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·Painting As A Source of
Rajasthan History
Dr RAM PANDE
Jaipur Publishing House
SMS Highway, JAIPUR (ladla)

·Proceedings of Seminar held on Painting As a Source of
Ilfstory of Rajasthan at Jaipur on 7 8 January 1984
under the auspices of Shodhak
Published in October 1985
Second Reprint March 1988 by
Ram Chander Agarwal
JAIPUR PUBLISHING HOUSE
SMS Highway Jaipur
Price Rs 100 00 in India
Printed at
Rajendra Printers
Tilak Nagar Jaipur 302 001
INDIA

·CONTENTS 1 9 Ram Pande PL Chakravarty & Vijal Komar 31 Asol homar Das 35 Rita Pratap 47 Ram Vallabh Somani 59 VS Bhatnagar 61 Jyotsna Pande 63 From the Pen of the Editor 2 Paintings As A Source of Rajasthan History (Introductory) 3 Early Paintings of Rajasthan As Revealed by Archacological Sources 4 Glimpses of Social Life As Depicted by A Group of Jaipur Drawings of Ordinary People 5 Mughal Painting and its Interaction with Rajasthani Painting and Emergence of the Jaipur School 6 Mewar Painting As A Source of History 7 Painting As a Source of History of Rajasthan Its limitation 8 Goverdhan Wall Painting as a Source of Bharatpur History 9 Wall Paintings Their Scientific Conservation 10 Military System of Rajputana States 11 The History of the Game of Chaugan in the State of Amber Jaipur Specially as Evidenced from a study of Paintings 12 Mural Tradition in Shekhawati Facets of Cultural Data 13 Historical Personages--Murals of South East Rajasthan 14 Vaishnavism as the Source of Pictorial Tradition in Rajasthan 15 Tribal Wall Paintings Perimeter of History and Culturc Hot Chand 64 Ram Pande 69 Yaduendra Sabal 73 Viſai Skankar Srivastava 78 BMS Parmar 85 Ram Pande & Jagatoaralo 92 Veerbala Bhaysar 96 ·Semibar on Painting As A Source of History of Rajasthan List of Participants Shri RC Agarwal Director (Retd) Archaeology & Museums Govt of Rajasthan Jaipur 2 Km Veerbala Bhavsar Dept of Drawing & Paintings University of Rajasthan Jaipur 3 Dr V S Bhatnagar Reader in History Uny of Rajasthan 4 Shri PL Chakravarty Director Archaeology & Museums Rajasthan Jaipur S Shri Ashutosh Dadhich Univ Dept of History Jaipur 6 Dr Asok Kumar Das Director SMS II Museum Jaipur 7 Shri Heera Lal Deopura Revenue Minister Ras Jaipur 8 Shri B Hooja Unjara Gardens Jaipur 9 Dr Hot Chund Sr Chemist Archaeology & Museums Govt of Rajasthan Jaipur 10 Shri C S Mehta Head of Univ Dept of Drawing & Paintings Jaipur 11 Shri I S Mehta Uniara Gardens Jnipur 12 Smt Bimla Mishra Dept of Drawing & Paintings Univ of Raj Jaipur 13 Dr Jyotsna Pande B 424 Malviyanagar Jaipur 14 Dr Ram Pande 3/10 Gandhinagar Jaipur 15 Shri BMS Parmar Registering Officer kota 16 Smt Rita Pratap E 268 Gretar Kailash Pt I New Delhi 17 Shri HS Ramani Secretary Culture Govt of Raj Jaipur 18 Dr Sadhna Rastog Govt College Kotputli 19 Dr Jagat Nurun Govt College hota 20 Shri Y duendra Sahar Keeper SMS II Museum Jaipur 21 Shri R D Sharma Punjab University Chandigarh 22 Honbate M L Shrimal Chief Justice Sikkim High Court Gangtok 23 Dr Sangram Singh Nawalgarh House Jaipur 24 Shri R V Somanı Kalyanji ka Rasta Jaipur 25 Shri Vijay Kumar Supdt Excavations Directorate of Archaeology & Museums Ra) Jaipur 26 Shri Vijai Shankar Srivastava Deputy Director Archacology & Museums Raj Jaipur 27 Dr R.K Vashishiba Univ Dept of Drawing & Paintings Jaipur ·From the Pen of the Editor Painting is supreme amongst all the arts and it reflects the best expression of the mood of man Rajasthan is surprisingly rich in the pictorial tradition beginning from prehistoric days It has practi cally a continuous story as revealed from painted potsherds uncarthed from the womb of earth followed by prehistoric rock shelters with paintings illustrated manuscripts miniatures and the painted walls of temples havelis and cenotaphs of the late period Their discovery preservation and interpretation is the need of the day so that various facets of our cultural and aesthetic life can be unfolded They are untap-d source material of our history which need investigation and analytic study The strokes of early man tell the story how he evolved a happy but a struggled life amidst the scenic nafura) surrounding The illustrated manuscripts have preserved vast material with literary and cultural data The aesthetic aspiration of the artist reached its zenith in Rajasthani paintings both in miniatures and murals The tremes cover a vast canvas and assume wider dimensions The beauty of the female forms attracted the painter most Ladies in their various moods hunting sports past times of the royalty the glamour of darhar mehfil und harem pictorial delineation of the religious themes Ragamala and Barahmasa became the favourite subjects of the artists The mural tradition as preserved in Rajasthan belonging to 17 19 cent AD is rich repertaire of source material for the study of the contemporary religious social and economic life Most of the ancient and medieaval trade routes lay through the lands of Rajasthan Generally point lost sight of continuous trade and cultural movement in the large segement of Asia and some parts of Europe between 12th to 17th centuries influenced the course of Rajasthani Painting and glimpsod like an inter national movement which demostrates the inter national brotherhood co Operation and religious tolerance This aspect need to be studied afresh The seminar organised last year by Shodhak probed seriously on these aspects and the papers presented indeed brought to light facts

·(6)
hitherto unknown If the proceedings which is in your hands inspire
the researchers art historians and connoisseurs for further investiga
tions our labours will be rewarded We are grateful to the authorities
of the ICHR New Dlhi for some financial assistance made available
to us for convening the seminar on such a lively topic Participants
deserve all commendation for the active cooperation rendered by them
We are also grateful for cooperation guidance and concrete suggestions
to make these proceedings more valuable and educative to Sarvashri
Dr A K Das (Director SMS II Museums Jaipur) Shri Vijay Shankar
Srivastava (Deputy Director Archaeology and Museums Rajasthan
Jaipur) And Shri PL Chakravarty (Director Archaeology &
Museums Rajasthan Jaipur) deserves special thanks to spare the
auditorium of his department to hold the seminer
-Ram Pande
यया सुमेरु प्रवरा नगाना
यथाण्इ जाना गरुड प्रधान
यथा जनाना प्रवर क्षितीश
FITT FATATUE 197979 11
-facertat, ili az, X/111/39
As Sumeru is the chief of the mountains
As Garuda is the chief of those bornout of eggs
As king is the chief of men
Even so in the world is the practice of Painting
The chief of all arts
केसव कहि न जाय क्या कहिए
देखत तब रचना विचित्र हरि समुझि मन हि मन रहिए
सुन मीति पर चित्र रगतन बिनु सिखा चितरे
-आचाय केशवदास

·பாக

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·Paintings As A Source of Rajasthan History Art in general and pictorial art in particular, constitutes an Important source of Rajasthans history The forms and styles of art hd changed from age to age all of them exhibit a process of evolution in their successful stages and supply to a certain extent a solution to most of the cultural social aad some times (also) political problems As far as Rajasthan is concerned pictorial art material available in rock shelters from the Chambal and the Banas river beds most of them now falling within the present state of Madhya Pradesh but forming part of the undivided westem India supply us interesting pictorial art material for knowing the life of the nomadic early man All the early murals in rockshelters present in them hunting scenes and mostly wild animals which were hunted by the esly man The rural economy of those days furced the use of only ochre colour by the painters a painting on the walls of rockshelters These primitne drawing exhibit in them the artistic sense of the artist attempting these aiurals Days and years rolled by and male ard female figures also begati to be painted on walls und besides ochre colour other calaurs were also used in some rock shelters Most of these paintings m rock sheiters belong to the proto historic period The tradition of painting is of boary antiquity in Rajasthan In a recent paper Girija humar has listed more than hundred painted rock shelters in east south and south east Rajasthan samely in the ser valleys of Parvati Parwan Chambal Darrah and Alanja Paipied potsherds dating back to the age of Harappan culture have been discoverd in Lalibangan and Pilibangan in northwest Rajasthan Though SI IS neither possiblc nor probable to use these wealth of material for Teconstruction the artistic and cultural history of Rajasthan they Deveriheless throw valuable light on the early inhabitants of the State, the cavironment in which they lived and their cultural as well as ·10 Paintings As A Source commercial) contacts with the adjacent regions of central Asia and eastern Middle East Art and archaeology go hand in hand in ancient times histoty, a study of rock-shelter murals at Bhimbethka Raisin Kharvarı Satkunda Narwar Chikioo Jawara Malkhar Childant Mori Ledare shwar Hinglajgadha Sita Khardi Alania and Darrah etc shows that both green and ochre colours were used paintings We learn from the subject portrayed in the murals that when the wild animals became strong the archer or the hunter also gained prominence and that is why different types of bous and arrows with their users got prominence in society This is