Mines exploding during the siege of Chittor

An Attributed to Miskina, painted by Sarwan, A Mine Explodes During the Siege of Chittor forms part of Akbar’s richly illustrated Akbarnama, produced around 1590–1595 and now preserved at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Made in opaque watercolour and gold on paper. It feels like the artist, did not just want to show a win for the empire. Instead the painting shows how messy and scary war can be, for common people. You can see soldiers, labourers, fortifications and weapons all packed into one scene. It really makes you feel how much is happening at the same time. Miskina’s compositional approach can be compared with the crowded historical scenes of Basawan and Daswanth, whose works similarly combine elevated viewpoints, numerous figures and carefully structured landscapes. Miskina places an emphasis on the terrain turning the rocky landscape into an active participant in the story. The style of the painting jumps between manuscript conventions and Mughal naturalism. It mixes precision with a growing interest, in movement, individuality and observed reality. In the end the painting tells a history and also gives a quiet human testimony. The painting celebrates military ambition while revealing the uncertainty and cost that lie beneath conquest.