Of Kings and the Countrymen

A range of works from the Mughal era, including the prestigious album of two East India Company officers depicting richness of Delhi’s ceremonial life, will go under the hammer at Bonhams, Londo.

The enigma called Delhi drew several explorers back then. Travelling across waters to witness life in the Mughal Capital, they were intrigued by its holy men, Afghan horse dealers and ascetics. The Fraser brothers were no different. While 16-year-old William arrived in India in 1814 as a trainee political officer in the East India Company, his brother James took a commercial position in Calcutta. Together the duo was to explore and document the India that was untouched by the West. The pages from their album are now a memoir of the period. The 90 watercolours that comprise it provide a portrait of life in and around Delhi in the early 19th century. On April 8, Bonhams will auction three works from the prestigious album in the London sale of Indian and Islamic art. “The lots capture the richness of ceremonial life in Delhi and are representative of British fascination with types of transport and servants that appear in other more typical examples of Company School painting. It combines Mughal and European styles,” says Matthew Thomas, Specialist, Islamic and Indian Art, Bonhams, about the works dated between 1815-19.

Discovered among the papers of the Fraser family in 1979, each work is estimated between £20,000-30,000. “The circumstances of its commission and the lives of the Fraser brothers add an almost romantic element to the album, as does its emergence from the family’s papers in 1979 and its first appearance in the salerooms in 1980,” notes Thomas.

The first image is of an elephant and a driver, probably from the Mughal Emperor’s stable, with a hunting howdah (carriage positioned on the back of an elephant) equipped with a rifle, bows and a pistol. The second image is the bullock-drawn carriage of Prince Mirza Babur and the third is that of a cotton-carder at work. It has been attributed to the artist Ghulam Ali Khan and depicts the tedious process of “bowing” or running the taut string of the bow across the pile of fibres to fluff up the cotton.

In addition to the prestigious works from the album, among the total of 306 lots are a group of 61 Kalighat paintings from the 19th century (£ 50,000-70,000) and late 17th century Mewar painting of Mughal emperors Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. Great Indian Fruit Bat, a painting from the Impey Album (commissioned by wife of Sir Elijah Impey, East India Company’s Chief Justice of Bengal from 1774 to 1782) by artist Bhawani Das is estimated at £80,000-1,20,000. Also, among the highlights are The Book of Kings and The Book of Akbar. Lavishly illustrated with 110 miniatures, the former is the great Persian epic poem by Firdausi, copied by the scribe Nizam-ad-Din. The latter, estimated between £30,000 and 50,000, is illustrated with 65 miniatures. Coming from the collection of Nathaniel Middleton (East India Company Resident in Lucknow, 1776-1782), the 18th century Persian manuscript on cream-coloured paper features 508 leaves.

Even as Mathew invites bids for the coming auction, he notes that the interest in antique works is on a rise. “In India there has been an increasing interest in these works, where before interest was largely confined to modern Indian paintings,” he notes.

Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/of-kings-and-the-countrymen/2/

Play likens BJP surge to Aurangzeb reign

KOLKATA: The final scene of 'Karkat Krantir Desh' - Kaushik Sen's play based on Mughal prince and scholar Dara Shikoh's life - shows a band of saffron-clad men, sporting headbands with 'Jai Shree Ram' scribbled on them, triumphantly prancing on the stage. Carrying saffron flags and swords, similar to those used by BJP supporters during the Gujarat riot in 2002, they close in on a helpless Dara after his defeat at the battle of Deorai. The play ends on this chilling note, with fundamentalist chants drowning the distressed cries of Dara's army.

The threat of religious extremism looms large yet again, believes Sen, which makes Dara Shikoh's fall relevant in the current political context. "Dara's persecution and killing by Aurangzeb was essentially the result of a power struggle. He was a poet and a philosopher, but was branded a 'kafir' and a threat to Islam by Aurangzeb to mobilize forces and opinion against him. These were used to dislodge him, just as Hindutva has become a tool in the hands of people who are out to seize political power. We now face a situation where a leader with serious allegations against him is being projected as the next Prime Minister. Narendra Modi is using religion and his so-called development model to influence people. Fundamentalist forces like the RSS are backing him. This is indeed alarming for we are probably heading for a scenario where sane, sobering influences are going to be smothered, just as it had happened 360 years ago," said Sen. The play will be staged in Kolkata on April 6.

Based on Ibrahim Irani's book "Emperors of the Peacock Throne", the play has been penned by writer Srijato. Sen says the historic play was deliberately given a contemporary touch in the last scene to drive home a political message. "The rest of it is just history. But in the climax, Aurangzeb's army has been deliberately transformed into this modern-day fundamentalist brigade. This is meant to be a direct political comment," added Sen
There are elements as well that have parallels in present-day politics. For instance, the religio-political campaign against Dara evokes similarities with the BJP-sponsored Hindutva movement. 'Karkat Krantir Desh' seeks to remind the audience of a 'Hindutva-development' cocktail that has been designed to fool people, according to its director. "Fundamentalist slogans invariably influence the rural masses. They are gullible and disadvantaged. For centuries, rulers, who rarely tolerate honest and intellectual forces, have been using religion to have their way. It remains unchanged," he said.

The play traces Dara's alienation from the system. It depicts his love for Hindu scriptures, philosophy and his proximity to Sufi saint Bulla Shah. "He was a thinker, an intellectual far ahead of his times. Dara never wanted to be a part of the power struggles. But Shah Jahan had nominated him as his successor. Ironically, when Aurangzeb was hounding him and was questioned by Shah Jahan, the latter was reminded by his younger son that he, too, had often resorted to violence. Today, when you accuse a party of violence, they turn around and tell you that their predcessors had done the same. Nobody denies using muscle power, but looks at it as a legitimate political weapon which is dangerous," observed Sen
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Play-likens-BJP-surge-to-Aurangzeb-reign/articleshow/33202181.cms