The Art of the Gurkanis: Myths, Masnavis, and Miniatures

Illustrated lecture by Ritika Kochhar, author, art writer, and founder of ArtRadio, a platform dedicated to engaging audiences with art history and culture through podcasts, masterclasses, and curated walthroughs

Chair: Shri Sohail Hashmi

This lecture will focus on the rich tradition of miniatures from Timur to Bahadur Shah Zafar II (focussing mostly on Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Mohammad Shah Rangila, Shah Alam II and BSZII), especially the mythological narratives, and masnavis, or poetic epics, under Akbar. Also the Gulshan Album that Nadir Shah carried away and the famous artists that worked in the royal tasvir khana. It will highlight how these artworks not only served as historical documents but also as expressions of cultural and spiritual imagination in the Mughal era.