Victoria and Albert Museum (South and Southeast Asia Collection)
‘Akbar Watches the Cleaning of the Kukar Talao near Nagor’ is a striking example of late-sixteenth-century Mughal miniature painting that is illustrated in ‘Akbarnama’. Bhagwan was a Hindu painter who was active in the Mughal atelier during the reign of Emperor Akbar. He worked in the Mughal karkhana alongside Persian trained masters. Bhagwan worked with styles including Persian miniature paintings, naturalism and realism and Mughal art forms. He was employed in the illustrations of ‘Akbarnama’, ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Razmnama’. The painting ‘Akbar Watches the Cleaning of the Kukar Talao near Nagor’ paints a real life event when the emperor had indeed ordered the cleaning and purification of the Kukar Talao in Nagaur in Rajhasthan. It is the right-hand section of a double-page composition, with the accompanying left-hand folio depicting the actual cleaning of the tank. The painting has a very effective vertical arrangement and dense narrative detail. The Emperor Akbar occupies the central position and immediately catches one’s attention. He is mounted on a heavily ornamented horse and is surrounded by attendants and other courtiers. His elevated position compared to the rest conveys his royal standing and makes the beholder aware of his authority. The lower part of the painting is taken up by the labourers who are cleaning the pond. This part highlights a strong sense of movement as every person is in the middle of doing something. Some figures bend to work, while others carry tools and baskets. The artist’s keen sense of observation and his attention to detail is captured in the gestures and movements of the figures. The background comprises of royal tents, trees, landscapes and the use of opaque watercolour on paper makes the colours and view more vivid. Overall, this piece is historically important as it gives an idea about the events that took place during the reign of various monarchs of the Mughal Empire. An order vas simple and ordinary as this one becomes an imperial documentation.
The key interpretation of this painting reveals that Akbar was a very active and welfare-minded leader. By presenting the fact that he himself is overseeing the cleaning of the neglected water tank, this painting sets forth the image of the Mughal king who not only acts like a warrior and conqueror but is also an active administrator who is working on the construction of basic facilities along with drought management. Moreover, by naming the cleaned tank “Shukr Talao”, this simple activity is transformed into an excellent tool of imperial propaganda.
