Adham Khan Pays Homeage to Akbar At Sarangpur

This painting from the Akbarnama was painted by the Mughal artist Khem Karan. It shows an event from the time of the emperor Akbar. The painting was made in the atelier in the late sixteenth century. It shows how good Mughal manuscript painting was under Akbars support. Khem Karan was one of the painters who changed the way Persian manuscripts looked. He made them more realistic and focused on movement and history. The painting shows the event when Adham Khan, Akbars brother, bowing down to the emperor at Sarangpur in 1561. Adham Khan was a soldier, soon started to show his disobedience towards Akbar. He became arrogant, and greedy for more power. So when he bows down, it is not only a polite gesture it but also is a way of saying, that Akbar is in charge. The painting is very dramatic. It shows a landscape with horses, elephants and many people. Akbar is at the center riding a horse under a fancy parasol. Adham Khan's bending down is showing the act of submission to Akbar. Khem Karan's attention to detail is immaculate. The guards on the side are carrying guns (Matchlok rifles) and spears which shows how the Mughal army was changing. The elephant at the right makes the scene look more important and powerful. The buildings and people in the background make the painting look bigger than one event. Even the rocks and trees add to the feeling of the painting making it look tense even though it is a scene. This painting is not about history it is also about what it means to be a king and how to control an empire. This painting, from the Akbarnama, painted by Khem Karan is an important work that helps us understand the time of the emperor Akbar.