Mughal painting declined under Aurangzeb’s reign, as he opposed artistic representation due to his religious beliefs. Thereafter, in the reigns of the later Mughals, the best works imitated the style as it had existed during Shah Jahan’s reign, but the style dwindled in innovation and mastery. Genre scenes became popular. Bahadur Shah I (1707–12) and Muhammad Shah (1719–48) briefly reintroduced formal patronage, but Nadir Shah’s raid of Delhi in 1739 displaced artists. Mughal painting continued to decline, and creative activity ceased during the reign of Shah Alam II (1759–1806).
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