He  died  in  1764. 

D-62        Raja  Ummed  Singh  as  above. 

0-63        Raja  Raj  Singh. 

Raj  Singh,  the  son  of  Ummed  Singh,  succeeded  his 
father.  It  was  during  his  minority  that  both  Ghamand 
Chand  of  Kangra  and  Ran] it  Deo  of  Jammu  tried  to  ac- 
quire portions  of  the  state  of  Chamba.  But  when  Raj 
Singh  came  of  age  he  recovered  his  territories  with  the 
help  of  the  Ramgarhia  Sirdars.  Raj  Singh  conquered 
Basohli  and  Kashtwar.  The  aggressive  nature  of  Sansar 
Chand  of  Kangra  led  to  a  war  between  Raj  Singh  and 
the  chief  of  Kangra.  A  great  battle  was  fought  in  1794 
in  which  Raj  Singh  fell  fighting  most  bravely  to  the  last. 

0-64         Raja  Raj  Singh  as  above. 

D-65         Raja  Jit  Singh. 

Jit  Singh,  the  son  of  Raj  Singh, succeeded  to  the  throne 
of  Chamba  in  1794  and  the  war  that  was  raging  at  the 
time  between  Chamba  and  Sansar  Chand  of  Kangra 
came  to  a  close.  He  died  in  1808. 

D-66        Raja  Charat  Singh. 

Charat  Singh,  the  eldest  son  of  Jit  Singh,  was  only 
six  years  old  when  he  was  installed  as  Raja  of  Chamba. 
Immediately  after  his  accession  Ranjit  Singh  threatened 
to  invade  Chamba.  The  invasion  was  averted  by  peace- 
ful negotiations  and  soon  afterwards  the  state  became 
subject  to  the  Lahore  Durbar.  He  died  in  1843. 


57 

D-67        Jorawar  Singh. 

Jorawar  Singh  was  the  brother  of  Charat  Singh. 
On  the  death  of  Charat  Singh,  he  was  suspected  of  try- 
ing to  become  the  ruler  of  Chamba  and  was  about  to  be 
imprisoned  by  Charat  Singh's  wife  when  he  fled  to  Janimu 
where  he  died  in  1845. 

D-68        Raja  Gur  Sen. 

Our  Sen,  Raja  of  Mandi,  lived  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  seventeenth  century.  He  died  in  1686. 

D-6Q        Raja  Isri  Sen. 

Isri  Sen  was  the  fifth  in  descent  from  Gur  Sen. 
During  his  rule  Mandi  became  the  successive  prey  of  the 
Katoches,  the  Gurkhas  and  the  Sikhs.  Raja  Sansar 
Chand  of  Kangra  imprisoned  Isri  Sen  for  nearly  twelve 
years  after  which  he  was  liberated  by  the  Gurkhas  who 
invaded  the  territories  of  Sansar  Chand  at  the  invitation 
of  Raja  Mahan  Chand  of  Bilaspur.  He  died  in  1826. 

D-yo        Raja  Isri  Sen  as  above. 

D-7i        Mian  Kishen  Singh. 

Kishen  Singh  of  Suket  was  the  second  son  of  Raja 
Bikram  Sen.  He  was  the  father-in-law  of  Sansar  Chand 
of  Kangra,  with  whose  help  he  waged  war  with  success 
against  Mandi  in  1791. 

0-72        Mian  Narendra  Singh. 

Narendra  Singh  was  the  grandson  of  Mian  Kishen 
Singh,  In  1810  he  was  sent  with  Uggar  Sen  by  Bikram 
Sen  to  Lahore  to  induce  Ranjit  Singh  to  accept  a  reduced 
tribute. 

D-73        Raja  Bikram  Sen. 

Bikram  Sen  was  the  nephew  of  Kishen  Singh.  He 
put  to  death  Narpat,  who  had  become  a  great  power  in 


58 

the  stace.  In  the  continuous  war  tl.at  was  raging  at  the 
time  between  Mandi  and  Suket,  Bikram  Sen  was  captured 
and  kept  a  prisoner  in  Kahlur  for  nearly  six  months  after 
which  he  escaped.  He  died  in  1838. 

D-74        Raja  Devi  Chand. 

Devi  Chand  of  Kahlur  succeeded  to  the  throne  of 
Bilaspur  in  1738.  He  was  a  contemporary  of  Nadir 
Shah  who  made  him  a  prisoner  but  released  him  on  pay- 
ment of  ransom.  He  died  in  1778. 

0-75        Raja  Devi  Chand  as  above. 

D-76        Raja  Maha  Chand. 

Maha  Chand  succeeded  his  father  Devi  Chand  in 
1778.  With  the  assistance  of  the  Gurkhas  he  waged  war 
with  the  Raja  of  Nalagarh  and  Sansar  Chand  of  Kangra. 
He  died  in  1824. 

D-77        Raja  Bishen  Chand. 

Bishen  Chand  was  the  son  of  Raja  Devi  Chand' s 
brother.  He  did  not  rule  the  state  of  Kahlur. 

D-78        Raja  Bishen  Chand  as  above. 

D-79        Raja  Amar  Chand. 

Arnar  Chand,  fifth  in  descent  from  the  brother  of 
Raja  Devi  Chand,  ruled  Bilaspur  for  five  years  from 
1883  to  1888. 

D-8o        Raja  Hamir  Chand. 

Hamir  Chand,  a  Katoch  king  of  Kot  Kangra  lived 
about  1700. 

D-8i        Raja  Kamir  Chand  as  above. 


59 

D-82        Raja  Ghamand  Chand. 

Ghamand  Chand  was  a  notable  ruler  of  Kangra.  In 
1758  he  was  appointed  by  Ahmad  Shah  Durrani  to  be 
governor  of  the  Jullundur  Doab  and  the  hill  country 
between  the  Sutlej  and  Ravi.  Taking  advantage  of  the 
minority  of  Raja  Raj  Singh  of  Chaniba  he  tried  to  seize 
portions  of  the  Chamba  State  but  was  repelled  by  Ranjit 
Deo  who  took  up  the  cause  of  Raj  Singh. 

D-8s          Raja  Teg  Chand. 

Teg  Chand  succeeded  his  father  Ghamand  Chand. 
He  ruled  from  1773  to  1776. 

0-84        Raja  Sansar  Chand. 

Sansar  Chand,  son  of  Teg  Chand,  was  the  most  re- 
nowned of  the  Kangra  princes.  He  was  a  contemporary 
of  Maharaja  Ranjit  Singh  and  was  at  one  time  a  rival 
of  the  Sikh  ruler,  but  his  ambition  and  aggressive  tem- 
perament brought  about  his  downfall  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death  in  1824,  he  was  reduced  to  the  position  of  an 
obsequious  feudatory  of  Ranjit  Singh.  No  other  chief 
had  ever  become  so  powerful  in  the  Kangra  District  as 
Sansar  Chand.  His  dominions  included  several  parganas 
in  the  Jullundur  Doab  and  portions  of  the  hill  states  of 
Mandi,  Kutlehr ,  Chamba,  J  as  wan  and  Kahlur.  But  his 
ambition  would  not  let  him  rest  content  with  even  such 
.  a  large  estate.  In  1805,  he  fell  upon  the  state  of  Kahlur 
to  extend  his  territories.  The  Kahlur  Raja  sought  the 
aid  of  the  Gurkhas  who  had  already  overrun  portions  of 
the  Kangra  Valley.  The  Gurkhas  defeated  Sansar  Chand 
and  his  position  became  so  precarious  that  he  had  to 
invoke  the  succour  of  Ranjit  Singh.  This  was  readily 
granted  although  Sansar  Chand  had  formerly  given  some 
trouble  to  Ranjit  Singh  in  the  plains  by  frequent  at- 
tempts at  encroachments  on  the  possessions  of  Sada 
Kaur,  the  mother-in-law  of  Ranjit  Singh.  The-  Sikhs 


60 

drove  out  the  Gurkhas  from  Kangra  in  1810  but  this  did 
not  mean  any  change  in  the  fortune  of  Sansar  Chand,  for 
Ranjit  Singh  gradually  encroached  on  the  dominions  of 
Sansar  Chand  until  nothing  was  left  to  the  latter  except 
the  bare  title  and  a  small  jagir  for  his  maintenance. 

D-85        A  juvenile  Portrait  of  Raja  Sansar  Chand. 

D-86        Raja  Fateh  Chand. 

Fateh  Chand  was  the  second  brother  of  Sansar 
Chand. 

0-87        Raja  Anrodh  Chand. 

Anrodh  Chand  was  the  son  and  successor  of  Sansar 
Chand.  While  in  1827  he  was  in  Ignore,  Ranjit  Singh 
demanded  his  sister's  hand  on  behalf  of  his  favourite 
Hira  Singh,  the  son  of  Dhian  Singh.  Being  surrounded 
by  the  Sikhs  Anrodh  Chand  was  entirely  in  their  power 
in  I/ahore.  He  apparently  accepted  the  proposal  but  he 
had  no  intention  of  keeping  his  promise,  for  the  alliance 
meant  disgrace  to  his  royal  family.  After  coming  back 
to  his  own  territories  he  and  his  family  left  the  hills  and 
sought  refuge  within  British  territory.  Ranjit  Singh 
was  greatly  enraged  at  this  and  annexed  the  estate  of 
Anrodh  Chand  who  died  in  exile  in  1829. 

D-88        Raja  Jagdish  Chand  of  Guler. 

Jagdish  Chand,  one  of  the  earliest  rulers  of  Guler, 
flourished  in  the  latter  part  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

0-89        Raja  Jagdish  Chand  as  above. 

D-90        Raja  Rup  Chand  of  Guler. 

Rup  Chand,  son  of  Jagdish  Chand,  was  aman  of  great 
military  abilities.  During  the  reign  of  Jehangir  he  served 


61 

the    imperial    troops    with    distinction     and     received 
honours  and  reward. 

D-QI        Raja  Rup  Chand  as  before. 

D-92        Raja  Man  Singh. 

Man  Singh,  son  of  Rup  Chand ,  is  said  to  have  been 
heroic  like  his  father  and  a  very  religious  man.  In  1641 
he  served  under  Shah  Jehan,  and  brought  into  subjugation 
Jagat  Singh,  the  rebel  chief  of  Nurpur.  He  twice  sacked 
Mandi  during  the  reign  of  Raja  Suraj  Sen. 

0-93        Raja  Man  Singh  as  above. 

D-Q4        Raja  Dalip  Singh. 

Dalip  Singh,  the  great-grandson  of  Man  Singh,  suc- 
ceeded to  the  throne  of  Guler  about  the  year  1695.  He 
was  a  minor  at  the  time  and  RajaUdey  Singh  of  Chamba 
was  appointed  guardian.  Taking  advantage  of  Dalip 
Singh's  minority  the  chiefs  of  Jammu  and  Basohli  in- 
vaded Guler.  Udey  Singh  got  help  from  Siba,  Kahlur 
and  Mandi  and  with  the  combined  effort  of  these  states 
drove  out  the  invaders.  Dalip  Singh  was  a  pious  ruler  and 
rendered  considerable  assistance  to  Guru  Gobind  Singh. 

D-95        Raja  Dalip  Singh  as  above. 

D-g6        Raja  Gowardhan  Chand. 

Gowardhan  Chand  succeeded  his  father  Dalip  Singh. 
Adina  Beg  Khan  waged  an  unsuccessful  war  against  him. 
He  died  in  1773. 

0-97        Raja  Gowardhan  Chand  as  above. 
0-98        Raja  Gowardhan  Chand  as  above. 


62 

D-99        Raja  Prakash  Chand. 

Prakash  Chand  was  the  son  and  successor  of  Gowar- 
dhan  Chand.  He  died  in  1820. 

D-ioo      Raja  Prakash  Chand  as  above. 
D-IOI      Raja  Prakash  Chand   as  above. 

D-io2      Raja  Bhup  Singh. 

Bhup  Singh,  son  of  Prakash  Chand,  was  the  last 
ruling  chief  of  Guler.  He  was  a  distinguished  soldier 
and  fought  with  success  for  Ran  jit  Singh  against  Sansar 
Chand.  At  first  Ranjit  Singh  treated  him  with  respect 
but  ultimately  in  1812  he  seized  Guler.  Bhup  Singh 
died  in  1820. 


Nawab  Saif  All  Khan. 

Saif  AH  Khan  was  the  commandant  of  the  fort  of 
Kangra  appointed  by  the  Moghal  court  in  the  middle  of 
the  i8th  century.  During  this  time  the  chiefs  in  the 
Punjab  hills  resumed  their  ancient  independence  and  Saif 
Ali  Khan  was  isolated  in  the  precincts  of  the  Kangra 
fort  which  he  held  with  great  bravery  for  nearly  thirty 
years.  He  died  in  1774. 


0-104      RaJa  Bhupat  Pal. 

Bhup  at  Pal,  one  of  renowned  Baloria  rulers  of 
Basohli,  lived  about  the  year  1598.  He  is  said  to  have 
been  an  exceedingly  brave  and  powerful  man.  Owing  to 
the  backbiting  of  Raja  Jagat  Singh  of  Nurpur,  Bhupat 
Pal  was  kept  a  prisoner  by  the  Emperor  of  Delhi  for 
nearly  eight  years,  but  was  subsequently  released.  He 
co-operated  with  the  imperial  troops  in  subjugating  Jagat 
Singh. 


D-100     Raja  Parkash  Chand. 


with  success  .1 
:  first  Ranjit 
tety  in  1812 


OOf-d 


4      Baja  Bhup&t  Pa 


Pal  was 


Plate  XII, 


**:"*V  *****  »"*>  *  -  *  ».*.  *  *  ^ •'*  *  "*-v*. 


63 

D-I05      Raja  Hindol  Pal. 

Hindol  Pal,  the  second  son  of  Bhupat  Pal,  succeed- 
ed to  the  throne  of  Basohli  after  the  death  of  his  elder 
brother  Sangram  Pal. 

D-io6      Raja  Kripal  Pal. 

Kripal  Pal,  the  son  and  successor  of  Hindol  Pal, 
lived  about  1685. 

D-I07      Raja  Medini  Pal. 

Medini  Pal  was  the  grandson  of  Kripal  Pal.  Owing 
to  the  unfaithfulness  of  Raja  Uggar  Singh  of  Chamba 
certain  lands  which  were  originally  in  the  possession  of 
Chamba  were  made  over  to  Medini  Pal  by  the  order  of 
Alamgir  II  in  the  year  1758.  This  property  was  subse- 
quently made  over  to  Raja  Ummed  Singh  of  Chamba. 

