Representations of Spirituality: Saints and Ascetics in Mughal Visual   Culture (16th–17th Centuries)

Dr. Abdul Munim

doi:10.53724/jmsg/v12n1.05

Authors

Dr. Abdul Munim Guest Faculty, Department of History, NCWEB, University of Delhi, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2996-0692

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53724/jmsg/v12n1.05

Keywords:

Saints, Ascetics, Sufi Saints, Faqeer, Qalandar, Dervish, Sadhu, Jogini, Sama, Zikr, Jagat Gosain Jadrup, Shaikh Phul, Mullah Shah, Mia Mir, Shaikh Saleem, Chishti, Hindu Yogis and Sannyasis, Jain Ascetics, Akbar, Jahangir and Shah, Jahan, and Religious Synthesis

Abstract

Mughal miniature paintings played a significant role in the study of the spiritual and cultural history of the Mughal era, particularly during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. While Mughal paintings are known for their depictions of court life, royal ladies, field scenes of battle, and ceremonies, they also evolved a visual tradition of depicting saints, ascetics, mendicants, and spiritual teachers. Representation of religious group, Sufi Saints, Faqeers, Bairaghi, Hindu Yogis, Yoginis, Sannyasis, Sadhus, group of religious and Jain monks gives an important source of knowledge for the religious life of Medieval India. The current study focuses on the portrayal of religious and spiritual personalities in the miniature paintings of the Mughal era during the reign of Akbar, Jahangeer and Shah Jahan. Paintings of meditation, devotional gathering, spiritual exercises, pilgrimage, travel and meeting with rulers and princes by holy men provide a valuable insight into religious life of the time. In Akbar’s reign, the depictions of religious community paid attention to greater religious dialogue and interaction. During Jahangeer's tenure, artists started depicting saints and ascetics as individuals and their unique looks and characteristics. During the reign of Shah Jahan, painters began to show greater respect and importance to the spiritual persons and often depicted groups of saints and learned men along with princes and other court members. The study reveals that the religious images played a significant role in Mughal painting and provides a greater insight into the religious and cultural life of Medieval period. The paintings of the Sufi and Hindu religious traditions depict the life of various communities and the interaction between them. Thus, Mughal miniature paintings can be applied to the analysis of the themes of spirituality, pilgrimage, religious observance, and common cultural features of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in India.

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