This painting designed by the Mughal court artist Jagan, and painted by Asir, is an illustration to the Akbarnama (Book of Akbar), commissioned in 1589 by the emperor Akbar (r.1556–1605) as the official chronicle of his reign. It depicts the execution of Shah Abul Ma’ali at Kabul, in present-day Afghanistan, in 1564.
Shah Abu’l Ma’ali had been in service to Akbar's father, Humayun, but from the beginning of Akbar’s reign in 1556 displayed rebellious tendencies. He was despatched on pilgrimage to Mecca to prevent him stirring up sedition, but returned unchanged and after making an unsuccessful attack on Mughal forces escaped to Kabul. The seriousness of the threat he posed is demonstrated by the attempt on Akbar’s life that took place shortly afterwards. When the emperor visited the shrine of Nizam ad-Din Awliya in Delhi, a man in the crowd shot him with an arrow, wounding him quite seriously. The would-be assassin was put to death, but was discovered to have links with one of Abu’l Ma’ali’s allies. Meanwhile, in Kabul, Abu’l Ma’ali’s illustrious family antecedents had persuaded the politically powerful lady Mah Chuchak Begum to give him her daughter in marriage. The union ended in catastrophe: Abu’l Ma’ali murdered his mother-in-law and had other family members and servants killed, for which he was hanged. The Akbarnama, written over 25 years later, describes Abu’l Ma’ali throughout in vituperative terms, and the author concludes that with his death ‘the world was cleansed of his hateful existence’. [English translation, Beveridge, vol. II, pp. 317-22]
The Akbarnama was written in Persian by Akbar’s court historian and biographer, Abu’l Fazl, between 1590 and 1596, and the V&A’s partial copy of the manuscript is thought to have been illustrated between about 1592 and 1595. This is thought to be the earliest illustrated version of the text, and drew upon the expertise of some of the best royal artists of the time. Many of these are listed by Abu’l Fazl in the third volume of the text, the A’in-i Akbari, and some of these names appear in the V&A illustrations, written in red ink beneath the pictures, showing that this was a royal copy made for Akbar himself. After his death, the manuscript remained in the library of his son Jahangir, from whom it was inherited by Shah Jahan.
This dynamic Mughal miniature transforms a moment of public punishment into a vivid theatrical spectacle. At the centre, the condemned figure hangs suspended before an animated crowd, while nobles and spectators observe from balconies above, turning justice into a ceremonial display of authority. The surrounding gestures, expressive faces, and clustered figures intensify the emotional tension of the scene.
The Persian inscriptions woven into the composition narrate the event and identify the punishment being carried out, functioning both as historical record and moral commentary. Despite the severity of the subject, the artwork retains remarkable elegance through its balanced composition, luminous colours, and intricate architectural details. The painting becomes not merely a depiction of punishment, but a sophisticated reflection on power, public order, and spectacle in the Mughal world.