boro-out from the depictions in rockshelters of mesolithic age In this evolutionary age society produced dances and group dancing became popular Not only did community dancing become popular but social rejoicings also gained ground The growing trend of the society can be studied from the ornaments used by women of those days which are depicted in murals These ornaments consist of armlets anklets necklaces etc The face was also dyed and tattooed We get from Javara Malkhar a milkmaid with a milk pitcher on her head besides a bone figure of a mother goddess As a result of excava tions from some of the aforesaid sites we get alongwith stone imple ments stoners of green colour also which were piobably powdered for being used in the execution of murals in rock shelters To the late mesolithic age belongs another goddess figure of bone which is very artistically executed We get from trench III E 2 at Bhim Bethka a fairly good idea of a bow carrier dance with a beautiful head dress the type which is not found any where else The dancer s head has a deer s face This figure is in the midst of wild animals like bull buffalo fish sambhar etc Probably the dancer depicted with them acted as their god An artistic study of the rock shelter murals Jeads one to believe that in the society of these days artist had attained aesthetic sense in attempting muurals Before 2500 BC the art of etching was in practice in this area In the mesolithic age the colours used were mostly white and red But in the fate mesolithic age green and light green colours were profusely used The depictions of this age were not only good in composition but also had force in the movement of lincs The ground was so well pajated that the composition did not lose balance or proportion when the drawings were attempted on them in colour

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·12 Paintings As A Source The excavations at Ahar revealed unpainted black and red blotchy grey and the red slipped with variations like orange tan and chocolate painted black on red black and red the lustrous red and blotchy grey wares The decoration in the pottery at Ahar was painted, Incised and applied The painter at work in pot decoration indulged in strokes lines line spitals wavy lines hatched diamonds and banners in some and in the black painting on red ware he used only hands wavy lines and loops The discovery of painted pottery from the pro historic and historical sites as a result of excavations rescal the use by people of the black and red ware the painted grey ware and the northern black polished ware As these types of pottery could not de produced uniess these were in demand by the then public and the artist working at such pots was keen to cater to the zesthetic sense of the people by providing them artistic things of darly use we would not have found from Noh Jodhpura etc such coloured pot sherds in a furly large quantı y These pot sherds when studied in the context of the social and econo mic conditions of the people of times lead us to think Rajasthan s cottimon man was progressing towa ds an enlightened society and the economic condition of Rajsthan of those days was improving day by day From Maltasar Sambhur where excavations were conducted by DR Sahnı we get such pottery pieces are having on them floral patterns in relief having glazed paint of various colours on hem These pot sherds studied in the context of associated objects belong to the Gupta period of Indian History Thus through the medium of coloured pottery of daily use the artist of Rajasthan served the society and moved with the growing artisic trends All these presupposes the econo mic prosperty of the people of Rajasthan during the Gupta period which has been called the Golden Age of Northern India The existence of quite a good number of illustrated palm leaf and paper manuscripts in the manuscript libraries of Rajasthan ranging from the 11th century is a proof of the fact that artistic activity in Rajasthan existed even when different Rajput principalities had their roots in Rajasthan The social and economic life of the people in the early medieval medieval and post medieval Rajasthan can be deduced from study of illustrated manuscripts and the illustrated book covers in a fairly intelligble manner when we find that the manuscripts which have Jaina themes in them were pot attempted under royal patronage but in Jasna temples ·13 Rajasthan History and upasaras which were maintained with the funds of the Jainas who were the commercial magnates of Rajasthan the social and economic life of the people in those days can be studied on the basis of the flora and fuuna depicted in the background of the illustrations and book covers preserved in the grantha bhandaras Actual examples of paintings earlier to the cl venth century have not been found though the tradition of painting was very much in Togue in Rajasthan Several manuscripts from the eleventh century and onward contained descriptions of painting and notes on their technique and materials The carliest materials in this regard are found in two palm leaf manuscripts Ogha Niryukti and Dasa Vaikallka Sutra Churni in the Jaisalmer Jaina Bhandar both dated 1117 V S(1080A D) Similar painted wooden book covers containing figures of divinities, floral and bird animal motifs ind portraits of celebrited Jaina teachers have been found in different manuscript depositoras (nina bhandaras) belonging to the 12th century Several of these were painted at Ajmer Pali and Abu Contemporary literary works are elequent about the existence of painting on the walls of palaces of Prithviraja Chzuhan of Ajmer who died in 1192 AD In the following century Abu and Ahar became important centres of paintings and the Ms of Savaha padik kaman sutta churnl of 1317 VS (1260 AD) is regarded as one of the earliest examples of the flourishing school of Mewar We find also unity in diversity in the field of culture when we compare the ilustrations in the earliest Jain manuscript Oghaneryukta Vritti of the Jain Grantha Bhandara or Jaisalmer with the illustrations in the Pali and Nepalese manuscripts dealing with Buddhist themes, where in the human figures the flate f..ce and the clongated eyes do not find a place in them The Bhagwati Sutra of the same library Savaga Padamakramana Sutta Churni (now in the Boston Museum) Supaspaba Chariyam and others also give us a clear picture of the medieval society of Rajasthan by depicting human faces with the costumes representa tive of the same age The use of dark red yellow gold silver bule etc by the artists (after having prepared them with earth colour materi als of Rajasthan) in all the illustrated manuscripts is indicative of the economic wealth of Rajasthan and its easy availablity to the artist for being used in illustrating the manuscripts the paper of which was also band made and was manufactured in Rajasthan itself Shodhak ·Paintings As A Source Basıl Gray writing introduction for Rajput Paintings of the Faber Gallery of Oriental Art mentions Dr AK Coomaraswamy s book on Rajput paintings the later defined his subject as the Hindu painting of Rajputana and the Panjab Himalays -adding' Ryyput painting in the counterpart of the vernacular literature of Hindustan Basil Grays introduction is very important from our point of view to be quoted Rajputana is the nime of different princely units marked in Atlases and maps Rajput painting has a wider extension not only as Dr Coomaraswamy indicated to the north but also into Bundelkhand to the cast and in some degree to Gujarat in the south west It is characteristic of the areas under ibe rule of Rajputs the fighting and chuvalric class who kept Hindu civslization alive in northern India during the centuries of Muhammadan dominion which started with the invasion of Mohammed Bin Qasım and his rule in Sindh (7th century) The decay of the large Hindu Kingdoms of the Chalukyas in western India following the death of Vishandevi in 1261 and of kashmir in the north ra the twelfth century, led to the independence of a number of small Rajput states The Hill states of the western Himalayas were also ruled by Rajputs who originally came from the plans and acquired these lands by conquest Pohtical independence threw a greater cultural responsibility on all the Rajput rulers Their rule was patriarchal, based on the ownership of land and as in other feudal societies bards often succeeding father to son in regular heredity were maintained in the households and, in the same way we may suppose from the practice of later days painters Then in the fifteenth century two ibings revolutionized the practice of painting in northern India, these were the rise of varnacular Iiterature and the frequent use of paper This literature came into cxistence because as according to George Grierson the Sanskrit tradition had been broken with the destruction of the medieval Hindu kingdoms and the people were seeking their own religion and means of expression They found a teacher in Ramananda who early in the fifteenth century left his monastery to preach a new simple religion which could be understood by the common man His followers were known as the Liberated because they had thrown off the rigid doctrines of the orihodox Pandits Their influence spread all over northern India carried by itinerant poets who recited to the people in their own vernacular, stories from the legends of the Hindu