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 painting from the Akbarnama is not only a historical record but also a reflection of Mughal political power. It depicts the execution of Shah Abu’l Ma’ali, whose repeated acts of rebellion threatened the stability of Akbar’s empire. The composition is carefully arranged to draw attention to the central event while also showing the reactions of the surrounding figures. The artists use fine details, bright colours, and expressive gestures to create a sense of drama and authority. Beyond recording a historical incident, the painting serves as royal propaganda, presenting Akbar’s rule as just and necessary while portraying Abu’l Ma’ali as a dangerous rebel whose death restored order.
