The painting was produced in India as part of the Khamsah manuscript in the late sixteenth century. It is now held in the British Library under reference Or. 12208, folio 244 verso.
Iskandar with Nushaba Being Entertained is a Mughal miniature painting attributed to Bhura, also recorded as Bhureh. Created in India around 1595, it forms part of an illustrated copy of the Khamsah, or Five Poems, by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi. The manuscript, now preserved in the British Library, was produced between 1593 and 1595 and contains illustrations associated with artists from the imperial Mughal workshop.
The painting depicts Iskandar, the Persian literary version of Alexander the Great, in the company of Queen Nushaba. They occupy a raised seating area within an elaborate architectural setting, surrounded by attendants and entertainers. Musicians and dancing figures animate the foreground, while other courtiers sit or stand along the sides of the courtyard. The arrangement draws attention to the central royal figures while allowing several smaller activities to unfold within the composition.
The architectural setting is particularly striking. The artist has represented buildings, balconies, arches, decorative canopies and enclosed garden spaces with careful attention to detail. The combination of geometric architecture, bright colours and finely outlined figures creates a sense of order and richness. The vegetation and garden elements in the foreground provide a contrast to the pale architectural surfaces and colourful clothing.
Bhura's contribution to this illustration is discussed in a scholarly study of Mughal painting. The study highlights his handling of architectural details and the foreground figures carrying covered trays and wearing distinctive fur-brimmed hats. These details demonstrate the care with which the painter represented clothing, objects and courtly activity.
The painting also illustrates the interaction between Persian literary traditions and Mughal visual culture during Akbar's reign. Nizami's poetry provided the narrative, while the Mughal workshop transformed it into a detailed visual scene. The work is significant for its architectural complexity, lively courtly composition and contribution to the illustrated manuscript tradition of the late sixteenth century.
The episode comes from Nizami's Iskandarnama, the Persian poem about Alexander, here called Iskandar. In the story, Iskandar visits Queen Nushaba, who rules a court of women, and the scene shows him being entertained within that world. The painting presents the visit as a moment of courtly hospitality rather than conflict. For a Mughal manuscript made for Akbar, the choice has a further resonance: Barbara Brend, cited in The Wire, notes that Akbar's manuscript of the Khamsa was being finished around the time of his 1595 capture of Kandahar, so the image of a great ruler accepted into an unfamiliar court could be read as a comment on the emperor's own reach.
