Ghulam Ali Khan's painting titled "The Interior of the Diwan-i Khas and the Khas Mahal in the Red Fort" is part of a renowned series of 31 paintings that depict various monuments in and around Delhi. He served as the court painter for Emperors Akbar II and Bahadur Shah II, identifying himself as "His Majesty's Painter" or "the hereditary slave of the dynasty." His exterior painting of the Diwan-i Khas, created in 1817, established a trend towards topographical and architectural subjects within the Mughal style. This made him the first Mughal artist to move beyond the conventions of miniature painting and embrace a more expansive, picturesque approach.
The painting illustrates the interior of the Diwan-i Khas, providing a view through the pavilion toward the Khas Mahal, which served as the emperor's private chambers within the Red Fort of Delhi. From this vantage point, one can see the famous Stream of Paradise (Nahr-i Bihisht), the central water channel that flows along the axis of the palace buildings, passing through the open marble pavilion toward the Khas Mahal. The Diwan-i Khas measures 90 by 67 feet and was originally lavishly decorated with inlaid marble, gilding, and exquisite pietra dura work. The architectural details are rendered with meticulous precision, showcasing the cusped arches, fluted marble columns adorned with floral patterns, intricate inlay work, and decorative ceiling details. Inscribed on the central marble columns of the building is a famous Persian couplet attributed to Amir Khusraw: "agar firdaws bar ru-i zamin ast / hamin ast u hamin ast u hamin ast," which translates to "If there is paradise on earth, then it is this, it is this, it is this." This epigraph, commonly associated with the Diwan-i Khas, emphasises the building's perceived heavenly nature.
The painting exemplifies the Company School of painting, blending late Mughal aesthetics with European naturalism and topographical accuracy. As Mughal court resources declined, Khan took commissions from British patrons like William and James Fraser and Sir Thomas Metcalfe, contributing to the Delhi Book. This cultural interplay resulted in a unique fusion of late Mughal craftsmanship and European realism, with the Diwan-i Khas interior painting serving as a prime example.
The luxurious white marble halls, inlaid floral pietra dura motifs, and gilded arches of the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audiences) and Khas Mahal inside the Red Fort of Delhi. A mix of Indo-Persian architecture representation and exact topographical precision. It serves as an invaluable historical record of the palace interior before many parts were altered or damaged following the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