D-io8      Raja  Jit  Pal. 

Jit  Pal  was  the  eldest  son  and  successor  of  Medini 
Pal. 

D-I09      Raja  Mahendra  Pal. 

Mahendra  Pal  was  the  grandson  of  Amrit  Pal,  the 
son  of  Jit  Pal.  In  his  time  the  fortunes  of  Basohli  de- 
clined rapidly  and  in  1806  he  concluded  a  treaty  with 
Jit  Singh  of  Chamba. 

D-no      Raja  Bhupendra  Pal. 

Bhupendra  Pal,  the  son  of  Mahendra  Pal,  was  the 
last  but  one  of  the  Baloria  chiefs. 

D-ni      Raja  Mandhata. 

Mandhata  of  Nurpur  flourished  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  seventeenth  century.  In  1661  he  was  deputed  by 
Aurangzib  to  the  charge  of  B  ami  an  and  Ghorband  on  the 


64 

western  frontier  of  the  Moghal  Empire.  After  twenty 
years  he  was  again  deputed  to  this  important  post  and 
was  created  a  Mansabdar  of  2,000  horse. 

D-ii2      Raja  Pirthi  Singh. 

Pirthi  Singh  was  the  grandson  of  Mandhata.  Noth- 
ing of  importance  occurred  during  his  reign.  He  died  in 
1819. 

D-H3      Raja  Bir  Singh. 

Bir  Singh,  grandson  of  Pirthi  Singh,  was  a  man  of 
great  fortitude  and  strong  will.  Failing  to  comply  with 
an  order  of  Ranjit  Singh  he  fell  a  victim  to  the  latter's 
vengeance.  In  1815,  he  was  driven  out  of  Nurpur  and 
forced  to  seek  shelter  in  Chamba  where  he  was  joined  by 
many  of  his  own  men.  With  these  men  he  made  an 
effort  to  regain  his  patrimony  but  failed.  He  left  the 
hills  and  coming  down  to  Ludhiana  he  met  Shah  Shuja 
of  Kabul  and  tried  to  plot  with  him  against  Ranjit  Singh 
without  any  success.  In  1826  he  made  another  vigor- 
ous effort  for  his  lost  kingdom.  He  was  again  beaten 
and  went  to  Chamba  to  seek  the  protection  of  his  brother- 
in-law  Charat  Singh,  the  ruler  of  Chamba.  But  he  was 
handed  over  to  Ranjit  Singh  by  the  latter.  Bir  Singh 
was  kept  a  prisoner  for  seven  years  at  the  end  of  which 
he  was  released  but  he  did  not  accept  the  jagir  offered  by 
Ranjit  Singh.  In  1846  Bir  Singh  made  a  most  determined 
attempt  to  assert  his  rights  in  the  Nurpur  State. 
This  time  he  met  with  more  success  but  did  not  survive 
to  see  his  ultimate  victory.  He  died  in  1840  before  the 
walls  of  his  own  fort  at  Nurpur. 

D-ii4      Raja  Bir  Singh  as  above. 
D-TI5      Pandit  Sen,  artist. 


65 
D-n6      Manak,  eldest  son  of  Pandit  Sen. 

D-ii7  •     Khushala,  (1st  ?)  son  of  Manak. 

D-n8      Kama,  eldest  son  of  Nainsukh.    (Nainsukh,  the  second 
son  of  Manak.) 

D-I/.Q  Kama  as  above. 

D-I20  Gauhu,  second  son  of  Nainsukh. 

D-i2i  Nikka,  third  son  of  Nainsukh. 

D-I22  Ram  Lai,  fourth  son  of  Nainsukh. 

0-123      Lord  Auckland. 

Lord  Auckland  was  appointed  Governor- General  of 
India  in  1836.  Most  of  his  time  was  engaged  in  Afghan 
affairs.  He  dethroned  Dost  Muhammad  Khan  and  re- 
instated Shah  Shuja  as  Amir  of  Kabul.  Left  India  in 
1842. 

0-124      Lord  Dalhousie. 

Lord  Dalhousie  was  appointed  Governor- General  of 
India  in  1847  and  retired  in  1856.  After  the  second 
Sikh  war  he  annexed  the  Punjab  in  1849,  and  made  many 
other  extensive  annexations.  He  introduced  and  re- 
organised many  departments  such  as  of  Railway,  Post 
and  Telegraph,  Education,  Public  Works,  etc. 

D-I25      Sir  Henry  Lawrence. 

Sir  Henry  Lawrence  was  the  brother  of  Lord 
Lawrence.  During  the  first  Sikh  war  he  was  the  Agent 
to  the  Governor-General  and  on  the  annexation  of  the 
Punjab  was  appointed  Resident  at  Lahore.  In  1857, 


66 

Sir  Henry  became  the  Chief  Commissioner  in  Oudh.  He 
died  in  the  same  year  while  defending  the  Residency 
at  Lucknow  during  the  Mutiny. 

D-I26      Lord  Dufferin. 

Lord  Dufferin  was  appointed  Viceroy  and  Governor 
General  of  India  in  1884  and  remained  in  office  till  1888. 
He  met  Amir  Abdur    Rahman    at  Rawalpindi  in  1885. 
Upper  Burma  was  annexed  during  his  time. 

D-I27      Sir  Herbert  Benjamin  Edwardes. 

Herbert  Edwardes  came  to  the  Punjab  about  1841. 
He  was  appointed  as  an  Assistant  to  Sir  Henry  Lawrence. 
On  the  rebellion  of  Mulraj  at  Multan  in  1848,  Bdwardes 
with  the  aid  of  the  Nawab  of  Bahawalpur,  attacked  and 
defeated  Mulraj  and  the  rebels.  In  1853  he  was  made 
Commissioner  of  Peshawar.  He  had  a  very  brilliant 
career  and  received  many  titles. 

D-I28      William  Moorcroft. 

William  Moorcroft,  a  veterinary  surgeon,  came  out 
to  India  as  Superintendent  of  East  India  Company's 
Military  Stud  in  Bengal.  He  was  a  very  adventurous 
traveller  and  was  perhaps  the  first  European  to  cross  the 
Himalayas  and  reach  the  sources  of  the  Indus  and  Sutlej 
and  of  the  lakes  Rawan  and  Mansarowar.  When  he  was 
proceeding  from  Nadaun  to  Bokhara  with  an  idea  of  pur- 
chasing horses .  he  paid  a  visit  to  Lahore  and  was  received 
with  kindness  by  Ranjit  Singh.  Moorcroft  presented  the 
Maharaja  with  pistols  and  a  few  other  things  with  which 
the  latter  was  very  much  pleased.  On  his  departure  from 
Lahore  he  received  presents  from  Ranjit  Singh  and  pro- 
ceeded towards  Ladakh  through  the  Kulu  valley. 
Moorcroft  next  went  to  Kashmir  and  visited  Kabul  and 
Bokhara.  He  died  at  Andkho  in  1825. 


67 

D-I2Q      Dost  Muhammad  Khan. 

Dost  Muhammad  Khan  was  the  ruler  of  Kabul  from 
1823  to  1863.  There  was  a  break  in  his  rule  from  1839 
to  1842  during  which  period  he  was  deposed  and  Shah 
Shuja  was  set  on  the  throne.  When  Ranjit  Singh  an- 
nexed Peshawar  to  his  dominion  in  1834,  Dost  Muhammad 
Khan  desired  mediation  but  this  was  refused.  In  1836 
Dost  Muhammad  Khan  negotiated  with  Russia  t  which 
eventually  resulted  in  the  Afghan  war  of  1838.  He  sur- 
rendered and  was  sent  to  India  in  1840.  Shah  Shuja  was 
placed  on  the  throne  but  he  was  assassinated  in  1842 
after  which  Dost  Muhammad  Khan  was  released  and  re- 
sumed his  position  as  king  of  Kabul  and  remained  faith- 
ful to  the  British  Government  till  his  death. 

0-130      Raja  Balwant  Singh. 

Unidentified. 

D-i3i      Ram  Singh  Kuka. 

Ram  Singh  was  the  son  of  a  carpenter.  He  was  the 
disciple  of  Balak,  the  founder  of  the  Kuka  sect  of  the 
Sikhs,  whom  he  succeeded  as  the  spiritual  leader  of  the 
Kukas  in  1863.  But  the  instinct  of  the  Kukas  proved 
to  be  arrogant  and  when  some  of  them  made  an  attack 
on  Maler  Kotla,  Ram  Singh  was  seized  and  removed  to 
Allahabad  and  thence  to  Burma  where  he  died. 


PAINTINGS  OF  SUBJECTS  FROM  HINDU 
MYTHOLOGY. 


PAINTINGS  OF  SUBJECTS   FROM   HINDU 
MYTHOLOGY. 

E-i          The  Churning  of  the  Ocean. 

By  incurring  the  displeasure  of  the  sage  Durvasa, 
the  gods  had  lost  the  divine  grace  and  favour  of  Lakshmi, 
the  goddess  of  beauty,  wealth  and  elegance.  This  made 
the  gods  powerless,  and  the  Asuras  or  demons  taking 
advantage  of  the  situation,  defeated  the  gods  in  battle 
and  tried  to  drive  them  out  of  Swarga,  heaven.  The 
enfeebled  gods  were  in  dire  distress.  Now  I/akshmi  had 
disappeared  from  the  universe  and  the  gods  knew  not 
where  she  was,  and  it  was  she  only  who  could  restore 
their  strength.  So  they  sought  the  protection  of  Vishnu 
and  begged  him  to  help  them  in  regaining  the  grace  of 
I,akshmi.  The  supplications  of  the  gods  pleased  Vishnu 
and  he  ordered  them  to  churn  the  ocean  which  had  con- 
cealed L/akshmi.  Mount  Mandara  was  made  the  churning 
rod,  the  great  serpent  Vasuki  became  the  churning  rope, 
,  and  all  the  potent  herbs  were  cast  into  the  milky  sea. 
As  the  churning  was  expected  to  }deld  Amrita,  ambrosia, 
the  Asuras  also  took  part  in  it  as  they  were  promised  a 
portion  of  the  nectar  by  drinking  which  they  would 
become  immortal.  The  churning  began  and  up  rose  from 
the  foaming  sea  Surabhi,  the  heavenly  cow  which  could 
yield  as  much  milk  as  could  be  desired.  Then  followed 
Uchaishraba,  the  seven  headed  horse,  Varuni  Devi,  the 
divinity  of  wine,  Dhanantwari,  the  god  of  healing  and 
medical  science  ;  then  came  Chandra,  the  moon,  Parijata, 
the  flower  of  Swarga  and  last  rose  from  the  milky  foam 
the  goddess  Sri  or  Ivakshmi.  All  these  are  shown  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  picture. 

Kashmir  ;  late  iQth  century. 


72 

E-2          The  death  of  Sankhasura. 

An  asura  by  name  Sankha  lived  in  the  sea  in  the 
form  of  a  conch,  sankha.  He  caused  the  death  of  the 
son  of  Rishi  Sandhipani  who  taught  the  Vedas  to 
Krishna.  As  his  Guru's  fee  the  Rishi  asked  Krishna  to 
restore  to  life  his  son  who  was  killed  by  Sankhasura. 
Thereupon  Krishna  entered  the  waters  and  having  killed 
the  demon  restored  the  son  of  the  Rishi  to  life. 

Krishna  in  this  painting  is  shown  to  have  assumed 
the  form  of  a  fish.  The  painter  seems  to  have  confound- 
ed this  legend  with  that  of  the  Matsya  Avatar  of  Vishnu. 

Kashmir  ;  late  igth  century. 

E-3          The  death  of  Hiranyakashipu. 

Hiranyakashipu,  the  chief  of  the  Asuras,  had  by 
virtue  of  severe  penance  obtained  from  Brahma  the  boon 
that  death  would  not  come  to  him  through  any  created 
being,  nor  would  he  die  on  earth  or  water.  This  boon 
was  apparently  an  assurance  of  immortality  and  Hiranya 
in  his  pride  and  overweaning  conceit  aspired  even  to  the 
throne  of  Vishnu.  Now  Hiranya  had  a  young  son, 
Prahlada,  who  was  a  most  devout  worshipper  of  Vishnu. 
This  was  intolerable  to  Hiranya  and  when  he  found  that 
no  amount  of  persuation  would  induce  Prahlada  to  give 
up  worshipping  Vishnu,  he  ordered  the  child  to  be  put 
to  death.  Prahlada  was  thrown  into  the  fire  but  the  fire 
would  not  burn  him.  He  was  thrown  under  the  feet  of 
an  infuriated  elephant,  but  as  soon  as  its  tusks  touched 
the  boy  it  broke  into  pieces,  and  no  harm  befell  Prahlada. 
Thrown  down  from  a  great  height  he  was  quite  unhurt 
and  even  the  venomous  fangs  of  serpents  could  not  do 
him  any  harm.  Next  he  was  cast  into  the  sea  but  the 
swelling  waves  did  not  drown  him.  Thus  when  all 
attempts  to  kill  Prahlada  had  failed  the  exasperated 
Hiranya  demanded  of  the  boy  what  had  saved  him. 
Prahlada  replied  that  he  owed  his  immunity  from  death 


73 

to  the  omnipresent  Vishnu.  The  Asura  king  laughed  and 
pointing  to  a  stone  pillar  said  in  mockery  that  if  Vishnu 
was  omnipresent  could  he  manifest  himself  in  that  pillar 
in  front  of  them  ?  "  Certainly,"  said  Prahlada  in  the 
fulness  of  his  faith,  and  touched  the  pillar  calling  upon 
Vishnu,  whereupon  with  a  report  as  of  thunder  the  pillar 
was  rent  asunder  and  Vishnu  issued  forth  from  it  in  the 
form  of  Nrisingha,  the  lion-man.  He  seized  Hiranya 
and  laying  him  across  his  knees,  tore  open  his  body  and 

killed  him. 

Kashmir  ;  late  igth  century. 

E-4          The    goddess    Lakshmi    and    Narayana    seated    on  a 
throne. 

Kangra ;  early  igtb  century. 

E-5          Vishnu  resting  on  Ananta. 

Vishnu,  the  Eternal,  reclining  on  the  hydra-headed 
serpent  Ananta  the  symbol  of  Infinity.  Lakshmi  is  by 
his  side. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

E-6          The  salvation  of  Indradyumna. 