maythology (Puranic) By ·15 Rajasthan History the sixteenth century the leaders of the movement were poets rather than reformers But the root of their influence lay in the appeal of the personal deity whom they celebrated whether it was Rama as in the new version by Tulsi Das (the Ramayana begun in 1574) or of Krishna as in the songs of Chaifinya (dc 1327) or of the Rajput princess Mira Bai The story of Rama and Sita had centuries before been carried to every corner of the world to which Indian influence reached and had been everywhere pictured in stone and lines but its true popularity only came to it in the vernacular Tuls. Das was looked up to by the greatest men of the itmes even at the court of the Mughal emperors and hrs Ramayana was known to everyone Many large series of paintings were made to illustrate it Beside the epic cycle of the heroism of Rama and the purity of Sita where developed at the same time the symbolic love story of Krishna and Radha as representing God and the soul or the active and passive elements The many songs on this there were on everyone s lips until their persons were accepted as the patterns of the ideal hero and heroine Consequently in northern India in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries it is not generally the stories of Krishan s pranks as a child (afterwards so favourite a theme with the Paharı artists) as much as his love for Radha anatomized in a medieval way which found expression in so many pictures and poems For that the verse describes the picture both express the sentiment (rase) of the moment chosen Such subjects were systematized especially by the poet Kesava Das of Orchha in Bundelkhand in his Rasika priya (finished in 1591) A nearly contemporary manuscript with illustrations has survived till today The author & patron was Raja Indarjit Singh Bundela ruler of Orchha and it has been suggested that the manuscript was copied in Bundelkhand but of this there is no evidence for kesaya Das had a high reputation all over northern India The miniatures in this manuscript forty four of which are known mostly now preserved in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, have the cool colouring and preference for full profile which are typical of the Mughal school at the beginning of Jahangir s reign (1605 27) but retain the simple compositions on a single plane which are charac- Shodhak ·16 Paintings As A Source teristic of the western Indiun medieval chool principally known to us through the considerable body of Jain manuscript illustrations from Gujarat Several scholars in India and in the West have made const derable study of this Gujarati school and have published enough examp les to give a good idea of its character range and development from the early palm leaves of the first half of the twelfth century to its extinction in the Mughal period This school was at its height about the middle of the fifteenth century but it survived so strongly into the Mughal period that Akbar found the best of the artists recruited to his library to be Gujaratis Special economic conditions rather than any religious movement account for the relatively large number of late medieval illununated manuscrips from Gujarat namely the existence of a wealthy middle class as patrons and the constant intercourse by trade with Pers through the port of Broach supplying examples of Persian manuscripts Very little Rajput paintings now known to survive can even tentatively be put earlier than 1600 AD There is in fact on dated document but it is permisible to accept a late sixteenth century date for a small group of paintings which exhibit stylistic similarities with a seres of illustrations to a Gujarati munuscript dated 1591 AD The most important from this point of view are some pictures illustrating the Gita Govinda (in the NC Mehta collection and desribed and illustra ted by him in JISOA XIII) In brilliance of colouring and decisive draughtsmanship ncarer to the older Gujarati school of the fifteenth and early sixteenth century are some illustrations to the love story Chaura prackasika of the poet Bilhan? These show a more skilful hand a greater range both of colour and of composition They have to the full of the old western Indian liking for textile designs and pleasure in transpa rent dr-pery But they have a dance rhythm unknown in Gujarat Connected with these are two series each of twelve pictures apparently treating themes connected with the twelve months now in the Lahore Museum Such subjects known as Baramasa were a favourite theme for poets especially in westera India and the pictures seem to llustrate some romantic poem rather than a seasonal sequence They are not so accomplished in drawing as the Chaura panchasika series but the compositions are more elaborate and the colouring less voilent The tension 13 relaxed and they correspond to a decorated prose style as against a strict verse formi Probably rather later but still connected with this group are two lyrical pictures illustrating ·Rajasthan History 17 Krishna Lili themes in the Boston Museum Collection Their affinities with the well documented manuscripts of Gujarat are not so close as the Uttaradhyana Sutra of 1541 AD but are sufficient to justify a general attrsbution to a western rather than a northern Rajput school Sixteenth century Rajput painters contributed an important clement in the formation of the Mughal style little attempt has been made to trace in their work the style which they themselves hid pract ised before entering the Mughal court library Unnoticed scenes as that here reproduced (Fig 2) afford some evidence for the style of Rajput Fig 2 A village scene of Late 16th Century painting in the third quarter of the sixteenth century from Hamza- Nama an Islamic heroic story This is a village scene two girls drawing water from the well are wholly Rajput in costume hair dressing and in Shodhak ·Paintings As A Source style Painted on cotton about 1570 A D and a source for agrarian conditions of late 16th century Rajput painters who had worked for a time at the Mughal court and learnt some of the science of miniature painting developed in Persia must have returned to their homes and there produced such work as the illustrations to Rasıkapriya mentioned above More sign ficant for the future are the first Rajput Ragmala paintings which also dated about the period for these themes were to be the main works of the school during the whole of the seventeenth century Music and song and dance were intimately connected with the religious revival in which Chaitanya was a powerful influence in the early sixteenth century Rajput painting in the seventeenth century has formed as definite as those of the sonnet or the novel it portrays the states of love or the type of hero and heroine generally in illustration of theore tical or systematic poems treating of these themes but sometimes of lyrical poems like the Gita Govinda or the various seasonal love poems known as Baramsa Their most striking characteristics arc symbolism and rhythm As in most Oriental paintings gestures are the means of expression and colour combinations form the elements of composition Of the school of painting which flourished in the remote valleys of the western Himalayas we know little before the eighteenth century The only dated manuscript which is assigned to this area by document ary evidence is a Chittarasmanjan with colophon recording, that it was written for Raja Krapala of Basohls in vs 1752 (AD 1694) Dasohl 15 a small but ancient state whose history under its earlier name of Vellapur (also Vallabhpur) reaches back to the eleventh century With most of the other hill states st submitted to Akbar in 1590 during Zain Khan Koka s campaign The nett ruler Krishan Pa} who founded the old capital of Basohl in 1630 was imprisoned by Jahangir from 1614 27 During the height of the Mughal painting school all the Hill Rajas were in frequent touch with the Imperial court as a result of Albar s polscy of bostages and service in the Imperial army and administration this way their court painters were as likely to see examples of Mughal painting as were those working at the more important courts in the plain it is therefore at present not possible to say where were produced the few half Mughal series of minatures of the earlier seventeenth century which are at present known Two conclusions may be suggested about the carly bistory of ·19 Rajasthan History Rajput painting first that in the seventeenth century the style of the Hills represented by the Basohls school and that of the Plains were not very far apart Some updated B150hlı miniatures in the William Rothen stein Collection in Lahore Museum the Tagore Collection elsewhere (Fig 3) are in a strongly individual style, rich and pompous IT Fig 3-A Situation in spite of the monotony of composition and lack of suppleness These too are comparable in their simple colour scheme their delightful use of transparent texules and above all in their dramatic quality to the Ragnala paintings of the Plain Without going as far as NC Mehta who suggested that the Gujarati school had a wider geographral extension to include much of Rajputana, it can be admitted that he is surely right in saying that the evolution of Rajput painting is vitally connected with the older tradition of Gujaratı paintings The course we have followed would suggest that the Gujarati School 3s 10 fact, only