The Badshah and his Crew Hunting Tigers

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One of the most popular themes of Indian miniature paintings the tiger hunt has been associated here with a superbly vivid landscape, which, as a matter of fact, by itself constitutes the theme of this painting. Vigorous, vivid and panoramic setting, topography and perspective effect of the landscape so ensnare the eye that it hardly inclines to see beyond for a theme other than the pictorial beauty of the site. In rendering this painting the artist has combined with the vigour and vividness of Kota's hunting paintings the European art elements of perspective, colour shedding and realism. Despite that the landscape is packed with varied nature, the hills, water reservoir, patch of forest-land, trees, shrubs and a man made structure, the Shikargah, its balanced composition, compactness and great unity impart to it a unique realistic look.

The painting depicts someone of the later Mughal Badshah, or the emperor, and his crew hunting tigers. The emperor on the terrace without a gun or weapon is enjoying the hunt only as a viewer, which more characteristically defines a late Mughal emperor as they all after Aurangzeb were weak and feeble rulers hardly ever resorting to arms save in wars of succession. To a late Mughal emperor the tiger hunt was the same as seeing an animal fight. The use of guns in the painting places the event any time between the late 18th to early 19th century. The figures of the emperor and courtiers are in typical Mughal costumes and beard-pattern.

The theme of the hunt has been conventionally visualised. It was widely known that once a day at least tigers went to the water reservoir in the concerned forest for drinking water there. Feudal chiefs usually built at such sites a Shikargah, a structure for hunting from, and whenever they chose they went there with their crews, awaited the tigers to come for drinking water and when the opportune time came, shot at them. In such hunting feats guns were used for covering the risk but the actual hunt was accomplished with spears and swords by cavaliers. In this painting the courtiers on elephants have their guns ready but it is only the horse riders who are charging at the furiously attacking tigers.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.