Iconographic Analysis of Jahangir Shah and Malik Ambar Portraits

Abstract
Jahangir Shah, the fourth Mughal emperor is among the Gorkani kings, whose portrait was drawn by prominent Indian painters such as Manohar Das, and Abu'l-Hasan as a great ruler. Among them the portraits of Jahangir Shah and Malik Ambar are considerable. In this portrait, Jahangir is depicted on the globe, which is placed on a cow-fish; Considering that Abu'l-Hasan has addressed mythological and symbolic icons, this research seeks to address mythological narratives and symbolic signs in the portrait of King Ambar and the signs they are implying. This research aims to interpret and comprehend the meaning behind the portrait; so, a descriptive-analytical method based on the idea of Emile Male has been adopted. The research data have been collected based on the library method. The research findings show that Jahangir Shah as a ruler who tried to establish peace, justice, and balance on the earth. In contrast, Malik Ambar is a person whose destruction brought peace on earth and justice. Jahangir Shah on the right side and Ambar on the left side, together with birds and symbolic motifs adjacent to the figures have increased the expression of this meaning.
 
1. Introduction
Among the significant eras in Islamic miniature the time of the Indian Mughals, known as Gorkani painting is a prominent era. The style of Jahangiri is one of the significant miniature styles of this era.
This style is an eclectic mixture of European, Hindu, and Iranian styles that became popular during the time of Jahangir Shah (Haghayegh et al., 2019: 48). Among the remaining painting works of this time, there are many Muraqqa and separate painting works that depict the happenings of that time together with the portrait of Jahangir shah; it is because Jahangir shah was very interested in portrait-painting style and the painters in his court had tendency to draw allegorical portraits of him. In his portraits drawn by Manohar, despite the real figure of Jahangir, there is a sense of spirituality as well (Sayari, Madani, 2017: 101).
Abu al-Hasan has also shown a sense of superiority and spirituality in the portraits of Shah Abbas and Jahangir. In the portrait of Jahangir and Malik Ambar, the painter by depicting Jahangir on the earth, which is placed on the mythological figure of a cow-fish, angels among the clouds, and birds on both sides of the painting, he has implied an event or happening. Considering the use of mythological and symbolic signs in this portrait by Abul Hasan and indicating the research aim to comprehend the hidden meaning in this work, this study tries to comprehend these symbolic signs in the portrait of the death of King Amber to elucidate what they are implying.
1.1. Research Methodology
The research is based on a descriptive-analytical method, which is a qualitative and fundamental type of study in terms of purpose. The data have been collected based on documentary and library methods. In this study, the portrait is initially described in detail, and the reliable documents related to each part have been extracted following it. finally, the implication meaning in this portrait is obtained by putting each separate meaning together.
2. Discussion
The research body pointing to the content of the portrait represents the destruction of Malik Ambar by Jahangir Shah. However, there is no reliable document related to the killing of Malik Ambar by Jahangir in any written historical text. According to the existing documents related to the icons, it seems that the portrait is representing a kind of Jahangir's dreams or wishes.
Jahangir by asking to draw this portrait was trying to show Malik Ambar as a humble person, whose removal would bring balance and peace to the earth. In the mentioned painting, Jahangir is placed on the earth, in which the domestic and wild animals together refer to the peace and security of the earth. In mythology, the placement of the earth on the cow-fish refers to the balance and sequence of day and night, so the presence of Jahangir on this globe while pointing to Malik Ambar, and when there is peace in the world indicates that the removal of the Ambar represents the balance on the earth.
Jahangir, by giving himself this name, which means capturing the world, considered himself as one of the world rulers and the founder who conquered the world, therefore, in most of his portraits he is either holding the earth or is placed on it. The presence of the eight-feather seal coupled with his family title indicates that he had the royal crown like his ancestors, which is a confirmation of his kingdom. The presence of two birds on top of the portrait near him can also refer to the soul of his ancestors, especially by pointing to the other two birds that are linked to Malik Ambar.
The birds that point to the soul of Malik Ambar are species of Owls, which indicates that he had no relation with luminosity and humanity, and represent the blackness and darkness of his soul.
Moreover, the angels on the top of the portrait in the clouds who are giving Jahangir Shah a sword and a bow, point to his pure essence and behavior. Angels have also assisted him in destroying Malik Ambar by giving him tools to fight evil and enemies. At the bottom of the gallows, a gun has been shown, which points to the bloody mood of Malik Ambar, in comparison with the bow and sword of Jahangir. Moreover, the scales at the bottom of the picture, where the verbal icons refer to both the humbleness of Malik Ambar and the balance of the earth on the cow-fish, all indicate that the killing of Malik Ambar can establish justice in the world.
Furthermore, cold weapons such as arrows, bows, and swords given by angels to Jahangir in comparison with the hot weapons (guns) of Malik Ambar can indicate the bloody mood of Malik Ambar. Therefore, all the icons in the portrait imply a concept that is useful for achieving the final meaning.
3. Conclusion
The remaining icons from each time can express the ruling thought of it. To understand this thought, Emile Male extracted the icons in pictures, and then by finding the meanings and merging the concepts, he could comprehend the whole idea behind it. In the target portrait, with figures of Jahangir Shah and Malik Ambar, the interpretation of icons for getting the whole meaning based on the previous research shows that such an event has never happened. However, according to the text of Jahangirnama, it can be said that Jahangir hated Malik Ambar.
Therefore, it seems that the artist, according to the ideas of Jahangir and based on the common ruling thought of that time, has created a miniature painting to show Ambar as a sinister and pessimistic person. For this purpose, the miniature painter used the Owl bird as a symbol for representing the soul of Ambar, and on the other hand, he depicted fortunate and good symbols for Jahangir. Moreover, he has shown Ambar with a hot weapon that can destroy the world, while Jahangir has a cold weapon for destroying Malik Ambar.
By using symbols such as cow-fish and the earth under the feet of Jahangir, Abul Hasan was trying to depict him as a necessity for this balance, and it is supposed that it happened when Malik Ambar was removed from the earth. Finally, according to the interpretations, it can be said that the removal of Malik Ambar and overcoming him was among the wishes of Jahangir Shah.
Since this incident did not happen during his time, drawing this picture can imply his struggles against Ambar, or a painting just for portraying the wishes and desires of the king.
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URL
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/454788. Access date 1/1/2023
https://indianexpress.com/article/research/malik-ambar-aurangabad-mughals-jahangir-akbar-shivaji-6397143. Access date 1/1/2023