Humayun Defeats His Rebellious Brother Kamran at Kabul

Folio from a manuscript of Akbarnameh (Biography of Akbar)

• Accession Number:AKM133
• Creator:signed by Mahesh and Padarath
• Place:India, Agra
• Dimensions:37 x 25.2 cm
• Date:1590–1595
• Materials and Technique:opaque watercolour, gold, ink on paper

• During the early stages of his reign, Humayun (1530–40; 1555–6), the second emperor of Mughal India, confronted political turmoil when his brother Kamran, governor of Qandahar and Kabul, Afghanistan, seized Humayun’s lands. Forced into exile, Humayun sought protection under the Safavid ruler of Iran. With the Safavids’ support, Humayun later led a Mughal-Iranian force into Qandahar and Kabul, and defeated Kamran.

Further Reading

This painting reflects the dynamism and cruelty of a battlefield with all needed weaponry and military equipment. Humayun occupies the centre of this battle scene, victorious and dressed in armour inlaid with gold. Above him and to the right, Kamran, a bearded man in orange, is seen escaping; in the painting’s upper left is the walled city of Kabul. Upon Humayun’s orders, Kamran will be blinded a few days after this battle.

The painting’s bloody realism and dramatic perspective contrast with the shimmering gold of Humayun’s troops. The result inspires both terror and awe.

— Filiz Çakır Phillip

References
Canby, Sheila. Princes, Poets & Paladins: Islamic and Indian Paintings from the Collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan. London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1998. ISBN: 9780714114835
Welch, Anthony, and Stuart Cary Welch. Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982. ISBN: 9780801498824