Famous Books During the Mughal Empire: Quick Facts

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Mughal gouache painting on paper (c. 1740, Murshidabad school, heightened with gold): elderly bearded teacher in white robes seated on terrace instructing young princess in red-gold attire practicing calligraphy, with two princes and lady-in-waiting around ink pot and writing tools, blue-green background.

Traditional Indian miniature painting showing a prince arriving by boat with attendants and elephants to visit the poet-saint Tulsidas, who is seated and teaching disciples near a riverside pavilion, while multiple narrative scenes unfold in palace courtyards above.

Mughal miniature painting showing Brahmin priests performing a fire sacrifice around a ritual altar as the warrior Dhrishtadyumna emerges from the flames in armour, while attendants and observers gather inside a pavilion.

Mughal Emperor Akbar receives the Akbarnama

Open manuscript of the Ain-i-Akbari from c. 1822, showing two richly illustrated pages with Mughal-style miniature paintings one depicting a royal figure on horseback with attendants, and the other showing a figure riding an elephant framed by ornate gold decorative borders.

Mughal miniature painting showing Emperor Jahangir weighing Prince Khurram on a ceremonial balance during his sixteenth birthday celebration, surrounded by courtiers and attendants

Mughal miniature painting showing Emperor Shah Jahan seated on a balcony in a richly decorated palace, receiving courtiers and nobles gathered below in an imperial court scene.

Open manuscript pages of Majma-ul-Bahrain by Dara Shikoh, showing handwritten text from the manuscript collection of the Victoria Memorial.

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