the most flourishing branch of the northern Shodhak ·Paintings As A Source 20 India paintings in the fifteenth and carly sixteenth century and secondly, that it served as a bridge for the introduction to Rajputana to certain Persian elements in all the work considered so far the influence of Mughal painting is superficial and subordinated to the native tradition The bards of Rajputana had long celebrated the deeds of the reigning families of the several states before the practice of portraiture was learnt from the Mughal court (FIE 4 und) One of the painting (Fig 4) is about State Procession of a Rajput Raja of Rajasthani School Fig 4-Royal Procession of about 1760 This painting was formerly in the collection of the well known Indian civil servant and historian HT Prinsep (1792 1878) and the identification of the subject as Bhim Singh of Judapur (1793 1803) attached 10 11 when cquired by the Muscum is presumably due to him Nevertheless it is unacceptable because the Raja s features bear no rescmblance to inscribed portraits of Bhim Singh and the turban which he used is not of the characteristic Jodhpurt shape 1 scems rather to belong to Bikaner but at present it is impossible to go further This is typical of the kind of state portrait in vogue at all the Rajput courts during the cighteenth century The pomp and the choice of equestrian representation arc copied directly from later Mughal imperial portraiture The artist changed the ſecling of the scence by climinating the crtensive landscape and arranging the figures more hierarchically The another painting (F18 5) is about a Raja carried in a statc Palkı painted in 1780 on paper compared to the last subject this portrait shows much less Mughal influence it is typical of the more ·21 Rajasthan History Fig 5-Raja in Palkı remote states such as Jaisalmer surrounded by the desart The paint ing is inscribed on the back with the name Son Singh but no Raja of this name is recorded His features resemble a portrait of Amar Singh of Jaisalmer and Son Singh might be the Painter The painting shows the mixture of familiarity and reverence so characteristic of Rajput sentiment Because it express this ancient sentiment it is more living and vigyrous than those dominated by Mughal example But it is not apparently until the eighteenth century that court scenes become one of the main themes of Rajput painting Dr H Goetz who has had opportunities of s udying the collections preserved in several of the State Treasures of Rajputana has stated that nowhere do these collections go back before 1700 and that in the firs half of the eighteenth c ntury the influence of the Mughal style is overwhelmingly strong both at Jaipur and Jodhpur There is also a general Mughalization of Ragmala paintings after 1/25 superseding the older Rajput style and it can be concluded from them as from the portraits in the early years of the eighteenth century that Mughal example was everywhere in the Plains the model which all followed just as it was in architecture It has been suggested that this was due to the bigotry of Aurangzeb driving many of the best Mughal Artists from the Imperial court to take service in the provincial courts Shodbak ·22 Paintings As A Source But there is little evidence from the paintings the niselves to support this view The chinge in style is never so complcte nor the finished so competent as to suggest that they were actually the work of Mughal artists The recent discovery of Rasikashtara by some scholars in the collection of Agarchand Nahta which is an illustrated manuscript attempted in Mewar on a non Jaina subject is indicative of the fact that the society of the 15th century patronised such secular subjects for being illustrated in manuscripts This was the result of the royal patronage afforded by Maharana kumbha to the artists of Mewar Το the 16th century may be ascribed several murals in Mewar Dhundhar etc, which on the basis of their depictions give us a vivid picture of social and economic life of Rajasthan Scores of murals at Bikaner, hota Bund, Jodhpur Jaipur etc and also in Shekhawati area portrayed in them social life scenes from Rajasthan The techniques of execution of these paintings, being both fresco buono and fresco socco are indicative of the progressive social and economic life prevailing in the various parts of Rajastban The existence of thousands of miniature paintings in the museums of India and abroad and also with private art collectors is indicative of the fact that the royal patronage afforded to the artists in Rajasthan was adequate and it indirectly speaks well of the social and economic life of the people of those days Rajput power was considerably eclipsed by the devastating effect of sultan Alauddin Khilji s inroads in Rajasthan when Abu Jaisalmer Jalore Chittor and Ranthambhor were ransacked and a wide void was created in the artistic and cultural situation It took many decades of efforts to restore the earlier glory By the first quarter of the fifteenth century many manuscripts with profuse illustrations were prepared by the Rajasthani artists including a Supasanachariyam MS and a Gyapardava MS both painted at Delwara (Mewar) in 1485 VS (1428 AD) and a Rasıkastaka MS illustrated in Mewar by the orders of Maharana kumbha in 1492 VS (1432 AD) Several other MSS of the 15th and 16th centuries from the Mewar and adjacent regions have come to light including two Gita Govinda MSS our organisation Shodhak has listed all the knowo manuscripts and literary references pertaining to artistic contact of Mewar with Gujarat, Mandhu Jaunpur and Daulatabad ·Rajasthan History 23 With the meteoric rise of the Mughals in northern India the culture fabric of Rajas han underwent drastic change as the Rajput royalty and nobility came into close relationship with the Mughals and got first hand knowledge and experience of their traditional achievements in every branch of art and culture Thriving schools of art flourished in all the capitals of majore and minor Rajput states like Mewar Jodhpur Bikaner, Bundi hoti Amber Jaipur, Kishangarh, Alwar Jaisalmer etc Painting was regarded as an important and intimate part of Rajasthani culture Painters were kept readily at band to illustrate religious manuscripts for the kings private library, to portray the king hus favouritis his daily life, his pastimes and to depict romantic love as described in literature musical melodies and folk tales A large corpus of paintings in the forms of albums and illustrated manuscripts was carefully preserved in their libraries. In addition to these there were murals on the walls of palaces temples and havelis all over Rajasthan Painting was practised at village level in Rajasthan from the dawn of civilisation but the murals in palaces and shrines depict the classical tradition of painting as inno vated and perfected in the local courts of Rajasthan with their respective individuality and variety Fig 6 is a portrait from the wall of Kishan Chands Chatri Jaipur constructed in 18th century Fig 7 is also wall Pain'ing from the temple of Gopal Ganesh at Galtaji Jaipur Both the Portraits are exhibit of social and cultural life of 18th century Rajasthan Fig 6 Shodhak ·24 Pajotogs As A Source In the absence of securely dated and authenticated materials history 951 becomes as difficult as sailing in trochartered ocean in the context of Rajasthan history is an admixture of folk tales myths bardic hall truths and stories stesspessed solidly reliable m terials like epigraphs coins literary compositions archaeological remains Archival records and contemporary accounts. In such circumstances paintings fill up some vacum as they form secured visual records prepared by trained artists for appreciative and enlight cned patrons We had no idea or information regarding the cultural or artistic contribu 1107 of Mewar dursng the difficult years when the vale ant Rana Pratap and his son Amar Singh were defending their independence from repeated wives of Mughal attack The discovery of Dholz-Maru minuscript parated at Ahar near Udas pur in 1952 and a Ragamala Set painted at Chaw.nd in 1605 followed by other dated Fig 7 Ragamala and other sets from adjacent centres provided strong and jprefutable evidence to the existence of a thriving art as well as mura! and literary tradition in Mewar Similarly, the wall pamtings in the central baradart in the Mughal garden at Bairath and in the so called Bharmali Ki Chhatrı and Man Singh Palace at Anber provide authentic ·Rajasthan History 25 evidence to the existence of a growing art tradition intimately linked with Mughal painting in this region Recent discovery of a dated Ragmala series in formative Bundi style but painted at a place far away from its homeland has opened up a new vista in this regard The discovery of a Rasamanjari Ms of 1650 painted for a Rajput patron at Aurangabad or the recent finding of a Denmahatmya Ms painted at a place called Jaisinghpura in the pre Mughal style or three separate Bhagavata Purana sets (two of these are tentatively called the Isarda and the Palam Bhagavata Purana) in well marked carly Rajas hanı style, pomt out the importance of paintings in reconstructing the history of Rajasthan Suck examples can be multiplied as many dated materials with Rajasthani provenances have come 10 light in recent years Ragmala sets from Pali Sirohi Malpura Bhagavata Purana sets from Bundi, Kota and Jaipur etc have