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Lot Essay
Safshikan is a title meaning 'rank-breaking', ie. a military officer who smashes the enemy ranks. Two officers in Aurangzeb's reign were granted this title.
The first, Muhammad Tahir, was appointed Supt. of the Artillery in the Deccan at the end of Shah Jahan's reign and was given the title of Safshikan at the time when Aurangzeb went north to intervene in the succession dispute when Shah Jahan became ill. He held various posts and was appointed Supt. of the Imperial Artillery in the 17th regnal year and died in the 18th (1674 AD).
Mir Sadr-ud-din came to India in the 17th year of Aurangzeb's reign (1673 AD) and in the 23rd was granted the title Shuja'at Khan. He was later made Supt. of Artillery and became Safshikan Khanin the 25th year (1681-2 AD). He is last mentioned in the 39th regnal year (1695-6 AD). It is not clear which of the two the present portrait represents although chronologically, Muhammmad Tahir would be the most plausible candidate.
The scribe of the calligraphic panel, Mahmud son of Ishaq Shihabi is recorded as having been taken to Bukhara as a young boy together with his father who was the Mayor of Herat when 'Ubayd Khan conquered it in AH 935/1528-9 AD. He was taught by Mir 'Ali and later moved to Balkh, where he died (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va asar-e khosh-nevisan, vol. 3, Teheran, 1348 sh., pp. 876-880; V. Minorsky, Calligraphers and Painters, Washington, 1959, pp. 131-2)
A calligraphic panel signed by Mahmud bin Ishaq al-Shihabi al-Harawi datable to circa 1565 is on the reverse of a Mughal album page in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.83.105.5a-b, https://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=5 0136;type=101). A copy of 'Abdullah al-Ansari's Munajatnama signed by Mahmud bin Ishaq, sold at Christie's King Street, 13 April 2010, lot 199.
See note to preceding lot for information on the artist, Anup Chattar.
The first, Muhammad Tahir, was appointed Supt. of the Artillery in the Deccan at the end of Shah Jahan's reign and was given the title of Safshikan at the time when Aurangzeb went north to intervene in the succession dispute when Shah Jahan became ill. He held various posts and was appointed Supt. of the Imperial Artillery in the 17th regnal year and died in the 18th (1674 AD).
Mir Sadr-ud-din came to India in the 17th year of Aurangzeb's reign (1673 AD) and in the 23rd was granted the title Shuja'at Khan. He was later made Supt. of Artillery and became Safshikan Khanin the 25th year (1681-2 AD). He is last mentioned in the 39th regnal year (1695-6 AD). It is not clear which of the two the present portrait represents although chronologically, Muhammmad Tahir would be the most plausible candidate.
The scribe of the calligraphic panel, Mahmud son of Ishaq Shihabi is recorded as having been taken to Bukhara as a young boy together with his father who was the Mayor of Herat when 'Ubayd Khan conquered it in AH 935/1528-9 AD. He was taught by Mir 'Ali and later moved to Balkh, where he died (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va asar-e khosh-nevisan, vol. 3, Teheran, 1348 sh., pp. 876-880; V. Minorsky, Calligraphers and Painters, Washington, 1959, pp. 131-2)
A calligraphic panel signed by Mahmud bin Ishaq al-Shihabi al-Harawi datable to circa 1565 is on the reverse of a Mughal album page in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.83.105.5a-b, https://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=5 0136;type=101). A copy of 'Abdullah al-Ansari's Munajatnama signed by Mahmud bin Ishaq, sold at Christie's King Street, 13 April 2010, lot 199.
See note to preceding lot for information on the artist, Anup Chattar.