King  Indradyumna  was  a  devout  follower  of  Vishnu. 
He  incurred  the  displeasure  of  the  sage  Agastya  and  by 
his  curse  was  born  as  an  elephant.  Once  the  elephant 
went  to  bathe  in  a  lake  in  the  Chitrakuta  mountain  and 
was  seized  by  a  mighty  crocodile  which  began  to  drag 
him  into  the  water.  The  elephant  could  not  escape  and 
rinding  that  he  was  doomed  to  death  he  prayed  to  Vishnu 
to  save  him  ;  thereupon  Vishnu  came  and  slew  the  croco- 
dile with  his  Chakra,  and  saved  his  devotee  who  from 
that  day  resumed  his  original  form. 

In  this  picture  the  crocodile  is  represented  more  or 
less  like  a  serpent  with  a  head  resembling  that  of  a  dog 

or  some  other  beast. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 


74 

E-7          Rama  breaking  the  bow  of  Kara. 

Janaka,  king  of  Mithila,  had  a  daughter,  Seeta, 
who  had  sprung  from  the  furrow  as  he  was  once  plough- 
ing the  field.  When  Seeta  attained  the  marriageable  age 
Janaka  announced  that  he  would  bestow  Seeta  upon  him 
only  who  would  string  the  great  bow  of  Hara  given  by 
the  gods  to  the  ancestors  of  Janaka.  It  was  a  great  bow 
which  none  else  could  bend,  but  Rama  strung  it  easily 
and  drew  it  so  hard  that  it  broke  in  two,  whereupon  he 
was  married  to  Seeta. 

The    picture    shows  Rama  discharging    an    arrow 
Seeta  is  about  to  place  the  Varamalya,  the   garland   of 
choice,  round  the  neck  of   Rama.     The  entire  scene  is 
of  merry  making  as  is  always  the  case  on  the  occasion 
of  a  wedding. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 

F-8          Chandi  Devi. 

Guler;  late  i8th  century. 

E~9          Gauri-Shankara. 

This  is  a  representation  of  Gauri  and  Shankara  in 
one  person.  Shankara  is  painted  white  and  Gauri  vermi- 
lion. Half  of  the  figure  is  male  and  half  female.  This 
characteristic  difference  has  been  maintained  throughout , 
not  only  in  the  features  but  also  in  ornaments  and  dress. 
Several  gods  and  goddesses  are  represented  worshipping 
Gauri-Shankara  among  whom  Brahma,  Vishnu,  Surya 
and  Chandra  are  easily  distinguishable.  Apsaras  are 
dancing  in  the  centre  to  the  accompaniment  of  the 
music  played  by  Kinnaras. 

Kangra  ;  middle  iQth  century. 

E-io        Shiva  as  paterfamilias. 

Kangra ;  early  igth  century. 


75 

E-n        Ganesha. 

Ganesha  or  Ganapati,  the  god  who  grants  success 
and  wealth.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Parvati  and  Siva. 
At  the  time  of  his  .birth  it  is  said,  all  the  gods  with  the 
exception  of  Shani,  Saturn,  visited  his  cradle.  Shan 
did  not  come  lest  he  should  harm  the  child.  Parvati 
laughed  at  Shani' s  presumption  and  invited  him  to  come. 
But  when  he  came  and  looked  at  the  babe  the  head  of 
the  child  disappeared  in  a  flame.  Parvati's  grief  knew 
no  bounds.  She  asked  Shani  to  restore  her  son's  head, 
but  that  he  could  not  do,  for  it  was  already  in  ashes. 
All  he  could  do  was  to  search  for  something  else  which 
might  serve  as  the  head  of  the  child.  He  happened  to 
come  upon  an  elephant  sleeping  with  his  head  to  the 
north.  For  this  trifling  fault  his  head  was  cut  off  and 
Shani  had  it  put  on  Ganesha's  body.  Since  then  Ganesha 
has  an  elephant's  head. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

E-I2        The  appearance  of  Kausiki. 

The  Markandeya  Purana  incorporates  the  account 
of  several  combats  between  the  Devas  and  the  Asuras. 
Once  in  the  pride  of  their  power  the  Asuras  waged  war 
on  the  Devas,  defeated  them  in  battle  and  assumed  their 
sovereignty.  The  helpless  gods  sought  the  assistance  of 
Devi  Aparajita,  the  unconquerable  goddess,  to  regain 
their  former  position,  whereupon  Kausiki  appeared  as  an 
emanation  of  Durga  for  the  destruction  of  the  Asuras. 

On  the  left  of  the  picture  are  the  different  Devas 
worshipping  Durga  who  is  about  to  take  her  bath  in  the 
Ganges.  Kausiki  Devi  is  on  the  left. 

Guler ;  late  i8th  century. 

E-IS        The  Devas  worshipping  Kausiki  Devi. 

Guler  ;  late  i8th  century. 


76 

E-i4        Dhritarashtra,  the  father  of  the  Kauravas. 

A  fragment  of  a  large  composition.  The  figure  of 
Dhritarashtra  only  is  distinguishable  by  his  closed  eyes. 
Probably  his  half-brother  Vidur  is  holding  him  by  the 
hand.  The  picture  very  likely  represents  the  scene  when 
Dhritarashtra  decided  to  retire  from  the  world  to  live  in 
the  forest  at  the  end  of  the  great  war  in  which  his  whole 

house  perished. 

Poonch  ;  middle  i8th  century. 

E-i5        The  unveiling  of  Draupadi. 

The  story  of  the  epic  strife  between  the  Kauravas 
and  Pandavas  in  the  Mahabharata  begins  with  a  game 
of  dice.  The  jealousy  of  the  Pandavas  had  so  much 
filled  the  hearts  of  Kauravas  that  they  determined  to 
bring  ruin  and  shame  on  the  Pandavas  somehow. 
Duryodhana,  the  eldest  of  the  Kaurava  princes,  chal- 
lenged Yudhishtira,  the  eldest  of  the  Pandavas,  to  a 
game  of  dice.  After  some  reluctance  Yudhishtira  accept- 
ed the  challenge  and  the  game  was  played.  Sakuni  the 
maternal  uncle  of  Duryodhana,  an  unmitigated  rascal, 
played  on  behalf  of  the  Kauravas.  The  stakes  were 
high  and  the  crafty  Sakuni  won  the  throw  every  time. 
Yudhishtira  lost  his  vast  kingdom,  treasures  and  riches 
and  all  his  army,  one  after  another.  But  the  fever  of 
gambling  was  on  him  and  when  there  was  nothing  else 
left  he  staked  his  brothers  one  after  the  other  and  lost 
them  all  and  finally  he  staked  himself  and  lost.  Nothing 
was  left  except  Draupadi  and  he  was  taunted  and  tempt- 
ed to  stake  even  her  as  a  last  hostage  to  fortune.  But 
Sakuni  won  as  before  and  Draupadi  was  lost  to  the 
Pandavas.  The  Kauravas  rejoiced  at  their  victory  and 
in  order  to  humiliate  the  Pandavas,  Duryodhana  commis- 
sioned Duhsasana  to  bring  Draupadi  in  the  durbar  hall 
dragging  her  by  the  hair,  and  to]unveil  her  before  the  as- 
sembly. Draupadi  prayed  to  Krishna  to  save  her  from  this 


Plate  XVI I. 


^•^ 


j»^>--J-- 


E-18     The  Return  of  Rama. 

Kangra  :  early  igth  century. 


77 

last  disgrace  and  Krishna  came  to  her  rescue.  When  Duh- 
sasana  tried  to  take  off  her  veil  Krishna  supplied 
Draupadi  unseen  with  innumerable  garments.  Duhsa- 
sana  snatched  one  cloth  after  another  till  they  accumu- 
lated in  heaps  and  yet  the  figure  of  the  praying  Draupadi 
remained  draped  as  before. 

In  the  lower  panel  on  the  left  of  the  picture 
Duhsasana  is  dragging  Draupadi's  garments  from  her 
body.  A  heap  of  clothes  is  seen  at  her  feet.  On  the 
right  are  the  five  Pandavas  sitting  helpless  and  disconso- 
late. 

Mandi ;  middle  iQth  century. 

E-i6        The  unveiling  of  Draupadi. 

The  upper  panel  is  greatly  damaged  but  it  can  be 
made  out  that  in  the  centre  was  the  blind  king  Dhrita- 
rashtra  surrounded  by  Kauravas  and  other  courtiers. 

Kangra;  early  i8th  century. 

E-i7         Rama,  Seeta  and  Lakshmana  in  forest. 

Lakshmana  extracting  a  thorn  from  Rama's  foot. 
Rama  is  resting  his  head  on  the  lap  of  Seeta.  A  monkey 
attendant  is  fanning  him  with  a  lotus  leaf  ;  another  mon- 
key is  fetching  water  while  two  others  are  themselves 
drinking.  A  shot  deer  is  lying  in  the  fore  ground. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 

E-i8        The  return  of  Rama. 

The  return  of  Rama  to  Ayodhya  at  the  termination 
of  his  exile.  The  background  shows  his  army  in  Persian 
headdress  and  armour — an  innovation  common  to  many 
Kangra  pictures. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

E  19        Seeta  in  captivity. 

Ravana,  the  demon  king  of  I^anka,  seized  Seeta  by 
a  ruse,  carried  her  to  I^anka  and  kept  her  in  captivity  in 


78 

a  grove  guarded  by  Rakshasas.  The  picture  shows  her 
in  the  Asoka  grove.  Lanka  is  seen  in  the  background. 
She  occurs  four  times  in  the  picture.  Even  the  wild 
beasts  have  sympathy  with  her  in  her  misfortune.  At 
one  place  of  the  picture  antelopes  have  approached  her 
and  their  timid  and  innocent  look  is  full  of  affection  and 
sympathy.  At  another  place  an  elephant  has  come  to 
salute  her.  At  a  third  place  a  lion  is  kneeling  at  the  feet 
of  Seeta.  At  another  place  Hanuman  has  approached 
the  despondent  Seeta  and  is  perhaps  delivering  the  joy- 
ous message  of  the  arrival  of  Rama  to  rescue  her. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 

B-2O        The  awakening  of  Kumbhakarna. 

When  the  army  of  Rama  laid  siege  to  Lanka  and 
began  killing  the  Rakshasa  generals  one  by  one,  the 
heart  of  Ravana  sank  and  he  sent  for  his  brother 
Kumbhakarna,  the  best  fighter  amongst  the  Rakshasas. 
Kumbhakarna  used  to  sleep  for  months  together  and 
would  wake  only  when  he  felt  hungry.  When  Ravana 
sent  for  him  he  was  asleep,  so  he  sent  a  host  of  Raksha- 
sas to  waken  the  giant. 

That  this  was  not  a  very  easy  task  is  very  dramati- 
cally shown  in  the  painting.  Kumbhakarna  is  lying 
like  a  mountain  and  his  sleep  is  so  heavy  that  he  does 
not  know  what  mighty  efforts  are  being  made  to  awaken 
him.  A  number  of  women  are  singing  close  by.  A  big 
drum  is  being  very  heavily  beaten  and  several  Rakshasas 
are  blowing  trumpets  into  his  ears  but  the  terrific  sound 
seems  to  stimulate  rather  than  to  disturb  his  heavy  slum- 
ber. A  few  Rakshasas  are  hammering  his  legs  while 
others  are  pinching  him  with  large  pincers.  Even  an 
elephant  is  being  driven  .over  him  but  the  giant  sleeps 
peacefully.  In  a  big  cauldron  entire  goats  are  being 
cooked  for  the  meal  of  Kumbhakarna. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 


79 

E-2I        An  episode  from  the  Ramayana. 

It  represents  the  scene  from  the  Ramayana  during 
the  time  of  the  siege  of  Lanka  when  Rama  and  Lakshmana 
were  smitten  down  by  charmed  arrows  from  the  camps 
of  Ravana.  The  picture  shows  that  some  of  those 
arrows  changed  into  living  serpents  and  wound  them- 
selves about  Rama  and  Lakshmana  to  the  utter  wonder 
and  dismay  of  their  monkey  and  bear  followers. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 

B-22        The  salvation  of  Indradyumna.    See  E-6. 

Kangra ;  late  i8th  century. 


PORTRAITS  OF  SAINTS  AND  RELIGIOUS 

LEADERS. 


PORTRAITS  OF   SAINTS  AND   RELIGIOUS 
LEADERS. 

F-i          Khwaja  Khizr. 

A  prophet  said  to  be  still  living  and  it  is  believed 
he  sometimes  appears  to  travellers  when  they  have  lost 
their  way. 

F-2          Ibrahim  Adham. 

A  king  of  Balkh  who  renounced  the  world  and  be- 
came a  Darvesh.  He  died  at  the  age  of  no  years  about 

875. 

F-3          Khwaja  Baiazid  Bustami. 

A  famous  ascetic  of  Bustam.  Died  sometime  be- 
tween 875  and  878. 

F-4          Shaikh  Junaid  Baghdad!. 

He  was  born  and  brought  up  in  Baghdad  and  even- 
tually became  one  of  the  chief  followers  of  Shafa-i.  He 
is  said  to  have  made  no  less  than  thirty  pilgrimages  to 
Mecca,  every  time  on  foot  and  alone.  He  died  at  Baghdad 
in  911. 

F-5          Hazrat  Ghaus-ul-Azam. 

Hazrat  Ghaus-ul-Azam  is  the  title  of  the  Muham- 
madan  saint  Abdul  Qadir  Gilani.  He  was  born  in  1078 
in  Gilan  in  Persia  on  which  account  he  was  called  Gilani. 
The  followers  of  Abdul  Qadir  are  called  Qadiris.  He  was 
greatly  revered  for  his  deep  learning  and  piety  and  is  the 
author  of  many  books  on  theology.  He  died  in  1166 
and  was  buried  at  Baghdad. 

F-6          A  group  of  the  Sufi  Saints   (a)    Khwaja    Muin-ud-din 
Chishti ;  (b)    Khwaja    Qutb-ud-din ;  (c)  Baba   Farid ; 


84 

(d)    Hazrat    Dastgir;    (e)    Abu    All   Qalandar   and 
(/)    Nizam-ud-din  Aulia. 

(a)  Khwaja   Muin-ud-din   Chishti  was  a  celebrated 
saint  whose  tomb  at  Ajmer  is  a  place  of  pilgrimage  to 
the   Muhammadans.     He   was   born   at  Sistan  in  1142. 
He  came  to  India  and  lived  in  Ajmer  where  he  died  in 
1236. 

(b)  Khwaja   Qutb-ud-din   was  a  saint  of    Mahrauli 
near  Delhi.    He  is   commonly   called  Qutb  Shah.    Died 
in  1235. 