put these places in the artistic horizon of Rajasthan Apart from general indications regarding religious movements, economic prosperity and socio cultural development p intings provide us with a lot of information on people and places Rajasthant rulers were fond of pomp and pagentry Some of them commissioned parati ngs often claborate and complicated compositions showing them as holding colourful court celebrating festivals icading army or engaged in sports and hunting or falconing Very often these paintings contain elaborate inscriptions identifying the officials and princes and recording the dates as noticed in a group of highly interesting paintings of Mewar Similar compositions with Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh of Jaipur painted by Lal have also been found In Bikaner and Jaipur the painter very often recorded the name of the sitter as well as his own name The well known Jaipuri masters Sahibram and Ramjidas and a hord of famous ustads of Bikaner have carefully preserved for the possenty studies of high dignitaries as well as bumble folks like tajior trader carpenter dancer singer, instrument player holy men as well as themselves about whom we know too little or nothing from other sources Ramjidas s drawings and painted sketches alongwith numerous Olher examples by his fellow painters like Hira Govinda Sahibram etc act as a variable portrait gallery of courtiers princes add other Shodhak ·26 Paintings As A Source Visitors to the Jaipur Court We would not have known many of them but for their portraits, The portraits of musicians dancers and instru mentalısts give a visual record of the celebrated Gubijaokhana (depart ment of dance and music) of Jaipur From the illustrated minuscripts of Gita Govinda Bhagavata Purana Ramayana Davi Mahama ya Ragmala and other works prepared by the staff artists of Sawy Pratap Singh of Jaipur or the extraordinary sets of Raçmala Gita Govinda Ramayana etc prepared for Maharana Jagat Siagh of Mewar or similar profusion of illustrated MSS done during the reigns of appreciative patrons in Bundt Kota Kishangarh and Bikaner a whole range of socio cultural and religious details may be obtained Kish ngarh is a tiny state with no spectacular historical achievement but with its extraordinary painting style created by an unusually gifted painter and his circle its name is familiar to the students of Raj sthan History Similarly the thikanas of Devgarh Rajgarh Jhilar Ghanerao of Pali would have remained unknown to the people outside their periphery but distinct schools of paintings blossoming in these pluces make them conspicuous amongs numerous other thikanas spread all over Rajasthan The Rajasthani miniatures reflect in the details of Rajasthan 8 physical features, social customs dress and ornaments representing different strata of society (Fig 8 and 9) So far as the background of Rajasthani miniatures is con cerned the depiction of rivers anks pools hills hilltops rocky land flora and fauna of the region in the form of flowers and leaves of various kinds trees creepers and grass of diverse forms fish peacocks cuckoos pige ons elephants camels etc make one feel that Rajasthan 15 not a desert land altogether but also a gay land of nature The scenes depicted in the back ground of paintings contain D them banana lotus mango peepul banyan, Fug & Two Royal Young ladies Jodhpur ·27 Rajasthan History kadamba trees besides cloudy sky sky with lighten ing streaks rain drops water falls even land rows of swans lovely boughs of creepers deer skin etc There are palacial buildings with elaborate entrances arches etc and ordinary dwellings and buts made of clay and tiles in the buildings of rich people ornamental doors and windows with articles of luxury used by the occupants have been depicted So far the males and tbe females of then society go these paint Fig 9 ings present in them a very graphic description to enable a student of culture to know the aesthetic taste of the society and also to asses on its basis, the economic standard of the people during different periods of Rajasthan s history Among the male costumes the dress depicted chiefly of a long tunic (angarakhı), shoes (pagarakhi) turban (pagari) waist band (kamarband) Shawl (dupatta) jacket (sadarı) long shirt (kurta) along a piece of cloth around the waist and used also to cover the lower portion of the body (Dhus) and trousers (paijama) The decorative aids of males include pigments and dyes which consist of the tailak spot pastes between the brow chhap or sectarian marks The finger and toe nails also are depicted to have been dyed with henna on festivals The male jewellery as known from the paintings consisted of Sarpench and mala (which adorned the turbans) ear rings of gold (bala dus 250 bis bali) earrings (muiku), armlet (bhujaband) braceler (nara), waist band (Kanagtı) tora finger ring (mundarı or anguthi), turban pues (Kalangi or turra) The costumes of the ladies, colourful as these were without any exception represented in paintings are of variegated colours Such different types of art techoiques of dyeing and printing of cloth as are the envy and despair of the workers even to-day On the basis of different types of dyeing and printing depicted in the Shodhak ·28 Paintings As A Source dresses of the paintings we can have an idea of the various types of designs like pomcha dabka ko pilo dhanak chandon ka pila Lahariya dhani bhugara Samandat lahar etc Not only skirts (ghagharas) of various types were used by ladies but their blouses and bodices were also of different patterns All this is indicative of the changing fashion trends in social life and also of the economic prosperity confronting the periods to which the paintings of various sub schools belong The ladies jewellery as deduced from the paintings is rich both qualitatively and quantitatively Theis profuse use by ladies during the period to which the painting belongs speaks the peaceful atmosphere of the prevailing society of the time and also of Rajasthan s economic prosperity which was responsible for the roduction of pure gold Jewellery of various types in a fairely large quantity of the tvpical Jewellery pieces of Rajasthan a reference may be made of bidla bata birbali, peepul patta panchamanıyan gokhru hathphool etc The use of cosmetics by females is also evident from the miniatures Vermillion mark on the parting of the hair used only subsequent to marriage and di carded on becoming a widow mahavara on feet soles and toes collyum for eyes heena on fingers etc give us a fairly good idea of the social life of women in the postmedieval period in Rajasthan The paintings depicting Raga raginis barah masa and literary themes based on nayıkabheda etc (Fig 7) give us an insight into the social and economic life of Rajasthan Through the miniatures dealing with twelve calendar months the artist, by opting a theme in which a warrior with his horse saddled before leaving for the battle. field goes to his beloved to bid good bye is kept waiting for her consent the beauty and charm of every month of the year is depicted by the artist through his brush and colour in the background Though it is impossible to presume that a Rajput warrior ignored the call of duty in the face of the call of love and passion the artist very beautı fully has depicted not only the religious and other festivals of Rajasthan falling in various months but has also given an elaborate account of the customs and manners of Rajasthan Even in that set of baramasa where hrishna s arrival 15 awaited by the gopis the artist has described Rajasthan s social customs and manners with the help of his forcefut brush and colours In the Raga ragini miniatures through some of the tunes of Indian music like the Todi ragin Hindol raga Bharva raga, Asavari raga etc the painter depicted Rajasthan sfiora fauna society ·29 Rajasthan History etc on the basis of the typically dressed males and females in the background of traditional Rajasthan architecture the literary texts like the Gita Govinda, Panchatantra Biharis Satsai Rasika Priya of Keshava dasa etc forming part of depictions m Rajasthan, paintings in some of its sub schools find themselves illustrated in typical Rajasthani style of paintings and present an interesting study in them of Rajasthan s social and economic life Portraiture attempted by the artists of Rajasthan in the various sub schools the court scenes the hunting scenes etc in Rajasthani Puintings when studies in the contexe of Rajasthan s society during the later medieval period supply in them a fairly good source meterial for the study of social and economic life of the aesthetic trends of Rajasthan s society but also the economic achievements of people through the ages. Such examples can be multiplied for the future historians it is essential however to study these important materials purely as tools of history that would shed considerable light on the religious political, cultural, literary, artistic and social history of Rajasthan Notes 3 3 Girrij Kumar Painted Rock Shelters from Rajasthan Cultural Contours of India (ed) VS Srivastava Delhi 1981 277 285 BB Lal Kalibangan and Indian Civilisation, Essays in Indian Proto history (ed) DP Agrawala and Dilip Chakraborty, Delhi 65 97 YD Sharma 'From Kalibangan to Ropar Cultural Cont ours of India 17 24 Ramvallabh Somanı 'Early Evidence of Paintings from Rajasthan', Cultural Contours of India 