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DARA SHIKOH’S ALBUM
“īn muraqqa‘-i nafīs ba-anīs-i khāṣṣ u hamdam u hamrāz ba-ikhtiṣāṣ Nādirah Bānū Bēgam dādah [shud az] Muḥammad Dārā Shikōh ibn Shāh Jahān pādshāh-i ghāzī sannah 1056”
This precious volume was given to his dearest intimate friend Nadira Banu Begam by Muhammad Dara Shikoh, son of Shah Jahan Emperor (1056-1646–47)
History, especially Mughal history, is replete with umpteen episodes of extravagant declarations and gestures of love, the most famous being the Taj Mahal. Besides the Taj Mahal, there were several other examples of grand gifts which Mughal Emperors and Princes presented to their spouses. The Dara Shikoh Album was one such gift that Dara Shikoh presented to his wife Nadira Banu Begum.
Dara Shikoh was the eldest son and the heir apparent of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. He was an aesthete, an erudite scholar, and a man of several intellectual pursuits. He was betrothed to his cousin Nadira Banu Begum, the daughter of his paternal uncle Sultan Parvez Mirza. They were married on 01 February 1633 in an extravagant wedding. In 1641-42, Dara Shikoh presented his “dearest intimate friend” and “wife” with an Album that was a collection of both paintings and calligraphy assembled by him. The Album also contained the aforementioned inscription of dedication to his wife, which was composed by Dara Shikoh himself.
The Dara Shikoh Album is one of the few Mughal albums with its original miniatures, calligraphy, and original covers that has survived. Currently, the Album consists of 74 out of 81 folios, of which 68 are paintings. The subject matter of the paintings varies from teenage princes and princesses to holy men, flowers, and birds. As is with most Mughal Albums, the paintings are arranged in facing pairs within gold-painted borders and bound in tooled and gilt covers. However, five folios of the Album are reported to be missing. The speculation is that the missing folios contained Dara Shikoh’s own calligraphy or information associated with him. The outer floral boundaries have also been interspersed with paintings of different insects like the dragonfly, amongst others. In Mughal India, Art, Culture, and Empire, it has been argued that the several princely figures represented in the album were actual representations of a young Dara Shikoh at the ages of 15-18.
The sons of Shah Jahan were embroiled in an intense fratricidal war, in which Dara Shikoh met a tragic end. After the painful demise of Dara Shikoh, the Album was handed over to Jahanara’s librarian, Pariwash. Further, in Aurangzeb’s attempt to wipe out Dara Shikoh’s name from the pages of history (quite literally), the inscription was painted with a coat of gold paint. However, with time, the paint faded away, and Dara Shikoh’s inscription shone through.
The location of the Album was unknown throughout the 18th century. Later, the Album resurfaced and was found to be in the possession of Lt. Charles Forn, of the 6th Regiment of Vellore. It was subsequently purchased by the India Office Library, now known as the British Library.
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