(c)  Baba  Farid,    the   saint  of  Pak   Pattan   in   the 
Punjab,  was  born  in  1173.     It  is  said  that  once  he  trans- 
muted dust  into  sugar,  since  when  he  was  styled  Shakkar 
Gunj.     He  was  a  disciple  of  Khwaja  Qutb-ud-din.     He 
died  in  1265  and  was   buried   at  Pak  Pattan.      A  big 
fair    is    held  at    his  tomb  every    year   on   the  5th   of 
Muharrum  the  anniversary  day  of  his  death. 

(d)  Hazrat    Dastgir    is    another    name    of    Hazrat 
Ghaus-ul-Azam.     Vide  F-5. 

(e)  Abu  AH  Qalandar  came  from  Persia  and  settled 
down  at  Panipat  where  he  died  in  1324.     His  tomb  near 
Panipat  is  very  often  visited  by  Muhammadan  pilgrims, 

(/)  Shaikh  Nizam-ud-din  Aulia  was  one  of  the  most 
notable  disciples  of  Baba  Farid.  He  was  born  in  1236 
and  died  at  Delhi  in  1325.  His  tomb  is  at  Ghayaspur 
near  Delhi. 

F-7  Khwaja  Muin-ud-din  Chishti  as  above. 

F-8  Khwaja  Qutb-ud-din  as  above. 

F-Q  Baba  Farid  as  above. 

F-ro  Abu  Ali  Qalandar  as  above. 

F-II  Nizam-ud-din  Aulia  as  above. 


85 

F-i2        Shams -ud-din  Muhammad  Tabriz!. 

Shams-ud-din  Tabriz  is  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
Sufi  martyrs.  He  came  from  Tabriz  to  Multan  which  at 
that  time  was  the  seat  of  several  holy  men.  There  is  a 
legend  about  Shams  Tabriz  which  goes  a  long  way  to  at- 
tribute the  traditional  cause  of  the  great  heat  at  Multan. 
It  is  said  that  for  having  brought  a  dead  person  back  to 
life  Shams-ud-din  was  flayed  alive.  The  saint  wandered 
about,  carrying  his  own  skin  and  begged  food  from  door 
to  door.  But  no  one  had  compassion  on  him  because  he 
had  been  excommunicated  and  he  wandered  thirsty  and 
hungry  from  place  to  place  till  he  caught  a  fish  or  accord- 
ing to  another  version  found  a  dead  ox.  But  he 
wanted  a  fire  to  cook  it  and  no  one  would  give  him  even 
that.  At  last  disappointed  by  the  unreasonable  cruelty 
of  men,  he  begged  the  sun  to  roast  the  fish  for  him.  The 
sun  came  down  from  the  sky  near  enough  to  allow  the 
saint  to  bake  his  fish.  Shams  Tabriz  was  killed  and 
thrown  into  a  well  in  1247. 

F-i3        Shams-ud-din  Tabriz  as  above. 

F-i4        Data  Ganj  Buksh. 

Of  the  several  Muhammadan  saints  interred  in 
Lahore  no  one  is  so  popularly  and  widely  known  as  Data 
Ganj  Buksh.  His  real  name  was  AH  Mukhdum  and  he 
came  to  settle  in  Lahore  in  1039.  He  was  an  eminent 
scholar  and  was  the  author  of  several  books  on  theology. 
He  died  in  1072  and  was  buried  close  to  a  mosque  which 
he  had  himself  built.  Khwaja  Muin-ud-din  Chishti  is 
said  to  have  passed  forty  days  of  profound  meditation 
in  the  tomb  of  Ali  Mukhdum  after  which  he  repeated  a 
verse  in  Persian  in  which  Ali  Mukhdum  was  addressed  as 
Ganj  Buksh  or  the  bestower  of  Treasure,  and  since  then 
Ali  Mukhdum  has  been  called  Data  Ganj  Buksh. 


86 

P-I5         Shaikh  Rukn-ud-din. 

Shaikh  Rukn-ud-din,  a  Muhammadan  saint,  was  a 
contemporary  of  Nizam-ud-din  Aulia.  He  was  buried 
in  Multan,  where  a  magnificent  tomb  has  been  erected 
over  his  remains. 

F-i6        Shaikh  Baha-ud-din  Zikaria. 

Shaikh  Baha-ud-din  Zikaria,  a  Muhammadan  saint 
of  Multan,  was  born  at  Kot  Karor  in  Multan  in  1170. 
He  journeyed  to  Baghdad  where  he  became  a  disciple  of 
Shaikh  Shahab-ud-din  Suharwardi,  a  celebrated  pious 
Shaikh  (1145-1234).  On  his  return  Baha-ud-din  came 
in  contact  with  Baba  Farid.  He  died  at  Multan  in  1266 
and  was  buried  there. 

F-IJ        Mukhdum  Jahania  Jahangsht. 

Mukhdum  Jahania  Jahangsht,  also  called  Shaikh 
Jalal,  was  another  celebrated  saint  of  Multan.  He  was 
the  disciple  of  Shaikh  Rukn-ud-din  ;  his  followers  are  the 
Malangs  and  Jalalia  faqirs.  He  is  said  to  have  travelled 
a  good  deal  and  made  not  less  than  seven  pilgrimages  to 
Mecca  from  where,  it  is  believed,  he  brought  a  stone 
bearing  the  foot  mark  of  the  prophet.  This  stone  he 
presented  to  the  Emperor  Feroz  Shah  Tughlak  who  be- 
came one  of  his  disciples.  He  died  in  1384  and  was 
buried  near  Multan. 

F-i8         Madho  Lai  Hussain. 

Although  the  real  name  of  this  saint  is  I/al  Hussain 
he  is  generally  known  as  Madho  Lai  Hussain.  He 
lived  in  the  time  of  Akbar.  It  is  said  that  he 
once  met  a  Brahmin  boy  named  Madho  and  he  was  so 

much  struck  by  the  personality  of  this  boy  that  he  came 
to  have  a  life-long  attachment  for  him  and  subsequently 
the  boy's  name  became  a  part  of  that  of  the  saint.  Madho 

became  his  disciple  and  never  parted  from  him  in  life. 


87 

When  the  former  died  in  1599  he  was  buried  at  Shahdara 
but  shortly  afterwards  'the  grave  was  swept  away  by  the 
Ravi.  Madho  exhumed  the  body  of  the  saint  and  buried 
it  at  Baghwanpura,  near  the  Shalimar  garden  where 
the  tombs  of  both  Lai  Hussain  and  Madho  are  to  be 
seen  to  this  day.  It  is  said  that  Lai  Hussain  used 
to  pass  his  nights  repeating  the  Koran  by  heart  in  a  stand- 
ing position  by  the  river  Ravi.  The  picture  is  a  represen- 
tation of  this  tradition. 

F-i9          Hassu  Teli. 

Hassu  Teli  as  the  name  implies  was  formerly  a  teli 
or  oilman.  He  became  noted  as  a  devotee  and  had  a 
large  number  of  followers.  He  was  a  contemporary  of 
Madho  Lai  Hussain.  He  died  in  1593  and  his  tomb  is 
situated  near  Killa  Gujar  Singh,  Lahore. 

F-20        Chhajju  Bhagat. 

Chhajju  Bhagat,  a  Hindu  saint  of  Lahore,  was  ori- 
ginally a  money  lender,  but  afterwards  he  forsook  the 
world  and  became  a  Bhagat  or  devotee.  Chhajju  died  • 
in  1640  and  a  choubara  marks  the  place  where  his  ashes 
are  interred.  Maharaja  Ran  jit  Singh  held  this  place  in 
great  respect  and  used  to  make  large  offerings  at  this 
shrine. 

F-2i        Mian  Mir. 

Shaikh  Muhammad  Mir,  commonly  known  as  Mian 
Mir,  was  a  saint  of  great  fame  and  was  held  in  high  esteem 
for  his  great  piety  and  learning  by  the  rich  and  poor 
alike.  Jehangir  invited  him  to  Agra  and  there  is  a  refer- 
ence in  his  memoirs  to  the  interview  he  had  with  Mian 
Mir.  Dara  Shikoh  accepted  him  as  his  spiritual  guide 
and  Shah  Jehan  after  his  succession  paid  him  a  visit  in 
Lahore. 

Mian  Mir  was  born  in  1550  and  died  near  Lahore  in 
1635.  His  mausoleum  is  about  four  miles  from  the  city 


88 

and  quite  close  to  the  cantonment,  which  is  popularly 
called  "  Mian  Mir  ' '  after  the  name  of  the  saint. 

F-22        Shaikh  Abdul  Mali. 

Shaikh  Abdul  Mali  was  one  of  the  disciples  of  the 
saint  Mian  Mir  and  became  renowned  as  a  saint.  His 
tomb  is  near  the  MochiGate,  Lahore,  where  a  fair  is  held 
on  the  anniversary  of  his  death,  which  probably  took 
place  in  1616. 

F-23        Shaikh  Bilawal  Qadiri. 

Another  saintly  person  of  Lanore  belonging  to  the 
seventeenth  century  was  Shaikh  Bilawal  Qadiri,  who  es- 
tablished an  alms-house  at  Lahore  and  fed  the  poor 
and  the  needy.  He  died  in  1636  and  was  buried  in 
Lahore. 

F-24        Shah  Chiragh. 

Shah  Chiragh,  another  Muhammadan  saint,  flou- 
rished during  the  days  of  Shah  Jehan  and  died  in  Lahore 
in  1657.  His  tomb  is  near  the  High  Court,  Lahore. 

F-25        Shah  Kamal. 

During  the  reign  of  Shah  Jehan  the  two  brothers, 
Shah  Jamal  and  Shah  Kamal,  famous  for  their  piety  and 
holiness,  flourished.  Their  descendants  are  now  to  be 
found  in  the  district  of  Sialkot. 

F-26        Imam  Ghazi. 

Imam  Ghazi  was  a  notable  faqir  of  Sialkot.  His 
name  is  held  in  great  reverence  by  the  Punjab  Muham- 
madans  and  his  tomb  and  mosque  at  Sialkot  are  places 
of  pilgrimage. 

F-27        Sakhi  Sarwar. 

Sakhi  Sarwar,  the  renowned  saint  of  Dera  Ghazi 
Khan,  nourished  in  the  I3th  century.  He  is  said  to  have 


89 

performed  several  miracles  which  are  well  known  in  the 
district  even  to  this  day.  His  shrine  in  Dera  Ghazi 
Khan  is  venerated  both  by  the  Hindus  andMuhammadans. 

F-28        Shah  Daulah  Darya. 

Shah  Daulah,  the  famous  saint  of  Gujrat,  is  sup- 
posed to  have  died  at  the  age  150  years.  He  was  born 
in  1568.  The  shrine  of  Shah  Daula  in  Gujrat  is  the  resi" 
dence  of  a  number  of  curious  faqirs  with  small  heads  and 
weak  intellects,  known  as  Chuha-sains  or  rat-saints. 

F-2Q        Lai  Shahbaz. 

Lai  Shahbaz  was  formerly  called  Shaikh  Marwandi. 
He  was  one  of  the  many  learned  Saiyads  who  were 
driven  out  of  Khorasan  and  took  refuge  in  the  Punjab 
and  Sindh.  When  Muhammad  Shah  Tughlak,  son  of 
Emperor  Ghayas-ud-din  Tughlak  was  Governor  of 
Multan  he  invited  I/al  Shahbaz  to  his  court.  Lai 
Shahbaz  accepted  the  invitation  but  refused  to  be  at- 
tached to  the  royal  court.  He  died  in  1347.  His  tomb  at 
Sehwan  is  a  famous  and  venerated  shrine  in  Sindh. 

F-30        Saiyad  Jalal  Bukhari. 

Saiyad  Jalal  rose  to  prominence  during  the  time  of 
Shah  Jehan.  He  was  highly  respected  by  the  Emperor 
and  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  Sadarat  or  chief  jus- 
tice. Besides  being  an  able  statesman  he  was  a  talented 
poet.  He  died  in  1647  and  was  buried  at  Agra. 

* 
F-3i        Kabir. 

Kabir  (1380-1420)  a  weaver  by  caste  is  well 
known  as  a  composer  of  religious  songs.  He  was  the 
most  famous  disciple  of  Ramanuja.  Kabir  was  a 
Muhammadan  and  preached  a  religion  of  the  equality  of 
all  men  irrespective  of  caste  or  creed.  The  most  charac- 


90 

teristic  feature  of  his  teaching  was  the  linking  up  of  the 
beliefs  of  Hinduism  and  Islam.  His  sayings  and  songs 
are  known  throughout  India  and  have  been  largely  in- 
corporated in  the  Sikh  scriptures. 

F-32        Maulana  Jalal-ud-din  Rumi. 

Maulana  Rumi  was  born  at  Balkh  in  1207  and  died 
in  1273.  He  was  a  poet  of  great  fame  and  was  the 
founder  of  the  school  of  metaphysics  in  Asiatic  Turkey. 
His  most  notable  work  is  the  Musnavi  Maulvi  Rumi. 

F-33        Shaikh  Sadi. 

Sadi,  the  celebrated  Persian  poet,  was  born  at  Shiraz 
about  1175  and  died  in  1292.  During  his  youth  he 
served  as  a  soldier.  It  is  said  his  married  life  was  not 
happy.  He  was  a  Sufi  and  a  great  traveller.  Of  his  nu- 
merous poetical  works  the  Gulistan  and  the  Bostan  are 
the  most  widely  read. 

F-34        Khwaja  Hafiz. 

Hafiz  was  the  most  elegant  lyric  poet  of  Persia. 
His  poetry  is  too  subtle  to  be  easily  and  correctly  under- 
stood, mysticism  being  its  chief  characteristic.  He  died 
in  1389  at  Shiraz. 

F-35        Sarmad. 

Sarmad,  an  Armenian  merchant,  came  to  India  in 
the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Shah  Jehan.  It  is  said  that 
once  while  he  was  proceeding  towards  Thatta,  Sindh,  he 
fell  so  passionately  in  love  with  a  Hindu  girl  that  he  be- 
came distracted  and  used  to  go  about  stark  naked. 
Alamgir  commanded  him  not  to  go  about  naked  but  as 
he  did  not  obey  the  Emperor's  orders,  he  was  put  to 
death  in  1661.  Sarmad  was  a  good  Persian  scholar  and 
poet.  His  tomb  is  close  to  the  Juma  Masjid  at  Delhi. 


Plate  XIX. 


F-38     Guru  Nanak  Preaching. 

Sikh :  earlv  igth  century. 


91 

F-3&        Mirza  Muhammad  Tahir. 

Muhammad  Tahir  had  also  the  title  of  Inayat  Khan. 
He  was  Governor  of  Kabul  in  the  reign  of  Aurangzib. 
But  he  is  better  known  as  the  author  of  a  Diwan  called 
'  Kulliat  Ashna'  for  which  he  derived  his  poetical  name 
of  'Ashna/  Died  in  1666. 

