Provincial Painting: Deccan Painting | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Introduction

Emergence of Distinct Painting Style in the Deccan:

• A unique style of painting developed in the kingdoms of  Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, and Golconda during the late 15th century, predating Mughal painting.
• The Decanni style reached its peak in the 17th century, showcasing its distinct characteristics.
• In addition to traditional portraits and illustrations for literary works, there are instances of illustrated chronicles, such as the Tuzuk-i-Asafiya.

Court Patronage

• Ahmadnagar: Illustrated manuscript of Ta’rif-i Husain Shahi.
• Bijapur: Illustrated manuscript of Nujum-ul-Ulum, commissioned by Ali Adil Shah, who had several painters at his court.
• Ibrahim Adil Shah (1580-1627): An accomplished painter, calligraphist, musician, and poet, he was the greatest of the Bijapur line.
• By the late 16th century, a new tradition of painting known as Ragamala emerged in Ahmadnagar and Bijapur.
• The Ragamala painting tradition reached its peak during this period.
• Golkonda: Another category of Deccan paintings depicts the pomp and grandeur of royal processions.
• Several such paintings from the reign of Abdulla Qutb Shah (1626-72) of Golkonda have survived.
• Hyderabad: Notable paintings include Azam Shah returning from bird-shooting and approaching his pleasure garden at the foot of Golconda fort, and works from the album of Himmatyar Khan, a noble of the Nizam’s court.

Style and Themes

• The Deccani tradition shows a strong influence from the Persian tradition.
• However, this influence is not applied with the same level of precision and discipline as seen in Persian paintings.
• Many features were adopted without the refinement characteristic of Persian art.

Mughal Influence:

• The Deccani tradition was also shaped by the Mughal school of painting.
• This influence was facilitated through exchanges of artists between the courts and the gifting of paintings.
• Some Deccani works, particularly from Bijapur, found their way into albums compiled by Mughal emperors like Akbar and Jahangir.
• Notably, Ibrahim Adil Shah II's daughter was married to Prince Daniyal Mirza, Akbar's son, and the wedding gifts included volumes of paintings, further linking the Deccan to the Mughal tradition.

Rajput Influence:

• There was also a cross-influence with Rajput painting.
• Some Rajput princes served as generals in the Mughal armies operating in the Deccan, leading to Deccan influences in early Rajput painting.
• In many instances, Deccani painters likely migrated to Rajput courts as their own patrons lost power.

Originality in Deccani Paintings:

• Despite the various influences, Deccani paintings should not be viewed merely as derivatives.
• The finest examples of Deccan art creatively reinterpret external suggestions, achieving a level of aesthetic originality.

The features typical of Deccan paintings are

• Hierarchical scaling in Deccani painting involves making the principal figure larger than subordinate figures.
• Richness of the palette is evident in the use of white and gold, which are unique to Deccani miniatures. Typical jewelry, such as the plaque of a necklace, is also a distinguishing feature.
• Exaggerated swirls of the girdle and stole, particularly in feminine figures, are a notable characteristic.
• Intersection of diagonals creates an arch around the principal figures, adding to the composition.
• Acomposite animal, a large creature made up of smaller images of different animals, is a Deccan specialty.
• Rulers often have large haloes, following the Mughal tradition.
• Servants fan their masters or mistresses with cloths instead of the usual chowris or peacock-feather fans, and swords typically have the straight Deccan form.
• Elephants held great popularity in both the life and art of the Deccani courts.
• Drawings with marbling effects in the bodies of horses and elephants were also a genre in Deccani art.
• Unlike Mughal painting, studies of animals or plants were less common in the Deccan and often portrayed in a less realistic style with a fanciful palette of intense colors.
• African figures like Malik Ambar of Ahmadnagar and Ikhlas Khan of Bijapur, who rose to prominence in the Deccan, are notable subjects of portraits.
• Deccani painting flourished in the late 16th and 17th centuries but declined as the Mughals gradually conquered the region.