286 291 Moti Chandra Jain Miniature Paintings from Western India Ahmedabad 1949 Muni Punyovijat Catalogue of Sansks and Prakrit MSS Jaisalmer Collection Ahmedabad 1972 Shridhar Andhare The Dhola Maru MS of the National Museum A consideration in style and date, Chhayı 2 Banaras 1981 298 300 Gopi Krishna Kanor An Early Dated Rajasthant Ragamala JISOA XIX, 1952 311 5 For a recent survey see Andrew Topsfield "Sabibdin s Gita Govinda illustration Chhavi 2 231 8 5 6 7 ·30 Paintings As A Source 8 hari khandalavals Wall paintings from Amber Delhi 1979 9 SC Welch and Milo C Beach Gods Thrones and Peacocks New York 1965 58 fig S R Shelton Shakhy Phul and the origins of Bundi Painting Chhayi-2 123 124 10 Saryu Doshi "An illustrated manuscript from Aurangabad dated 1650 AD , Lalit Kala No 15, 19 28 11 MC Beach Imperial Image Washington 1981 55 12 Karl Khandalavala and Jagdish Mittal The Bhagavata MSS from Palam and Isards A consideration of stylc Lalit hala No 16 28 32 13 Karl Khandalavala and Moti Chandra New Documents of Indian Painting A re appraisal Bombay 1969 14 Andrew Topsfield Paintings from Rajasthan in the National Gallery of Victoria Victoria 1980 9201 15 Asok K Das Mojatures Marg, Homage to Jaipur XXX 4 Y Sahai Sports and Pastime during the time of Sawai Ishwar Singh Cultural Heritage of Jaipur (ed)JN Aspa, Jaipur 1979 82 82 16 Asok A Das Ramjidas Chatcra An cighteenth century portrait painter from Jaipur Cultural Contours of India, 317 323 17 karl khandalavala Moti Cchandra and Pramod Chandra mjaia ture Paintings from the Sri Mott Chand Abajanchi collection Delhi 1960 53 55 fis 81 94 H Goetz Arand Architecture of Bikaner State Oxford 1950 18 AK Coomaraswami Catalogue of the Indian Collection in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Part V Rajput Paloting Boston 1926 19 Twelve Mughal Paintings of the School of Humayun 1921 20 Basil Gray on Origins of the Rajput Paintings Burlington Maga zine February 1948 21 AK Das Paintings As a Source of Cultural History of Rajasthan Shodhak Vol 12 Part A 1983 ·Early Paintings of Rajasthan As Revealed by Archaeological Sources -PL Chakravarty* & Vijai kumar** Early paintings of Rajasthan symbolise man s first artistic talent Outstanding pur historic paintings covering various stages of stone age and ranging between 30 000 BC to 3 000 BC have been discovered in different parts of Rajasthan particularly in hota Jhalawar, Bhilwara Chittorgarh Mount Abu Ajmer Sawai Madhopur and Bharatpur regions These paintings are definitely an important land mark in the cultural history of Rajasthan The paintings of deer buffaloes bears tigers fish geometrical designs and human figures have been executed with consummate skill The outline in many of the paintings had been done with red ochre and the inner part filled with white pigment In portraying buffaloes and other animals only red Ochre was used The front of the buffaloes are shown completely filled red pigment and the rear part of the body with strokes It is an attempt to portray the animal in a realistic manner Some paintings depicting deer are of very high quality and the artist seems to have been master of lines and expression One of the paintings preserved shows a deer standing in front of the fire and something possibly a long spear of shield placed in front of it Another important feature of these paintings is that inner parts of various animals are shown with geometrical designs resembling the famous Bhimbetka pain Iings of Madhya Pradesh This is also noteworthy that in some cases clear traces of the over painting noticed show the early man had been frequenting in these rock shelters either as a part of ritual or magic even he had changed his habitation from rock shelters. *Director & **Superintendent (Excavation) Deptt Museums Rajasthan Jaipur of Archaeology & Shodhak ·32 Paintings As A Source Now it is well known that a new and brilliant borizon has been presented to the history of paintings in Rajasthan by the epoch making discovery of the records of various protohistoric cultures at Ganeshwar (Sikar) halibangan (Ganga Nagar) Ahar and Gylund (Udaipur) Jodhpura (Jaipur) and Noh (Bharatpur) The ercivation at Ganeshwar datable to 30CO B C 2500 BC and comparable in importance to Harappan sites is the most promising settlement of the copper age yielding the rich gamut of painted pottery Ganeshwar pottery his considerably increased our knowledge about the technique and variety of painted motifs during the period under review These appear to have been executed with a bold hand The chief chara cteristic of the painting is the emphasis on the rim nech and shoulder as an the area for decoration in a few cases the painting extends below carination also A large number or them were painted in black with dots dashes and curves executed in white to highlight the black painted designs erecuted earlier The desigas listed so far show a preponderance of geometric motifs mostly consisting of volutes wavy lines obliques balls triangles and crosses as well as broad lands Mention may also be made of a row of designs like ribbon knots and floral motifs Although from Jodhpura (Jaipur) a wide range of copper age pottery have been discovered but the number of painted sherds is very limited here However the paintings discovered are quite akin to the Gageshwar tradition An in depth study of these paintings communi cate that Ganeshwar Jodhpura culture is an important contribution of Rajasthan to the world archaeology At Kalibangan (Ganga Nagar) enormous quantity of painted pottery datable between 2500 BC 1700 B C provides astonishiog data and materials for the study of pictorial art which reveal a developed phase of the art of high aesthetic merit distinguished by highly imagi native and naturalistic quality and marvellou> power of design and invention The paintings were drawn sa swift stapdash black lines show a mixtare of geometrical motifs cross lines scales chess board patterns row of dotted circles or of intersecting circles with almost naturalistic representations of leaves trees birds some times peacocks occasion ally, deer goats and jackals In the Mewur region a large number of early village forming settlements belonging to a culture named after its types at Ahar acar ·33 Rajasthan History Udaipur have been found in the valleys of the Banas and its tributaries Gilund (Udaipur) is another excavated site of this sulture There are several wares in the pottery of Ahar or Banas culture but most dist inctive in Black and Red Ware with profuse geometric decoration This pottery is delicately painted with dots oblique lines diamonds con centric lines in white in panels and otherwise There are certain liquid designs also such as wavy lines and spirals etc An important contribution in filling the gap between the end of the copper age culture and the beginning of full fledged iron age in northern India was the discovery of the Punted Grey Ware Culture (1100 B C 600 BC) at Noh (Bharatpur) Jodhpura and Virat Nagar (Jaipur) The culture is named after its distinctive ceramic which is of fine clay thin well baked and in grey colour with designs in black Since Painted Grey Ware and its association with the Mahabharata has become a subject of considerable significince its discovery in Ra,asthan is an important evidence in this context Jodhpura and Viratnagar from a part of ancient Matsyadesha while Noh represents the territory of Sursenas Both these regions are frequently mentioned in this epic As regards paintings it is generally executed in black or deep chocolate colours The brush used for painting in this ware is not very fine Strokes are thicker at the starting point and thiner towards the end In certain cases they are very thick groups of equal number of dots and parallel stroke which prove the use of multiple brush technique The painted designs in this pottery range from a simple band round the rim through a variety of oblique and criss cross Iines to more specialized designs such as a row of sigmas a chain of short spirals concentric circles semicircles intersecting circles and swastikas etc The discovery from Noh of a complete dish with beautiful design representing river pattern is very rare specimen A conical terracotta dice in Painted Grey Ware and so also the lid of the same ware with painted bird is also noteworthy Thus on the basis of above mentioned facts as revealed from archaeological excavations we can have an idea of the beginning of the tradition of paintings in Rajasthan As a matter of fact these early paintings of Rajasthan reveal religious parctices of ancient India which is represented by Swastika sun tree and river etc Certain secular designes are also executed in such a manner which need further interpretation Rajasthani painting durig Shodhak tela

·34
Paintings As A Source
the period under review is the only source together the knowledge of
aesthetic sense of the ancients
Notes
1
Prof VS Wakadkar and his students of Vikram University Ujjain
Shri OP Sharma Superintendent (Architecture Survey) Dr Satva
Prakash Giriraj Kumar Jagat Narain Harphool Singh Dhaka
Registering Officer (Antiquities) Archaeology and Museuns Jaipur
have discovered several hundred paintings in the rock shelters of
Rajasthan beside the authors
2
The important excavation expeditions 10 Rajasthan were conducted
under the guidance of Shri RC Agrawala, Prof BB Lal Shri
BK Thaper Dr HD Sankalia

·No text on this page.