F-37        Guru  Nanak. 

Nanak,  the  founder  of  the  Sikh  religion,  was  born  at 
Talwandi  near  Lahore  in  1469.  While  yet  a  boy  he 
showed  a  strong  religious  turn  of  mind  and  devoted  much 
of  his  time  to  religious  pursuits.  Attempts  were  made 
to  turn  his  mind  to  worldly  affairs,  but  he  became  a  pub- 
lic preacher  at  an  early  age.  He  renounced  the  world 
when  he  was  about  thirty-seven  years  of  age  and  travelled 
all  over  India,  visited  Persia  and  is  said  to  have  proceeded 
even  as  far  as  Mecca.  During  his  travels  and  afterwards 
also  Bala  and  Mardana  were  his  constant  companions. 
On  his  return  from  travels  Nanak  began  to  preach  his 
religion  of  electicism.  His  doctrines  were  those  of  pure 
deism.  He  believed  in  the  unity  of  god  and  maintained 
that  all  true  religion  was  one  and  that  men  were  equal 
irrespective  of  caste  or  creed.  His  doctrines  have  been 
set  in  the  Adi  Granth.  He  died  in  1539. 

F-38        Guru  Nanak  preaching. 

F-39        Guru  Nanak,  Bala  and  Mardana. 

F-40        Guru  Angad. 

Angad  was  the  apostolic  successor  of  Guru  Nanak. 
He  was  born  in  1504.  Coming  in  contact  with  Nanak, 
he  became  strongly  attached  to  him  and  on  account  of  his 
fidelity  was  nominated  by  Nanak  to  be  his  successor. 
Angad  committed  to  writing  most  of  the  sayings  of 
Nanak.  He  died  in  1552. 


92 

F-4i        Guru  Amar  Das. 

Amar  Das  was  the  third  Guru  of  the  Sikhs.  He 
was  the  most  faithful  follower  of  Guru  Angad  who  select- 
ed him  as  his  successor.  Amar  Das  was  successful  as  a 
teacher  and  his  humble  and  affable  disposition  brought 
him  many  followers.  He  composed  beautiful  verses  which 
have  been  incorporated  in  the  Granth.  He  died  in  1574. 

F-42         Guru  Ram  Das. 

Ram  Das,  the  son-in-law  of  Amar  Das,  was  the 
fourth  Guru.  He  founded  the  town  of  Amritsar. 
During  his  time  the  Sikhs  began  to  change  from  a 
purely  religious  sect  to  a  patriotic  and  powerful  body  of 
men.  He  died  in  1581. 

F-43        Guru  Arjan. 

Arjan,  the  youngest  son  of  Guru  Ram  Das,  succeed- 
ed his  father  as  Guru  of  the  Sikhs.  From  this  time  the 
succession  to  the  Guruship  became  hereditary  mainly  be- 
cause the  Guru  had  ceased  to  be  a  purely  spiritual  leader 
and  had  become  a  ruling  sovereign.  Guru  Arjan  was  the 
first  of  the  Gurus  to  lay  aside  the  garb  of  a  mendicant 
and  live  in  state.  He  kept  a  large  retinue,  horses  and 
elephants  like  a  prince.  Arjan  incurred  the  displeasure 
of  Chandu  Shah,  the  financial  minister  at  Lahore  in  the 
time  of  Emperor  Jehangir,  by  refusing  to  marry  his  son 
to  the  daughter  of  the  latter.  In  consequence  of  this 
Chandu  Shah  libelled  Guru  Arjan  to  Jehangir  saying  that 
the  Guru  was  in  favour  of  the  Emperor's  rebel  son, 
Khusru.  Thereupon  Arjan  was  charged  with  treason, 
put  into  prison  and  tortured  to  death.  This  was  in  1606. 
The  death  of  Guru  Arjan  is  a  great  turning  point  in  the 
history  of  the  Sikhs,  From  a  religious  sect  they  grew 
into  a  strong  warrior  clan  with  a  deep  detestation  and 
hatred  for  the  Muhammadans. 


93 

F-44         Guru  Har  Gobind. 

Har  Gobind  succeeded  his  father  Guru  Arjan  Singh. 
He  was  the  first  Guru  to  organise  a  military  system  for 
his  followers  and  to  arm  them.  He  secured  the  confi- 
dence of  Jehangir  who  permitted  him  to  avenge  the 
death  of  his  father  by  putting  to  death  Chandu  Shah. 
Har  Gobind  became  a  military  leader  and  his  warlike 
disposition  led  him  to  enter  Jehangir' s  army.  After  some 
time  he  fell  in  the  estimation  of  the  Emperor  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  was  imprisoned  for  twelve  years.  Even 
after  his  release  Har  Gobind  continued  to  serve  under 
Shah  Jehan,  the  successor  of  Jehangir  and  soon  gained 
the  confidence  of  Dara  Shikoh.  But  he  had  fresh  diffi- 
culties with  the  imperial  government  and  was  compelled 
to  take  up  arms  against  that  government.  Three  times 
royal  troops  were  sent  against  him  but  Har  Gobind  de- 
feated them  each  time.  He  died  in  1645. 

F-45        Guru  Har  Rai. 

Har  Rai,  the  grandson  of  Guru  Har  Gobind  was 
the  next  Guru.  He  made  an  alliance  with  Dara  Shikoh 
in  consequence  of  which  Aurangzib  resolved  to  punish 
him  but  subsequently  excused  him  when  Har  Rai  asked 
the  Emperor's  forgiveness.  He  died  in  1661. 

F-46        Guru  Har  Kishen. 

Har  Kishen,  the  second  son  of  Har  Rai,  succeeded 
his  father.  His  elder  brother  Ram  Rai  had  been  detained 
as  a  hostage  in  the  imperial  court  at  Delhi  by  the 
order  of  Aurangzib.  A  contest  arose  amongst  the  Sikhs 
regarding  the  succession  of  Har  Kishen  in  supersession 
of  Ram  Rai,  but  the  matter  was  settled  by  the  arbitra- 
tion of  Aurangzib.  Har  Kishen  died  in  1664. 

F-47        Guru  Teg  Bahadur. 

Teg  Bahadur  succeeded  Har  Kishen.  He  was  the 
second  son  of  Guru  Har  Gobind,  the  sixth  Guru. 


94 

Through  the  machinations  of  Ram  Rai,  the  eldest  son  of 
Guru  Har  Kishen,  Teg  Bahadur  was  looked  upon  as  a 
pretender  and  was  summoned  to  Delhi  but  by  the  inter- 
cession of  the  Raja  of  Jeypore  he  was  allowed  to  retire  to 
the  Punjab.  After  sometime  Teg  Bahadur  is  said  to 
have  formed  a  league  with  a  Muhammadan  fanatic,  Adam 
Hafiz  and  led  a  predatory  career.  The  imperial  troops 
were  sent  after  him  and  Teg  Bahadur  was  brought  to 
Delhi  in  1675  where  he  was  executed  as  a  rebel  against 
Moghal  authority.  Whatever  may  be  the  truth  in  the 
accusations  made  against  Teg  Bahadur,  the  Sikhs  regard 
him  as  one  of  their  greatest  martyrs  whose  example  in- 
spired them  to  deeds  of  valour. 

F-48        Guru  Gobind  Singh. 

Guru  Gobind  Singh,  the  last  Guru,  was  the  son  of 
Guru  Teg  Bahadur.  He  was  more  of  a  soldier  than  a 
spiritual  leader  and  he  changed  the  Sikhs  from  a  religious 
and  peaceful  people  to  a  powerful  martial  race.  The 
tragic  end  of  the  martyred  Guru  Teg  Bahadur  roused  the 
Sikhs  and  under  the  leadership  of  Gobind  Singh  they 
made  efforts  to  wreak  vengeance  on  the  persecutors  of 
their  religion  and  leaders,  and  all  that  was  dear  and 
sacred  to  them.  Having  raised  an  army  Gobind  Singh 
subdued  some  of  the  chiefs  in  the  Punjab  hills.  Here 
he  came  into  conflict  with  the  imperial  authorities  and 
defeated  the  imperial  troops.  This  alarmed  the  Moghal 
Government  and  in  1701  Aurangzib  sent  an  army  against 
Gobind  Singh.  The  Guru  made  a  most  brave  resistance 
but  was  defeated  and  had  to  flee  for  his  life.  He  escaped 
to  the  I/udhiana  district  where  the  Sikhs  again  rallied 
around  him.  Here  he  defeated  the  imperial  troops  and 
then  went  to  Malwa  where  he  lived  in  peace  for  some 
time,  and  afterwards  at  Anandpur.  In  1708,  he  was 
wounded  by  a  Pathan  assassin  and  died  some  months 
later  of  his  wounds. 


95 
F-49        Guru  Gobind  Singh  as  before, 

F-5o        Abraham  with  ministering  angels. 

Rajputana  ;  late  i8th  century. 

F-5i        The    dance    of   religious   ecstacy,   commonly  known  in 
the  Punjab  as  Hal  Khelna. 

Moghal ;  late  i8th  century. 


PAINTINGS  OF   MISCELLANEOUS 
SUBJECTS. 


H^*I 


Plate  XIII. 


— ^ 


G-6     Playing  Ball. 

Kangra  :  late  iSth  century. 


PAINTINGS   OF   MISCELLANEOUS  SUBJECTS. 

G-i          Study  of  a  girl  in  red  costume. 

Kangra  ;  middle  iQth  century. 


G-2          Girl  rinsing  her  hair  after  bath. 

Rajput  ;  early  igth  century. 

G-3          Study  of  a  girl. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

G-4          Girl  under  a  willow  tree. 

Rajput  ;  late  i8th  century. 

G-5          A  girl  with  a  black  buck. 

Rajput  ;  late  i8th  century. 

G-6          A  maiden  playing  with  a  red  ball. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 

G-7  Portrait. 

Rajput  with  Moghal  influence  ;  late  i8th  century. 

Girl  gathering  flowers. 

Rajput  with  Moghal  influence  ;  late  i/th  century. 

G-Q          Baz  Bahadur  and  Rupmati  on  horse  back. 

Baz  Bahadur  the  ruler  of  Malwa  came  across  Rup- 
mati a  famous  young  musician.  Once  met  they  became 
lovers  and  Abdul  Fazal  has  recorded  that  they  were 
buried  together  in  Ujjain. 

When  the  province  of  Malwa  was  taken  by  Akbar  in 
1570,  Baz  Bahadur  became  one  of  the  officers  of  the 


100 

Emperor.     It  is  said  that    when  Adam  Khan  captured 
Rupmati  she  took  poison. 

Kangra  ;   middle  igth  century. 

G-io        Baz  Bahadur  and  Rupmati. 

Kangra  with  Rajput  influence  ;  early  igth  century. 

G-n        Musicians  entertaining  a  lady. 

Poonch  ;  early  igth  century. 

G-i2        A  lady's  toilet. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

G-i3        A  girl  writing  a  letter. 

The  subject  of  this  painting  may  be,  Rukmini  writ- 
ing to  Krishna. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

G-i4        Love  scene. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

G-i5        Love  scene. 

Sikh  ;  middle  igth  century. 

G~i6        Domestic  scene. 

Punjab  plains  ;  early  igth  century. 

G-i7        The  timid  bride. 

The  Nabohra  or  young  bride  does  not  appreciate  the 
advances  of  her  husband  and  tries  to  leave  him.  An 
elderly  lady  makes  an  effort  to  detain  her 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

G-i8        A  domestic  scene. 

The  husband  and  wife  seem  to  have  quarrelled  and 
another  lady  of  the  house  is  trying  to  persuade  the  wife 

to  make  it  up. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 


101 

G-ig        Watching  the  clouds. 

A  hill  chief  with  his  wife  and  attendants  looking  at 
the  clouds  from  the  terrace  of  a  house. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

G-20        The  pet  peacock. 

Punjab  plains  ;  middle  igth  century. 

G-2i        Pachisi  players. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

G-22        A  lady  with  a  hawk. 

She  has  a  man's  head-dress  and  carries  a  trained 
hawk  in  her  hand.  Another  woman  is  looking  at  her  in 
amazement  apparently  at  her  manly  attire.  In  the  back- 
ground maids  are  arranging  a  bed.  The  picture  may  be 
a  representation  of  the  Abhisarika  Nayika.  The  Nayika 
is  going  to  the  place  of  tryst  with  a  man's  apparel  so 
that  she  may  not  be  detected. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

0-23        Unidentified  painting. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

G-24        Unidentified  painting. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

G-25        Love  scene. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 
G-26        Temptation. 

A  girl  trying  to  get  a  tame  parrot  back  to  its  cage 
from  which  it  has  escaped  by  offering  some  food  in  a  cup. 
Kangra ;  middle  igth  century. 

G-27        Girl  running  after  a  cat. 

Kangra ;  middle  iQth  century. 


102 

G-28        Girl  with  a  fan. 

Kangra;  early  igth  century. 

0-29        Girl  and  a  chikor. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

G-3O        Girl  applying  tilak  on  her  forehead. 

Mandi  ;  early  igth  century. 

i 
0-31        Watching  the  clouds. 

A  girl  looking  at  dark  clouds  from  the  terrace 
of  a  house. 

Mandi  ;  early  iQth  century. 


0-32        Watching  the  clouds. 

A  maiden  with  two  attendants  looking  at  clouds. 
Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

G-33        Music  inside  the  zenana. 

Mandi  ;  middle  igth  century. 

G-34        A  hill  chief  being  entertained  by  musicians  at  night. 


PAINTINGS  OF  THE  RAJPUT  SCHOOL. 


: 


H-l      Rao  Chand. 

Rajputana  :  early  i6th  century, 


PAINTINGS  OF  THE  RAJPUT  SCHOOL. 

Hi          Rao  Chand. 

He  was  the  son  of  Rao  Bacha  of  the  famous  Chohan 
family.  He  and  all  his  family  with  the  exception  of  only 
one  son,  were  killed  by  Ala-ud-din  Khilzi  in  1295. 

F-2          Rao  Chand  as  above. 

H-3          Seoji  Lai. 

He  was  one  of  the  grandsons  of  the  renowned  Jay 
Chand,  the  last  Rathor  king  of  Kanauj.  After  Jay 
Chand's  death  in  1193,  the  monarchy  of  Kanauj  ceased  to 
exist.  Seoji  Lai  left  the  land  of  his  birth  in  1212  and 
successfully  established  a  Rathor  monarchy  in  Marwar. 

H-4          Bishen  Singh. 

