Toda Mongke and His Mongol Horde

This painting is from a Mughal copy of the Chingiznama, a section of Rashid al-Din’s Jami al-Tawarikh (History of the World) that covers the history of Genghis (Chingiz) Khan (1206-1227) and his successors till the death of Ghazan Khan (1295-1304). In 1596, this manuscript was completed for the Mughal court. The Mughals traced their descent to Genghis Khan, and such works and histories helped support the emperor’s authority and status. This painting, made by Madhava Kalan and Tulsi, shows Toda Mongke, the Khan of the Golden Horde (r. 1280-1287). He rides at the center of the scene on a dark horse, dressed in a pale green robe and a plumed headdress similar to the ones his army men wear, and he is shown with one hand open in a gesture of speech. A crowd of riders in plumed headdresses, carrying bows, with one holding a falcon, presses in from the right. The figures are stacked upward rather than set in strict perspective, and two Persian text panels cut across the scene. The backdrop is a hilly landscape with palace-like architecture visible in the distance. The finely drawn horses, individualised faces, and detailed foliage reflect the Mughal interest in close observation. Over time, scholars have suggested that this may be a primary depiction of Toda Mongke on his way to his accession ceremony. Some contemporary accounts note that he later adopted Islam and lived a life of austerity among theologians. His religious studies came at the price of governmental affairs, and when his ministers reminded him of his responsibilities as the Khan, he abdicated in favor of his nephew Tulabugha and devoted himself entirely to God. The marginal inscriptions indicate that Madhava (1575-1610) created the portraits, while Tulsi (1575-1596) conceived and painted the artwork. Madhava (Madhu) was one of the Hindu painters in Akbar’s imperial workshop in the late 1500s. He often handled the portraits, the faces (chehreh), and his name appears beside the faces on several Akbarnama pages. This reflects how the atelier worked, with different artists taking on the outline, the colouring, or the faces. This painting is one of the contributions where we see his work beyond the Akbarnama.