·36 Paintings As A Source Akbari within a short period of time albums full of portraits were prepared for the emperor Jahangir was equally interested in portrait painting and had portraits of princes nobles and important people made for the royal muraqqa $ and the Jahangirnama 3 He went to the extent of sending one of his favourite painters Bishndas to Persi in order to bring authentic likenesses of the Persian Shah and members of his family and court. Amongst marginal decorations in the royal muraqqa s assembled for Jahangir pictures of ordinary people chaur-bearer wine boy gem cutter Jeweller sword maker book binder street vendor gardener juggler etc -have been noticed 5 But these are mostly nameless individuals whose identity has not been recorded for the posterity Though individual portraits of the royalty nobility intelligentia and theolo gists coming from the courts of Jahangir Shah Jahan Aurangzeb and the later Mughals are found in Jarge numbers the Mughal court painters have hardly paid any attention to the people engaged in ordinary professions The Kachchwaha rulers of Amber and Jaipur spent much of their time in the company of the Mughals-working in their courts and in distant provinces as governors and commanders The cultural norms of the Mughals were followed by the Rajput kings ind chiefs of the Punjab Hill states whenever these did not clash with their own norms and conventions - and painting was actively patronised by most of them & After the building of the brand new capital of Jaipur in 1727 32 the Kachchwaha rulers made ample and conscious efforts to Icave their mark on the cultural millieu by organising elaborate ateliers of karkhanas devoted to different forms of arts and crafts A large number of pain ters worked in the Suratkhada or the painting atelier of Jaipur and produced many paintings and illustrated manuscripts Apart from works of religious nature the painters produced albums of pictures of seasons months musical melodies erotic postures and above all por traits The Jaipur rulers Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I (1751 1767) and his second son Sawai Pratap Singh (1778 1803) took particular interest in painting and kept their Suratkhana humming with intense activity Painters like Sahib Ram Ramji Das 7 Rupa Govinda etc produced many paintings and book illustrations including large and superlarge size portraits of the reigning kings still adorning the audience chamber of the Chandra Mahal Palace (presently the Art Gallery of the Museum) ·37 Rajasthan History The drawings under discussion may be classified into three categories - formal portraits outline drawings of persons and small thumb nail portraits with the face fully painted and the rest of the body indicated in thin lines and faint colours & Head and shoulder busts in the style of English minittures hile not been found The printers generally depict their subject in profilc but with utmost care to make them throb with pulsating lip llis repertoire is limited small pieces of thin hand made paper generally of J..ipur origin soft and fine brush a limited pallet of limp black grey mouse pink green blue and white applied with great dexterity With his limited me ms lic renders such a wide range of subjects with a rare sensitivity and sub lc charm They all come out alive with the stamp of their individual character imprinted upon them Thes formal and informal portrait studies as stated earlier generally shinto the king and his court important officials visit ing vass. Is and chicfs along with White collar pople doctors builders writers poets painiers calligriphes jewellers and therfrming artis s like actors dancers singers and instrumentalis S and as the subject of our present concern ordinary people The last mentioned group include portraits of maharats (clephant drivers) tailors abanases (personal retainers) barbars cunachs gardeners cools time lecpers and petty clerks In addition to these there are some caricature like painted sketches dsaun with a rare sense of wit and saic.sm Such unabashed expression of riotously funny situatı ns is riiher unusual in any court atclar Through these drawings the artist appears as a warm hearted man with a sense of naughty bumour' In Fig 10 we notice Lalzi Upadhyay an important Brahmin official seated with his head stooping forward counting his rosary. But Upadhayay s unusual pose is due to his addiction to drug--purc raw opium-which has upparently taken out the sap of life from his bodv His head looks disproportionately large with a hawh nose and for midable moustache his limbs lean and thin tors cmuciated but his cses have a penetrating look lixed in an aunless and waningless gazt The inscription does not disclose the name of the printer but simply gives the name of the sitter as Lalji Upadhyay-the Opsum cater This in comparable with the picture of Rao Raja Aishan Singh described as baolo the deranged one to The Rao Raja is a tall thick sct stout and strong individual with an aristocratic bearing wearing a characteristic Shodhak ·JU Paintings As A Source rupert 6 daude Fig 10 head dress an elaborate jama and a pair of pearl and ruby car rings His lotus petal eyes have an other worldly look The unknown artist has dealt with his sttter" with utmost sympathy and consideration (the words babat mori written on the back indicate that the drawing was deposited in the store at the Hawa Mahal) The artist does not display any such sympathetic feeling in the drawing of an old Brahmin employee being beaten with shoes by three pessons Fig 11 We do not know the specific crime of the helpless old man but feel sure about the gravity of his guilt calling for such drastic and instant justice Though we know nothing about the dramatis personae or the painter who has thought the episode important enough to preserve for the posterity but we amaze at his mastery in rendering such an upsetting subject which is so bitingly satirical The 'klaras or kbras Chela though denoted nothing more than a personal retainer occupied an important position in Jaipur court life They weilded lot of power by virtue of their proximity to the hing Ghası Akswas a Brahno by caste must have been a popular ·39 Rajasthan History Fig 11 figures as we have two portrait studies of him including one by the well known portrait painter Ramjidas Chatera (no 1051 76) ? in the interest ing study reproduced in Fig 12 Ghast khawas is shown in an embarr.ss ing situation when his elaborately tied pagarı had been pulled down by a young devil--identified in the inscription as Shconarayanji s son--cosily seated in his lap 12 We do not know Sheonarayeanji s identity 14 but from the fact that Ghası had to bear the prank of this young boy if appears that he was an important person having a Brahmin as khawas The tailors (darp) were popular subjects to the Jaipur painter there are as many as thirteen inscribed portraits of tailors in the collec tion with some more probables amongst the unidentified lot Three of these show Nanag darjı including one dated 1812 VS 1755 AD two of Megha darji two of Jiyo darji two of Chatarbhuj darji includin one by Ramjidas Chatera, where he is described as a son of Moti darji one of his father Motiram darji also by Ramjidas 16 where Motiram is described as a son of Radaram Khawas and another portrait study of a child called Ramlochan, son of Chaturbhuj darji In the study of Shodhak ·40 Paintings As A Source W . 17 Fig 12 Rodaram the subject is identifi d as Rodaram darji khawas indicating the profession of a tailor and 7 Khanas as inter change. ble at times The portrut of an old tailor Devidas with a foot scale in his hand and a pair of scissors stuck in his kamarbandh Fig 1316 is undoubtedly the most penetrating amongst the whole lot It was painted on Jeth Sud, 8 1829 V S that is in the middle of 1772 It is a remarkable drawing making it is one of the finest in the entire lot Though there are more than one had a half dozen drawings and pamted sketches of pakhwaj players strangi players musicians and dancers jacluding female performers of the zepada division known as bbagatans and patars 17 pone is more sensitively portrayed than Rupo a young Vaishnava devotee shorn as playing a pair of kbartals18 Fig 14 Drawn in a summary manner it shows only the head and torso of the subjret upto the waist and does not make any attempt to show the lower portion of his body The face is sensitive and lively making it attractive and endearable, Another drawing prepared in a similar magner shows Bhagirathji Vaishnav (No AG 1043 76) The painter as