He  ruled  Amber  (Jeypur)  for  a  short  time  and  died 
about  1693.  He  was  the  father  of  Jai  Singh  II,  common- 
ly known  as  Jai  Singh  Sawai  who  ruled  Amber  from 
1699  to  1743. 

H-5          Bhopal  Singh. 

Bhopal  Singh  was  the  fifth  son  of  Raja  Bir  Singh 
Deo  of  the  Sekhawat  federation.  He  took  a  prominent 
part  in  the  conquest  of  the  Deccan  during  the  time  of 
Aurangzib. 

H-6          Raja  Suraj  Singh. 

Suraj  Singh,  son  of  Udey  Singh  Rathor,  served 
under  Akbar  and  Jehangir  with  considerable  ability.  He 
died  in  1619  in  the  Deccan. 

H-7          Raja  Jagat  Singh. 

Jagat  Singh  was  the  last  king  of  Amber  (Jeypur) 
before  the  state  entered  into  an  alliance  with  the  British 


106 

Government.  He  ascended  the  throne  in  1803  and  died 
in  1818.  He  was  a  bad  ruler  and  the  record  of  his  rule 
is  utterly  disgraceful  and  in  every  way  unworthy  of 
the  noble  family  from  which  he  descended. 

H-8  JagaJ;  Singh  as  before. 

H-9  Jagat  Singh  as  before. 

H-io  Jagat  Singh  as  before. 

H-n  Portrait. 

H-I2  Portrait. 

H-J3  Portrait. 

H-i4  Portrait. 

H-I5  Portrait. 

H-i6  Portrait. 

H-I7  Portrait. 

H-iS  Portrait. 

H-ig  Portrait. 

H-20  Portrait. 

H-2i  Portrait  group  of  Vaishnavas. 

H-22  Portrait. 

H-23  Portrait. 

H-24  Portrait  of  a  Pandit. 

H-25  Portrait. 


Plate  VIII. 


H-30     Boar  Hunt, 

Rajputana :  late  ijth  century. 


107 
H-26         Portrait. 

H-27         Portrait. 

H-28         An  equestrian  portrait  of  a  Rajput. 

H-2Q        Rajputs  fighting. 

Late  i8th  century 

H-30        Boar  hunt. 

Late  1 7th  century. 

H-3i        An  infuriated  elephant. 

Late  I7th  century. 

H-32        Rajput  ladies. 

An  attendant  offering  pans  to  a  Rajput  lady. 

Early  i8th  century. 

H-33        Unidentified  painting. 

This  picture  probably  relates  to  some  historical  inci- 
dent. A  Rajput  is  brought  blind-folded  inside  a  seraglio 
before  a  Rajput  lady  who  is  holding  a  paper  or  firman  in 
her  hand. 

ca.  early  i8th  century. 


PAINTINGS  OF  RADHA  AND  KRISHNA. 


PAINTINGS   OF   RADHA   AND   KRISHNA. 

I- 1          The  death  of  Pootana. 

Kansa,  the  maternal  uncle  of  Krishna  commissioned 
the  Rakshashi  Pootana  to  go  to  the  house  of  the  shepherd 
king  Nanda  and  kill  the  infant  Krishna.  Pootana 
went  there  taking  the  form  of  a  kindly  woman,  took 
Krishna  in  her  lap  and  offered  him  her  poisoned  breast. 
But  Krishna  suck  so  strongly  that  she  died  assuming  her 
original  form  of  a  Rakshashi. 

The  picture  represents  Pootana  dying  and  Krishna 
playing  on  her  breast.  The  scream  of  pain  that  she 
uttered  in  dying  has  brought  Nanda  and  Yasoda  to  the 
scene. 

Gharwal ;  early  igth  century. 

1-2          Krishna  supporting  Mount  Govardhana. 

The  inhabitants  of  Braja  used  to  worship  Indra, 
king  of  heaven  and  lord  of  rain  and  thunderbolt. 
Once  while  they  were  making  the  neccessary  arrange- 
ments for  an  Indra-jagyan,  a  sacrificial  ceremony  in 
honour  of  Indra,  Krishna  came  and  persuaded  them  to  give 
up  Indra-worship  saying  that  cowherds  should  worship 
the  woods  and  hills,  especially  Mount  Govardhana  as 
their  prosperity  depended  entirely  upon  their  cattle 
which  fed  on  the  luxurious  growth  of  grass  and  other 
plants  in  the  woods  •  and  mountains.  This  greatly 
infuriated  Indra  for  it  meant  the  loss  of  his  honour. 
He  ordered  his  clouds  to  rain  over  Braja  incessantly  and 
make  its  inhabitants  destitute  of  all  shelter.  Dark 
swelling  clouds  gathered  over  Braja  and  it  began  to  rain 
and  rain  for  days  together,  and  Braja  seemed  imminently 
in  danger  of  being  swept  away.  So  all  the  people 
came  to  seek  the  protection  of  Krishna.  It  was  then 


112 

that  Krishna  lifted  and  supported  Mount  Govardhana 
itself  with  his  little  ringer  and  the  people  of  Braja  with 
the  cows  and  other  belongings,  took  shelter  under  the 
spreading  shade  of  the  mountain.  Indra's  rain  could  no 
longer  do  any  injury  to  those  who  took  shelter  under  the 
Govardhana  mountain. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 

1-3          Radha  and  Krishna  under  a  tree. 

Krishna,  the  cowherd  boy,  is  playing  the  flute. 
Radha  is  looking  at  him  in  rapt  admiration.  The  back- 
ground shows  meadows  and  grazing  cattle,  the  chiaros- 
curo being  admirably  depicted.  Another  noteworthy 
point  in  this  picture  is  that  Krishna  has  not  been  repre- 
sented in  the  usual  type.  He  is  a  handsome  lad  wearing 
a  yellow  turban  on  which  are  flowers  of  different  colours 
and  peacock  feathers.  The  flower  pendant  on  his  black 
cloak  is.  also  uncommon. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

1-4          Krishna  applying  a  tilak  on  Radha's  forehead. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  ceutury. 

1-5          Krishna  with  the  flute. 

Krishna  stands  on  a  lotus  pedestal — padmasana— 
and  plays  his  flute.  Copies  have  surrounded  him.  Some 
are  offering  him  lotus  flowers ;  others  have  brought 
food  for  him. 

Kangra ;  late  i8th  century. 

1-6          Khandita  Nayika. 

Radha  is  offended  and  reproaches  Krishna  for  not 
having  come  at  the  promised  hour. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 


-3     Radha  and  K  isKna  under  a  Tree. 

Kangra  :  early  IQ//J  century. 


•> 


. 


Plate  XVI. 


Plate  XV. 


1-5     Krishna  with  the  Flute. 

Kangra  :  middle  i8th  century. 


113 

1-7          Abhisandhita  Nayika. 

Krishna  and  Radha  have  quarrelled.  Krishna  is  de- 
parting ;  Radha  remains  sitting  helplessly  dejected. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 

1-8         Sheltering  from  the  rain. 

It  is  raining  and  gopas  and  gopis  are  seeking  shelter 
under  a  spreading  tree.  Krishna  has  put  his  black  cloak 
over  a  gopi  and  himself  and  they  enjoy  a  lover's  talk. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

I-g          Krishna  and  the  Gopis. 

Two  gopis  carrying  milk  have  been  brought  by  two 
gopas  to  Krishna  and  others  sitting  under  a  tree. 

Guler  ;  late  i8th  century. 

I-io        Radha  cooking. 

Radha  in  the  kitchen.  A  maid  slices  some  vege- 
tables. Krishna  overlooks  from  a  balcony  window  over 
which  are  a  pair  of  pigeons. 

Kangra  ;  middle  i8th  century. 

I- 1 1        Krishna  and  Radha  in  exchanged  garments. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

I-I2        Manini  Radha. 

Radha  and  Krishna  have  quarrelled  and  separated, 
but  the  pangs  of  separation  make  Radha  restless  and 
morose.  She  is  attended  by  two  sakhis  amongst  whom 
the  elder,  probably  a  messenger  from  Krishna,  attempts 
to  reconcile  her  but  Radha  is  disconsolate  and  averts 

her  face. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 

1-13        Khandita  Nayika. 

The  Nayika  meets  and  reproaches  Krishna  who  has 
returned  late  in  the  night.  She  feels  offended  at  his  not 


114 

coming  at  the  appointed  hour.     A  sakhi  holds  a  mirror 
before  Krishna. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

1-14        Vasakasajyya  Nayika. 

The  Nayika  is  expecting  her  lover  on  a  rainy  day. 
A  few  maids  are  putting  the  house  in  order  ;  others  are 
singing  and  playing. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 

1-15        Utka  Nayika. 

It  is  night.  The  Nayika  sits  expectant  of  the  Nayak 
on  a  bed  of  leaves.  A  pair  of  doves  is  shown  in  the  trees 

in  the  background. 

Poonch  ;  late  i8th  century. 

I- 1 6        Abhisarika  Nayika. 

The  Nayika  going  on  a  dark  night  to  meet  her  lover 
through  a  forest,  in  rain  and  lightning.  The  path  is 
beset  with  serpents  while  a  goblin-wife  approaches  her 
from  a  tree  but  the  Nayika  remains  unconcerned  and 
proceeds  to  the  trysting  place. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 

1-17        Krishna  and  Radha  watching  the  clouds  from  the  ter- 
race of  a  house. 

Kangra  ;  middle  i8th  century. 

I-i8        Radha  in  swoon. 

Krishna  has  left  Radha.  Radha  finds  the  separa- 
tion too  hard  to  bear  and  faints.  A  number  of  maids 
attend  her  ;  others  are  preparing  some  medicine  for  her. 

Kangra  ;  late  i8th  century. 

1-19        Radha  and  Krishna  at  night. 

Kangra  ;  middle  iQth  century. 


Plate  XVIII 


1-22     The  Phulasajjya  of  Radha  and  Krishna. 

Basohli :  early  igth  century. 


115 

1-20        Krishna  being  entertained  by  his  playmates  on  the  day 
of  the  Basant  festival. 

Punjab  plains  ;  middle  rgth  century. 

1-2 1        Krishna  and  Radha. 

Basohli;  early  iQth  century. 

1-22        The   Phulasajyya    of    Radha   and   Krishna. 

The  lovers  are  wearing  garments  of  lotus  flowers. 
Basohli ;  early  iQth  century. 

1-23        Krishna  looking  at  a  Gopi  through  a  window. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

1-24        Krishna  and  Gopi. 

It  is  a  blade  of  a  hand  fan  made  of  thick  paper 
coated  with  a  specially  prepared  white  surface  and  has 
paintings  on  both  sides.  One  side  shows  a  milk  maid 
bringing  milk  to  Krishna  while  the  other  side  has  a  girl 
standing  under  a  tree  with  a  pair  of  deer,  one  on  each 
side. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

1-25        Abhisarika  Nayika. 

The  Nayika  proceeds  to  meet  her  lover  in  a  dark 
night  when  it  is  raining. 

Poonch  ;  early  igth  century. 


DRAWINGS. 


Plate  I 


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V^Wy 

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SfepP^xi       J^y  •      /• 

^«P  V>X     _^\    .   ,-          ,^-     ,  «wx'-'   •    XS^   -r  V  Nv 

N^fcf             !  ":'>^/ 

fo         •       ,      V                              '  ;-:^^ :.'    .      .    _        - 


J-3     Shoeing  of  a  Horse. 

Persian:  middle  ijth  century. 


DRAWINGS. 

J-i          A  drawing  in  Persian  style. 

L/ate  1 8th  century. 

J-2          A  drawing  in  Persian  style. 

Late  1 8th  century. 

J-3          Shoeing  of  a  horse. 

A  portion  of  the  drawing  is  missing  on  the  right.  The 
style  of  the  drawing  is  that  of  the  Riza  School  of  Persia 
which  flourished  during  the  early  part  of  the  I7th  centu- 
ry. The  signature  of  the  artist  Muzaffar  AH,  occurs  at 
the  bottom  on  the  left  where  the  dale  is  also  given  as 
Tuesday  the  loth  Shiwal,  1037  H-  corresponding  to  about 
1659- 

J-4          Visit  to  a  saint. 

Indo-Persian  ;  late  i6th  century. 

J-5          A  rider. 

Moghal ;  late  i8th  century. 

J-6          A  lady  with  a  book. 

This  picture  of  which  only  the  delicate  drawing  is 
now  visible  is  a  fine  specimen  of  a  Moghal  portrait.  It 
is  difficult  to  say  whose  portrait  it  is  but  it  is  probably 
of  a  lady  of  high  rank  if  not  of  royal  birth. 

Moghal ;  late  i6th  century. 

J-7          Bata-Krishna. 

This  is  a  rendering  of  the  Kalpa  Pralaya — dissolu- 
tion— when  it  is  said  all  Devas,  A  suras,  men  and  animals 
and  all  other  objects  got  dissolved  in  an  inexhaustible 


120 

ocean  and  Rishi  Markandeya  learnt  the  mysteries  of  crea- 
tion from  the  lotus-eyed  Krishna  who  then  assumed  the 
form  of  an  infant  resting  on  the  spreading  boughs  of  a 
banyan  or  bata  tree. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

J-8          Krishna  the  cowherd  boy. 

Young  Krishna  taking  the  cows  to  the  fields. 
Yasoda  bids  him  farewell. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

J-9          Gopis  on  the  bathing  ghat  of  the  Jumna. 

A  pricked  drawing. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igfeh  century. 

J-io        Krishna  with  the  flute. 

Krishna  stands  on  a  lotus   throne.     A  gepi  makes 

an  offering  to  him. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

J-n        Dalliance  of  Radha  and  Krishna. 

Kangra ;  middle  igth  century. 

J-i2        Rama,  Seeta  and  Lakshamana  in  forest.     (See  E~i7.) 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

J-i3        The  same  drawing  on  jhilli. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

J-I4        Vibhishana  bein,g  received  by  Rama. 

When  Rama  reached  the  sea  shore  at  the  head  of  the 
monkey  army,  Vibhishana,  the  younger  brother  of 
Ravana,  advised  him  to  liberate  Seeta  and  thus  save 
I/anka  from  destruction.  But  Ravana  insulted  his 
brother  for  making  this  proposal  and  Vibhishana  went  to 
Rama  and  offered  his  services  to  him. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 


121 

J-i5        Rama  with  his  army  of  bears  and  monkeys  on  the  sea 
shore  before  building  the  bridge. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

J-i6        Rama  and  Varuna. 

