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Lot Essay
This folio is taken from the dispersed royal Zafarnama prepared for Emperor Akbar (r.1556-1605) and illustrated by some of the luminaries of the Mughal atelier. The text itself was an elaborately-written history of the reign of Timur (r.1370-1405), written by Sharaf al-Din Yazdi in Shiraz in AH 828/1424-5 AD, and commissioned by Timur's grandson Ibrahim Sultan. The Mughals too claimed descent from Timur, and in their art and architecture frequently harked back to their Central Asian heritage. The arrival at the Mughal court of a Zafarnama manuscript, illustrated by the Persian master Bihzad, encouraged Akbar to commission one of his own. Though an active patron of manuscripts Akbar was illiterate, and we can assume that the illustrations took on increased importance. Although no dated folios survive from the manuscript, by cross-referencing the names of the artists with the years they were active, and taking into account a sub-imperial Zafarnama manuscript produced in 1600, it is likely that the royal Zafarnama was produced between 1595 and 1600.
This moment depicted on our folio follows a failed attempt on Timur’s life, after which he launched a campaign to punish the conspirators who were hiding out in Khwarazm. In 1375 his army caught up with Turkhan Erlat, one of the would-be assassins, at Sipaya on the banks of the Oxus. Seeing that he was outnumbered, Turkhan Erlat fled pursued by a group of cavalrymen. After running him to ground near Farayab, Timur's commander Pulad fought Turkhan Erlat in single combat. According to the Tarikh-i Rashidi, Pulad cried out 'long live Amir Timur!' before dealing him the fatal blow (N. Elias, A History of the Moghuls of Central Asia, London, 1895, p.45). He then cut off his head, as illustrated in this painting, and sent it back to Timur to bring the campaign to a victorious - if grisly - conclusion.
This painting was executed by an artist known alternately as Madhav or Madhu, whom Abu’l Fazl described as ‘one of the leading painters of Akbar’s court’ (S. P. Verma, Mughal Painters and their Work, New Delhi, 1994, p.234). He was one of the artists involved in creating the Akbarnama, from which there are two folios signed by him which are in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (IS.2:14-1896 and IS.2:114-1896). Another folio which he contributed to the royal Zafarnama can be found in the Eva and Konrad Seitz Collection, Zurich (John Seyller and Konrad Seitz, Mughal and Deccani Paintings, Zurich, 2010, pp.42-44). Another Zafarnama folio signed by Madhav sold in these Rooms, 26 April 2012, lot 5. A further illustrated folio from this manuscript, signed by Jagjivan Kalan, sold in these Rooms, 31 March, 2022, lot 70.
This moment depicted on our folio follows a failed attempt on Timur’s life, after which he launched a campaign to punish the conspirators who were hiding out in Khwarazm. In 1375 his army caught up with Turkhan Erlat, one of the would-be assassins, at Sipaya on the banks of the Oxus. Seeing that he was outnumbered, Turkhan Erlat fled pursued by a group of cavalrymen. After running him to ground near Farayab, Timur's commander Pulad fought Turkhan Erlat in single combat. According to the Tarikh-i Rashidi, Pulad cried out 'long live Amir Timur!' before dealing him the fatal blow (N. Elias, A History of the Moghuls of Central Asia, London, 1895, p.45). He then cut off his head, as illustrated in this painting, and sent it back to Timur to bring the campaign to a victorious - if grisly - conclusion.
This painting was executed by an artist known alternately as Madhav or Madhu, whom Abu’l Fazl described as ‘one of the leading painters of Akbar’s court’ (S. P. Verma, Mughal Painters and their Work, New Delhi, 1994, p.234). He was one of the artists involved in creating the Akbarnama, from which there are two folios signed by him which are in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (IS.2:14-1896 and IS.2:114-1896). Another folio which he contributed to the royal Zafarnama can be found in the Eva and Konrad Seitz Collection, Zurich (John Seyller and Konrad Seitz, Mughal and Deccani Paintings, Zurich, 2010, pp.42-44). Another Zafarnama folio signed by Madhav sold in these Rooms, 26 April 2012, lot 5. A further illustrated folio from this manuscript, signed by Jagjivan Kalan, sold in these Rooms, 31 March, 2022, lot 70.