Bullocks Dragging Siege-Guns up a Hill
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Watercolor |
| Current Location: | Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London |
| Location History: | This page of the Akbarnama depicts a battle scene in which bullocks are dragging cannons uphill during the siege of Ranthambhor Fort, Rajasthan. Akbar set out from Agra in December, 1568, pausing on the way to visit sacred places in Delhi and the tomb of his father, Humayun. The campaign began in February 1569 and was won by the end of March when the ruler, Surjan Hara, submitted. See IS.2:74 and IS.2:76 for other paintings of this battle. The Akbarnama was commissioned by the emperor Akbar as the official chronicle of his reign. It was written by his court historian and biographer Abu'l Fazl between 1590 and 1596 and is thought to have been illustrated between about 1592 and 1594 by at least 49 different artists from Akbar's studio. After Akbar's death in 1605, the manuscript remained in the library of his son, Jahangir (r. 1605-1627) and later Shah Jahan (r.1628-1658). The Victoria and Albert Museum purchased it in 1896 from Mrs Frances Clarke, the widow of Major-General John Clarke, who bought it in India while serving as Commissioner of Oudh between 1858 and 1862. |
This painting captures a moment of grueling physical labor during one of the Mughal Empire's military campaigns — specifically, episodes connected to Akbar's 1568–69 siege of Ranthambore Fort in Rajasthan, a stronghold considered nearly impregnable at the time. Rather than glorifying the battle itself, Miskin's composition focuses on the unglamorous mechanics of warfare: teams of bullocks straining to haul heavy siege artillery up steep, difficult terrain toward the fort. What stands out in Miskin's design is his characteristic sensitivity to animal anatomy and movement. Known throughout the Mughal atelier as one of the finest painters of animals, he renders the bullocks with visible strain — their muscles taut, their postures conveying real physical effort rather than stylized decoration. The steep diagonal thrust of the hillside adds tension to the scene, emphasizing the difficulty of moving something as unwieldy as siege guns across rough ground. The image also reflects the collaborative structure of the Mughal painting workshop: Miskin was responsible for the tarh (design/composition), while a second artist, Paras, executed the actual painting (amal) — a division of labor typical of large-scale manuscript projects like the Akbarnama, where dozens of artists worked in tandem under a master designer's vision. Beyond its technical mastery, the painting serves a documentary function — it's part of a broader visual chronicle meant to record and celebrate the logistics and human/animal cost behind Akbar's territorial conquests, not just the triumphant outcomes.