In  order  to  cross  the  sea  Rama  at  first  prayed  for 
the  help  of  Varuna,  the  mighty  lord  of  the  oeean,  but 
the  latter  did  not  pay  heed  to  the  supplications  of  Rama. 
Then  Rama  got  angry  and  when  he  began  discharging 
flaming  arrows  to  the  sea  which  threatened  to  dry  it  up, 
Varuna  rose  from  the  deeps  and  promised  to  hold  firm  the 
bridge  which  the  monkeys  would  build  under  the  super- 
vision of  Nala. 

Kangra ;  early  igth  century. 

J-i7        Building  of  Rama's  Bridge. 

The  bridge  is  finished  and  Rama  and  Lakshmana  are 
crossing  the  bridge  with  Sugriva  and  Angada  and  the 
host  of  bears  and  monkeys. 

Kangra  ;  middle  iQth  century. 

J-i8        A  marriage  procession. 

This  is  an  extremely  humourous  cartoon  of  a  marriage 
procession.  The  bridegroom  is  riding  on  a  rickety  horse 
which  is  almost  about  to  fall  down  at  the  tremendous 
weight  of  the  rider.  He  is  made  conspicuous  by  the  un- 
couth size  of  his  body  and  his  goitre  which  is  seen  also  in 
the  neck  of  some  other  members  of  the  party.  The 
milni  ceremony,  in  which  the  chief  notable  and  senior 
members  of  both  the  parties  take  part,  is  shown  with 
wonderful  accuracy  in  the  background.  Dancing  girls 
are  singing  and  dancing  before  the  bridegroom  in  the 
foreground  on  the  right.  Scenes  interior  of  the  bride's 
house  are  shown  with  great  care  and  precision. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 


122 

J-i9        Two  humourous  domestic  scenes. 

&  20  The  first  drawing  shows  an  elderly  lady  apparently 

with  a  large  family  of  children  and  similar  number  of 
cattle  and  dogs  welcoming  a  visitor  to  her  house.  The 
interior  of  the  house  is  full  of  various  household  objects 
such  as  the  spinning  wheel,  charpai,  cooking  utensils 
and  other  articles.  A  girl  is  sleeping  on  a  charpai,  in  the 
room,  beyond  the  varandah.  It  is  a  picture  of  domestic 
tranquillity  and  comfort.  The  visitor  carries  a  dao  in 
the  waist  cloth  and  has  a  bamboo  stick  round  which  is 
tied  a  peacock  feather. 

The  second  picture  changes  the  peaceful  scene  in  a 
most  tragic  manner.  Something  has  happened,  for  the 
woman  is  shown  running  after  the  man  in  the  act  of  strik- 
ing him  with  one  of  her  slippers.  She  has  probably  used 
the  other  slipper  also  for  the  same  purpose  as  it  is  lying 
on  the  ground.  The  man  is  running  away  as  quickly  as 
his  legs  can  carry  him.  One  of  his  shoes  has  come  off 
but  he  does  not  venture  to  recover  it  and  is  making  his 
way  out  of  the  house. 

Kangra  ;  early  or  middle  igth  century. 

J~2i        Musicians  playing  before  a  hill  chief. 

A  very  fine  drawing  of  a  party  of  dancing  girls  and 
musicians.  One  of  the  girls  is  dancing  with  a  chorus  of 
drum,  cymbals  and  saringhee.  A  rapt  ecstatic  expression 
is  shown  in  the  musicians.  The  seated  girl  in  the  fore- 
ground is  tying  a  band  of  bells  round  one  of  her  ankles. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

J-22        Two  drawings. 

£23  It  is  possible  that  these  drawings  may  relate  to  the 

murder  of  Raja  Pirthi  Pal  in  the  court  of  Raja  Sidh  Sen 
of  Mandi.  The  tradition  is  that  Raja  Sidh  Sen  treacher- 
ously murdered  his  father-in-law  Raja  Pirthi  Pal  Bhangal 


J-21      Musicians  Entertaining  a  Hill  Chief, 

Kangrn  :  early  igth  century, 


Plate  XIV. 


123 

when  on  a  visit  to  Mandi.  It  is  said  that  the  head  of 
Pirthi  Pal  was  placed  under  a  pillar  in  the  centre  of  a 
large  tank  constructed  by  Sidh  Sen.  The  details  of  the 
two  drawings,  however,  do  not  correspond  with  the 
incident.  The  first  drawing  shows  a  man,  whose  head 
is  severed  from  the  body,  lying  on  a  bed  inside  a  spacious 
varandah.  It  is  intended  to  suggest  perhaps  that  his 
head  has  been  cut  off  by  his  own  hand,  for  he  still  retains 
the  grip  of  his  sword.  A  waiting  maid  is  sitting  near  the 
head  with  a  fly  flapper  in  her  hand.  Another  lady  is  carry- 
ing away  the  head  on  a  dish  to  give  it  to  a  woman  atten- 
dant with  a  spear  in  her  left  hand. 

It  is  noteworthy  that  this  extremely  tragic  and  grue- 
some subject  has  been  treated  in  a  most  dignified  simpli- 
city without  any  realistic  or  brutal  suggestion.  A  calm 
expression  of  grief  is  seen  in  the  face  of  the  lady  carry- 
ing the  head.  The  attendant  with  a  spear  appears  far 
from  being  sad.  Her  grief  and  remorse  is  perhaps  sub- 
merged in  the  belief  that  she  is  about  to  carry  out  the  be- 
hest of  the  dead. 

What  the  behest  is  appears  clear  in  the  second  draw- 
ing. A  chief  is  surrounded  by  his  courtiers.  That  he  is 
majestic  and  powerful  is  suggested  by  the  distance  at 
which  his  men  are  sitting  from  him.  Musicians  have  been 
playing  before  him.  It  was  perhaps  his  mandate  that 
caused  the  death  of  the  man  in  the  former  picture  and  it 
falls  on  the  lot  of  the  girl  with  the  spear  to  present  the 
gruesome  trophy  to  him. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

J-24        A  lady  with  a  long  veil. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

J-25        A  group  of  jewellers  at  work  drawn  by  Ramadiya. 

It  is  an  interesting  specimen  of  a  clever  drawing 
showing  a  certain  amount  of  naturalistic  representation. 


124 

The  types  of  the  faces  and  the  treatment  of  the  drapery 
do  not  coincide  with  the  usual  traditional  types  of  the 

same  school. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

J-26        Saxniha  Das  Bairagi,  Radha  Ram  Bairagi,  and  others. 

Kangra ;  early  igth  century. 

J-27        Three  studies  of  old  men. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

J-28        A  Rajput  princess  writing  a  letter. 

Rajputana  ;  late  i8th  century. 

J-29        Two  Pathan  ladies  and  a  parrot. 

Moghal ;  late  i7th  century. 

J-3o        Byuha  or  the  Indian  phalanx. 

The  Byuha  in  the  Mahabharata  is  described  as  a  com- 
pact body  of  armed  warriors,  infantry,  war  chariots  and 
elephants  drawn  up  in  impregnable  ranks.  This  drawing 
represents  the  Chakra  or  circular  Byuha. 

Kangra ;  middle  igth  century. 

J-3i        A  lady's  toilet. 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

J-32        Mohini  distributing  Amrita. 

When  the  churning  of  the  ocean  was  over  the  demons 
forcibly  seized  upon  the  vessel  of  nectar,  amrita,  on  the 
ground  that  they  have  not  received  anything,  whereas 
the  gods  had  already  in  their  possession  all  the  riches  and 
jewels  that  had  come  out  of  the  ocean.  The  gods 
became  mortified  at  this,  for  if  the  demons  partook  of 
the  amrita  they  would  become  immortal  and  would  very 
easily  drive  out  the  gods  from  swarga,  heaven.  Vishnu 


125 

however  came  to  the  rescue  of  the  gods.  He  suddenly 
appeared  in  the  guise  of  a  damsel  of  superb  beauty — 
Mohini.  The  demons  became  so  much  infatuated  with 
the  beaut}^  of  Mohini,  that  when  they  were  told  that  she 
lived  in  the  ocean,  they  requested  her  to  distribute  the 
nectar  between  the  gods  and  the  demons  and  thereby 
make  an  amicable  settlement  of  the  dispute. 

The  gods  and  demons  sat  in  two  separate  rows  and 
Mohini  began  to  distribute  the  amrita  first  to  the  gods. 
Rahu,  one  of  the  demons ,  assuming  the  form  of  a  god 
sat  along  with  the  other  gods  and  received  a  portion  of 
the  nectar.  He  was  however  soon  detected  by  Chandra 
and  Surja,  the  Moon  and  the  Sun.  Vishnu  finding  out 
his  mistake  instantly  severed  the  head  of  Rahu  with  his 
chakra.  But  it  was  too  late,  for  Rahu  had  already  gulped 
down  the  nectar  by  virtue  of  which  he  had  become  im- 
mortal. 

As  Rahu  was  detected  by  the  Sun  and  Moon,  he  be- 
came their  undying  enemy  and  their  eclipses  are  said  to 
be  due  to  the  seizures  of  Rahu. 

The  drawing  shows  Rahu's  head  being  cut  off  by 
Vishnu's  chakra.  In  the  upper  portion  of  the  compo- 
sition are  seen  the  demons  and  in  the  lower  the  gods. 
Vishnu  as  Mohini  is  in  the  centre  carrying  the  vessel  of 

amrita. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

J-33        Prahlada    before    an   infuriated    elephant.     (See   E-3.) 

Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 

J-34        Merry  travellers  under  a  tree. 

One  man  is  singing,  another  dancing  ;  two  others  are 
clapping  their  hands  whereas  the  fifth  member  of  the 
party  has  converted  a  water  jug  into  a  drum  which  he 
beats  furiously.  An  old  man  on  the  left  is  the  only 
audience  of  this  musical  performance.  In  the  background 


126 


J-35 


J-36 


J-37 
J-38 
J-39 


a  man  is  being  chased  by  a  dog.  Goitre  seems  to  have 
been  prevalant  in  the  district,  probably  Kangra,  to  which 
the  artist  very  likely  belonged. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

An  illustration  from  the  Megh  Dutam  of  Kalidas. 

The  banished  Yaksha  is  shown  on  the  left  addressing 
the  clouds  in  the  background.  The  translation  of  the 
verse  (i8th  verse  of  the  Utter  Megh)  is  :  "  Between  these 
two  trees  (Asoka  and  Bakula)  you  will  notice,  like  a 
young  bamboo,  a  fine  golden  stand  with  a  crystal  seat  on 
jewelled  pedastal  where  your  (the  cloud's)  dear  friend  the 
peacock,  rests  in  the  evening  after  dancing  in  accompani- 
ment of  the  jingling  of  bracelets  when  my  beloved  one 
claps  her  hands." 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

Caricature  of  Vaishnava  saints. 

The  names,  from  right  to  left,  read  :  Prem  Das, 
Gharib  Das  (fl.  iyth  century ),  Tulsi  Das  (fl.  i6th  century), 
Kesar  Singh,  Raja  Singh,  Ram  Singh. 

It  is  difficult  to  trace  the  origin  of  caricatures  like 
these.  This  and  the  next  two  are  perhaps  the  only 

examples  of  this  kind. 

Kangra ;  i8th  century. 


Caricature  of  Vaishnavas. 


Caricature  of  Vaishnavas. 


Kangra ;  i8th  century. 


Kangra ;  i8th  century. 


Caricature  of  Vaishnavas. 

This  rendering  is  of  a  different  type  but  some  points 
of  technique,  for  example  the  treatment  of  drapery,  etc., 
are  similar  to  those  in  the  foregoing  cartoons.  It  repre- 


J-36     Caricature  of  Vaishnavas 

:  ngra  :  I Sih  century . 


3£-[ 


Plate  XI, 


127 


sents  a  Vaishnava  in  company  of  five  women  one  of  whom 
is  playing  the  Vina. 

Kangra  ;  early  igfh  century. 


3-40        Domestic  scene. 

J-4i        Domestic  scene. 
J-42.        Serai  scene. 


Kangra  ;   middle  igth  century. 

Kangra ;  middle  igth  century. 
Kangra  ;  middle  igth  century. 


LOWER  CASES. 


Kali  Slaying  Asuras, 

Late  lyth  or  early  i&k  century. 


LOWER  CASES. 

K  1-6  A  set  of  six  pictures  on  fine  clothmounted  on  paper. 

These  once  belonged  to  a  manuscript.  They  illus- 
trate passages  from  the  Chandi  which  describes  the  des- 
truction of  the  demons  by  Durga,  Tara  and  other  rajasic 
forms  of  the  goddess. 

The  pictures  show  a  mixture  of  the  elements  of  the 
Persian  style  with  those  of  the  Hindu  style.  The  former 
is  chiefly  noticeable  in  the  treatment  of  birds,  animals, 
hills  and  grotesque  forms,  whereas  the  drapery  is  rendered 
in  the  archaic  Hindu  style. 

Late  i yth  or  early  i8th  century. 

K  7-30        A  set  of  twenty-four  paintings  from  an  unidentified 
manuscript. 

The  book  is  written  in  verse.  The  head  lines  of 
chapters  are  written  in  pure  Persian  but  the  rest  is  in 
Hindi,  the  characters  being  Persian.  It  appears  from 
some  of  the  couplets  which  are  intact  and  also  from  the 
pictures  that  they  probably  relate  to  some  love  story  in 
which  the  names  of  I/or,  Maina  and  Chanda  occur  very 
frequently.  Some  of  the  pictures  bear  inscriptions  in 
Deva  Nagri  characters  identifying  the  different  personages 
in  the  paintings.  The  names  of  some  of  the  months 
also  occur  in  a  few  pictures. 

The  paintings  are  more  or  less  crude  and  quaint  but 
nontheless  possess  a  decorative  idea.  The  motif  of  the 
pictures  is  very  much  similar  to  that  of  Jaina  paintings. 

Ca.  i6th  century. 
K-3i  Prabasi  Pati. 

An  illustration  from  Bhanu  Datt's  Rasa  Manjari 
where  the  husband  who  is  away  from  his  home  describes 
the  beauties  of  his  beloved  one. 

Basohli ;  late  I7th  century. 


132 

K-32  Drishta  Nayak. 

An  illustration  from  Bhanu  Datt's  Rasa  Manjari. 
The  clever  Nayak  stealthily  comes  and  sleeps  by  the  side 
of  the  Nayika  while  she  is  asleep.  She  is  seen  protesting 
her  innocence  to  the  maid. 

Basohli  ;  late  I7th  century. 

K-33  Chitra  Darsana 

An  illustration  from  Bhanu  Datt's  Rasa  Manjari. 
The  Nayika  looks  at  the  portrait  of  her  lover  when  he  is 
away. 

