Qasam al-Abbas Arrives from Mecca and Crushes Tahmasp with a Mace

Mahesha’s “Qasam al Abbas Arrives from Mecca and Crushes Tahmasp with a Mace,” painted for Akbar’s Hamzanama, for example, shows a battle scene crowded with the excitement and confusion of a fight, as if it were taking place in front of us. On the right Qasam al Abbas rides a richly caparisoned horse and in the foreground Tahmasp struggles on a camel. The two figures at once arrest our attention by their violence of attitudes, and the force of their encounter. There’s a lot of action in the picture. Horses twist and rear up, weapons cut across the scene and the soldiers in the distance seem to stop and look at what is happening. Even the rocky landscape adds to a sense of action. The rocky landscape creates a fragmented space and the figures seem to be moving through it. Mahesha also devotes much time to the colourful clothing, armour and decorated saddles, using intricate patterns and touches of gold and silver that make them appear almost luminous. These details make the figures stick out more against the darker landscape. At the heart of the painting is the contrast between the confident Qasam and the vulnerable Tahmasp. Qasam’s coming from Mecca gives him the character of a heroic figure who is coming to restore order. Tahmasp’s defeat is symbolic of the triumph of courage over evil. But the painting does not seem too formal or remote. The expressive gestures, frightened animals and crowded battlefield give it an immediacy that makes the viewer feel part of the action. Mahesha transforms a legendary story into a lively, human moment of conflict, courage and victory through its lively composition and rich detail.