Basohli  ;  late  I7th  century. 

K-34  Pragalbha  Vasaka  Sajjya  Nayika. 

The  Nayika  awaits  her  lover  by  a  couch. 

Basohli ;  i8th  ceatur}-. 

K-35  Vipralabdha  Nayika. 

The  Nayika  does  not  find  her  lover  at  the  place  of 
tryst  and  prays  to  Shiva  to  unite  her  with  her  lover. 

Basohli ;  early  igth  century. 

K-36  Dancing  scene. 

Basohli ;  early  iQth  century. 

K-37  Women  and  lightening. 

Unidentified  painting. 

Basohli ;  early  igth  century. 

K-38  Flower  gathering. 

Basohli ;  early  iQth  century. 


Plate  X. 


.KnttfYi?  iT 


K-41      The  Goddess  Shyama, 

Basohli :  late  ijth  century. 


133 

K- 39-44        Six  paintings  from   Basohli. 

These  represent  different  tantric  manifestations  of 
the  goddess  Durga.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the 
colour  scheme  of  these  paintings  resembles  to  a  certain 
extent  the  colouring  of  Nepalese  paintings. 

It  is  difficult  to  ascertain  with  accuracy  the  date  of 
these  pictures.  They  are  of  post-Moghal  date  but  they 
do  not  show  any  traces  of  Moghal  influence  either  in 
drawing  or  in  colouring.  The  use  of  well  cut  pieces  of 
green  beetle's  wings  for  jewels  in  ornaments  is  a  peculiar 
feature  in  these  paintings. 

Ca.  i8th  century. 


P  i- 1 2        Illustrations  of  twelve  Ragas  and  Raginis. 

Jeypore  ;  early  igth  century. 

Q-i  Seige  on  a  fort. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

Q-2  Battle  scene. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

Q-3  Fair  in  a  temple. 

Kangra  ;  early  igth  century. 

Q-4-n          Unidentified  portraits. 

vSikh  School ;  middle  igth  century. 

0-12-19        Unidentified  portraits  from  the  Punjab  hills. 

Q-20-2I        Ten  portraits. 

Delhi  ivory  miniature  style  on  paper. 

Middle  I9th  century. 

Q-22-27        Six  studies  of  mendicants  by  Kapur  Singh. 

Kapurthala  ;  late  igth  century. 


Q-21      Five  Portraits  on  Paper. 

'Delhi  ivory  miniature  style  :  middle  iqth  century 


Plate  XXI 


ANIMALS  AND  BIRDS. 


ANIMALS  AND   BIRDS. 

[Most  of  these  are  sketches  by  Kangra  artists  probably  of  the  late 
i8th  or  early  iQth  century.] 

L-  r  Elephant. 

L-2  Infuriated  elephant. 

L,-3  Head  of  elephant. 

L-4  Chained  elephant. 

L-5  Two  elephants  fighting. 

L-6  Group  of  five  elephants. 

L-7  Two  Camels. 

L-8  Two  tigers. 

L-9  Two  spotted  deer. 

L-io  Antelope. 

I,-  1  1  Spotted  goat. 

L-i2  Goat. 


Fat  tailed  ram  and  bul-bul. 

(Persian  style,  ca.  I7th  century.) 
L-I4        Cow. 

Iv-i5        Nil  Gai. 


138 
Iv-i6        Pat  tailed  ram. 

If- 17  Horse. 
I/-i8  Horse. 
I<-i9  Wolf. 

Iy-20  Pigs. 

I.-2I        Porcupine. 

lt-22  Dog. 

Iy-23  Eight  dogs. 

L-24  Squirrel. 

1^25  Large  hawk  and  prey. 

L-26  Hawk. 

Iy-27  Five  hawks. 

L-28  Hawk. 

ir2g  Chikor. 

Iy-30  Chikor. 

1^-3 1  See-see 

1^-32  Close  barred  sand  grouse. 

L-33  Red  crested  black  crane. 

Iv-34  Common  white  crane. 


139 

L-35         Pelican. 
1^-36        Two  owls. 
1^-37        Two  owls. 
L-38        Bat. 
L-39        Snipe. 
L-40        Two  cranes. 
L-4i         Two  demoiselle  cranes. 
L-42         Goose  and  teal. 
L-43        Brahminy  duck,  goose  and  teal. 
L-44        Pheasant. 
L-45        Pheasant. 
L-46        Cock. 
L-47        Two  pheasants. 
L-48        Unidentified  bird. 
L-49        Unidentified  bird. 
Unidentified  bird. 
Common  myna. 
Woodpecker. 
L-53        Woodpecker. 


140 
Woodpecker. 

L-55        Woodpecker . 
Io6        Woodpecker. 
Woodpecker. 
Unidentified  bird. 
Iv-59        Falcon. 
L-6o        Grasshopper. 
L,-6i        Dove. 
L-62        Pelican. 
1^-63        Hill  myna, 
Iy-64        Green  pigeon. 
1^-65        Green  pigeon. 
Iv-66        Six  birds. 

Sparrow  and  four  other  birds. 
L-68        Black  starling. 
L-69        Bul-Bul. 
1^70        Two  fly  catchers. 
Ir?1        Khanjan. 
Iv  72        Wandering  pie. 


141 

L-73  Unidentified  bird. 

L-74  Two  birds, 

L-75  Conventional  peacock. 

L-76  Ornamental  parrot. 

L-77  Parrot. 

L-78  Five  birds. 

L-79  Hawk  by  Kapur  Singh. 

L-8o        Hawk  by  Kapur  Singh. 

L-8i  Pelican  by  Kapur  Singh. 

L-82  Swallow  basking  by  Kapur  Singh. 


DECORATIVE  DRAWINGS. 


DECORATIVE   DRAWINGS. 

M-i~7  Flowers. 

M-8-n          Decorative    treatment   of  floral  sprays  in  Chinese 
style. 

M-i2  Decorative    pattern    after    the    style    of    M-8  and 

M-9. 

M-I3-I5  Conventional  foliage. 

M-i6  Floral  decoration. 

M-i7  Painted  bouquet. 

M-i8  Drawings  of  different  bouquets- 

M- 19-2 1  Conventional  foliage  and  flowers. 


CALIGRAPHY. 


CALIGRAPHY. 

N-i  A  specimen  of  nail  writing. 

This  is  practised  even  now  ;  the  thumb  nail  is  used 
for  the  purpose. 

N-2  Persian  verses  with  illuminated  border. 

1  7th  century. 

N-3  Two  leaves  from  an  illuminated  Persian  manuscript. 

The  ornamental  border  shows  the  treatment  of  vari- 
ous kinds  of  birds.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  heads  of 
all  the  birds  have  been  mutilated  or  covered  with  floral 
designs.  This  is  probably  the  work  of  some  zealous  and 

orthodox  Muhammadan. 

century. 


N~4  An  illuminated  Koran  leaf. 

1  7th  century. 

Five  leaves  of  an  illuminated  Koran. 

The  caligraphy  is  fine  and  decorative.  It  appears 
that  the  entire  work,  even  the  writing,  was  done  with  the 
brush  and  not  with  the  pen.  The  profuse  use  of  gold 
and  deep  and  bright  blue  and  other  colours  give  the 
pages  the  look  of  gold  enamelled  picture  frames. 

I7th  century. 


MODERN  PAINTINGS    OF  BENGAL. 


MODERN   PAINTINGS   OF   BENGAL. 

[These  paintings  show  a  new  departure  in  Indian  pictorial 
art.  A  few  years  ago  Dr.  A.  N.  Tagore,  C.I.E.,  gave  inception  to 
this  movement.  It  is  still  more  or  less  confined  to  Calcutta,  but  it 
is  gradually  developing  and  has  already  produced  works  of  con- 
siderable artistic  value.] 

O-i  The  Victory  of   the  Buddha.     Presented   bv   the   artist 

A.  N.  Tagore. 

When  Gautama  Buddha  attained  supreme  enlight- 
ment  after  frustrating  the  evil  designs  of  Mara  and  his 
daughters  a  "  supernatural  splendor  of  sixfold  rays " 
emanated  from  the  body  of  the  Buddha  and  flooded  the 
universe. 

O-2          The  infant  Krishna.     By  Nanda  Lai  Bose. 

It  was  prophesied  that  Krishna  would  kill  his 
tyrant  uncle  Kansa,  whereupon  the  latter  put  Vasudeva 
and  Devaki,  the  parents  of  Krishna,  into  a  prison  and 
passed  an  order  to  slay  the  child  as  soon  as  it  was  born. 
But  when  Krishna  was  born  the  prison  guards  were  fast 
asleep  and  Vasudeva  took  him  to  Nanda's  house  where  a 
girl  had  been  born  the  same  night,  and  exchanged  the 
children.  When  Kansa  saw  that  a  girl  has  been  born  he 
released  Vasudeva  and  Devaki. 

The  picture  shows  Vasudeva,  Devaki  and  Krishna  in 
the  prison. 

O-3  Dhruva.     By  Asit  Kumar  Haider. 

Dhruva  was  a  king's  son,  but  in  consequence  of  the 
jealousy  of  his  step-mother  and  the  weakness  of  his  father 
he  and  his  mother  were  banished  from  the  royal  palace 
and  had  to  live  in  exile  in  a  forest.  At  the  age  of  seven 


154 

Dhruva  was  once  allowed  to  see  his  father  but  his  step- 
mother would  not  allow  the  king  to  show  any  considera- 
tion towards  the  banished  prince.  The  weakness  of  his 
father  wounded  Dhruva  to  the  core  and  he  resolved  to 
renounce  the  world  and  seek  the  love  of  the  lotus-eyed 
Hari.  He  left  his  mother's  hut  while  she  was  asleep  and 
went  on  and  on  to  a  dense  forest  where  none  but  wild 
animals  lived.  There  in  the  heart  of  the  impenetrable 
forest  Dhruva  said  his  prayer  night  and  day  sitting  still 
till  he  found  Hari.  Since  then  Dhruva  became  the  name 
for  the  pole-star,  a  star  as  steady  as  Dhruva. 

0-4          Radha    expectant  of    Krishna   in    a    dark  night.     By 
S.  N.  Gupta. 

O-5          The  first  lesson.     By  S.  N.  Kar. 

It  illustrates  a  ceremony  in  Bengal  when  a  boy  is 
sent  to  a  tol  or  school  presided  over  by  a  Guru  Mahasaya 
to  learn  the  mysteries  of  the  alphabet — a  procedure  not 
generally  liked  by  the  prospective  scholar. 

O-6          Day  and  Night.     By  K.  N.  Mozumdar. 

A  poetical  rendering  of  the  eventide.  Sombre  night 
with  dark  veil  approaches  to  embrace  day  gorgeous  in  co- 
lours and  radiant  with  flowers. 

0-7          Chaitanya  leaving  home.    By  K.  N.  Mozumdar. 

Chaitanya,  the  Vaishnava  reformer  of  Bengal  (1485- 
1527),  left  home  and  went  out  for  pilgrimage.  The  picture 
shows  him  proceeding  to  pilgrimage  after  taking  leave 
of  his  mother. 

O-8          Harish  Chandra  and  Shaibya.     By  S.  N.  Dey. 

King  Harish  Chandra  was  noted  for  his  piety,  charity 
and  truthfulness.  It  is  said  that  he  never  failed  to  keep 


O-7     Chaitanya  Leaving  Home 


By  K   N.  Uowmdar. 


1 


155 

his  promise.  Rishi  Vishwamitra  wanted  to  test  him. 
He  went  to  Harish  Chandra  and  asked  for  a  gift.  Harish 
Chandra  said  that  he  would  bestow  on  him  anything  he 
possessed.  Vishwamitra  asked  for  the  kingdom  of  Harish 
Chandra  which  was  readily  given  to  him.  Then  the  Rishi 
demanded  the  dakshina  payable  to  a  Brahmin.  Harish 
Chandra  found  himself  in  a  fix.  He  had  parted  with  his 
kingdom  and  all  his  worldly  belongings,  and  yet  without 
the  dakshina  the  gift  would  be  incomplete.  He  sold  his 
wife  Shaibya  to  an  old  Brahmin  and  himself  to  a  Chandala 
and  paid  the  sale  proceeds  as  dakshina  to  Vishwamitra. 
Shaibya  with  her  son  Rohitaswa  went  away  to  the  Brah- 
min's house  where  she  had  to  tolerate  most  unkind  treat- 
ment at  the  hands  of  the  Brahmin '  s  wife.  Harish  Chandra, 
as  a  servant  of  the  Chandala,  was  put  in  charge  of  a  crema- 
tion ground.  And  thus  the  husband  and  wife  were  sepa- 
rated from  each  other  and  lived  in  servitude  and  distress 
for  years  without  hearing  from  each  other.  Then  their 
child  Rohitaswa  died  of  snake-bite  and  the  sorrowing 
mother  Shaibya  took  her  dead  son  to  a  cremation  ground 
which  happened  to  be  the  same  where  Harish  Chandra 
was  employed.  The  night  was  dark  ;  occasional  lighten- 
ing made  it  more  dreadful.  Broken  down  with  grief  and 
despair  Shaibya  proceeded  to  the  cremation  ground  weep- 
ing. Harish  Chandra  heard  her  laments  and  came  to  her. 
Utter  darkness  prevented  him  from  recognising  his  own 
wife.  He  as  the  Chandala's  agent  demanded  from  her 
the  cremation  fee.  She  intimated  her  extreme  poverty 
and  consequent  inability  to  pay.  Harish  Chandra  did  not 
know  what  to  do.  Suddenly  there  was  a  flash  of  lighten- 
ing and  Harish  Chandra  and  Shaibya  recognised  each 
other.  But  here  their  trials  ended.  Rohitaswa  was 
brought  back  to  life  by  Vishwamitra 's  blessing  and 
Harish  Chandra  received  back  his  kingdom.  .The  picture 
shows  Harish  Chandra  demanding  from  Shaibya  the  fee 
for  cremation  of  her  son. 


156 

OQ          The  Angarag  or  the   anointing  of  the  Salgram  Shila. 
By  B.  C.  Dey. 

O-io  In  Quest  of  the  Beloved.     By  D.  S.  Bhattacharya. 

On  The  Plains  of  Ranchi.     By  G.  N.  Tagore. 

O-I2  The  Moon.     By  K.  N.  Mozumdar. 

0-13  After  a  Shower.     By  A.  K.  Haldar. 

0-14  The  Temple  of  Jagannath.     By  A.  N.  Tagore. 


N 

3750 

L3G8 


Gupta,  S.   N. 

Catalogue  of  paintings 
in  the  Central  Museum, 
Lahore 


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