·Rajasthan History
41
सबीबीदासदरजीकार
1
i
1
Fig 13
if wanting to settle his scure against the high cfficial Mohan Nader has
depicted him as savouring a green cucumber Fig 15 a sarcastic
depiction of an important dignitary 19 In this study the emph.sis is
not on the line, in f.ct the painter has made more use of colour washes
than lines
His purpose was to be little Mohan Nader which he has
achieved with supreme ease
The barbers play an important role in any royal court
The
Jaipur pargters have depicted same of them with usual verve and
enthusiasm There are two portraits of Lalo pai (No 1407 76) and one
cach of Jodha (No 1031 76), Ramnikh (No 1349 76) Bakhat Ram
Shodhak

·42 Painting As A Source Fig 14 (No 1373 76) Gangaram (No 481 76) and Sitaram (No 141276) (Fig 16) Out of these Ramrikh is shown as tying the pagari of some body else Sitaram is standing with a mirror in his hands a trademark for his profession Herstramaculately dressed wità a well tred pagri on his head and ulak marks on his forehead The unknown artist has concentrated on the facial expression of his subject which is some what placid and mundane In the last example illustrated here (Fig 17) the artist has depicted an old man by the name of kuberj! whose distorted angular limbs and attenuated body resting uneasily on a staff ereasc a strange appeal to the viewer as he evokes sympathy and feeling The drawing is inscribed in a coarse careless hand picture of kuberji Jyeth Sudi I Samvat 1813 but it does not mention the name of artist This group of dsawings thus reveal many uncommon studies of common people who do not get so much of attention from artists of the royal sura thana Some examples of similar nature have been found at Bikaner Anhangarh Deccan and some centres of the Punjab Hills

·Rajasthan History
43
Jian
मोदमानातरकाकटीवाटाछे
fig 15
HAHI
fig 16
,
J

·44 Paintings As A Source सीबीकुवरजाका मिनिममane Fig 17 Postscript -Since writing this short the author came across a very informative paper On Some Portraits of Ordinary People by Prof BN Goswamy published in Arts of Himachal ed y C Ohri, Simal 1975 27 36 8 figures Prof Goswamy has drawn our attention to a group of inscribed portraits amongst the collection of Paharı drawings in the National Museum New Delhi He has mentioned about a large group of early fully finished portraits of Ordinary persons from the Mankot collection now in the Chandigarh Muscum however thinks that these were ordered by the ruler himself consi dering their uniformity in point of finish with the protraits of the nobı lity and the royalty of Mankot He ·45 Rajasthan History Prof Goswamy has also referred to the existence of a "very large number of portraits of persons other than nobles and men of royal satus from the Sikh court of Sahore and in the company style both in the 19th century Beside these there are portraits of Chobdars and Chaprasis from Patiala belonging to the same citegory Amongst the portraits illustrated and described by Prof Goswamy there are Kanungos (or Qanungos) Brahmins warriors a Badra and of a painter called Golu Tarkhan, coming from a family of tarkbans or carpenters We agree with Prof Goswamy s concluding remarks which is almost equally applicable to the Jaipur situation But the real igterest of these protraits resides tot in their ability to tell us more about the styles of painting in the Pahari region it rests perhaps in their contra buting that all Paharı portraiture was centred around those who weil ded either power or wealth The painter also painted sometimes for his own reasons Notes 1 Akbar s remarks are quoted by Abul Fazl in A in 34 of the A'ın 1 Akbarı called the A 0 10 Taswir hbana It starts with the words - Drawing the likeness (Shabih) of anvthing is called taswir (painting picturealising) Since it is an excellent snurce both of study and entertainment His Majesty from the time he came to an awareness of things has taken a deep interest in painting and sought its spread and development At his Majesty s command protraits have been painted of all of His Majrs y s servants and a huge album (kitab) has been made Thus the dead has gained a new life and the living an eternity- Ain i Albari 1 English translation by H Blochmann, Calcutta 1873 p 115 For a detailed study of Mughal painting during Jahangir s time vide Asok Lunar Das, Mughal Painting During Jahangir s Time Calcutta, 1976 Asok Kumar Das "Bishndas Cbhavi ed by Anand Krishna, Benaras 1971, 183 191 dem Moghal Painting Daring Jahangir s Time 192 195 Das op cit 124 ff Asok kumar Das Miniatures (of Jaipur) Marg XXX, No 1977, 3 4 5 6 Shodhak ·46 Paintings As A Source 77 94, 102, idem Treasures of Indian Painting Series One Jaipur 1977 plates 3 4 5 6 and text All Coomaraswamy Catalogue of the Indian Collection in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston Part V Rajput Painting Boston 1926 216f 7 Asok Kumar Das Rajidas Chatera An Eighteenth Century Jaipur Painter in VS Srivastava, ed, Cultural Contours of India Delbs 1981, 317 323 8 SC Welch defines a drawing as 'essentially two diamentional work of art in any medium in which color is absent or subordinate Indian Drawings and Painted Sketches New York 1976 14 9 NO A G 437 76 size 14 SX 85 cm 10 No A G 556 76 Size 173 x 152 cm 11 No A G 718 76 Size 27 8 x 188 cm 12 This is not listed amongst the works of Rapidas Chatera in the prper cited above No A G 1051 76 13 No A G 568 76 22 5 x 16 cm 14 in Sawai Pratap Singh s court there was an important official nimed Sheonaraın Misra A drawing of Sheonarain Mista and Rai Chand made by Ramjidas is preserved in the Maharaja Sawai Min Singh Museum vide Das Raudas Chatera op cit 321 no 22 (AG 661 76) Reproduced C Singh Textiles and Costumes from the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Jaipur 1979 pi 10 15 Das Ramjidas Chatera 321 2(No A G 805 76 and 1180 76) 16 NO A G 822 76 size 18 x 95 cm 17 Chandramanı Sing Performing Artists from Amber and Jaipur Cultural Contours of India 324 328 pl XCVII c D s opcit pi XCI 18 No A G 1065 76 size 16 5xli 7 cm 19 No A G 1199 76 Size 21 7 * 16 2 cm Photographs by Sri S G Tewarı Courtesy Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Il Museum Jaipur • op cit ·Mughal Painting and its Interaction with Rajasthan Painting and Emergence of the Jaipur School -Rita Pratap Akbar (ruled 1556 1605 A D) founded an atelier of painters Special attention was paid to technical improvements and every effort was made through the employment of pure colours fine draughtsman ship realistic landscape and sumptuous marginal decorations to impart a richness to painting hitherto unkonwn 1 The court historian Abu 1 Fazl noted More than a hundred painters have become famous masters of art whilst the number of those who approach perfection or those who are middling is very large This is especially true of the Hindus their pictures surpass our conception of things Few indeed in the world are found equal to them 2 Abul Fazl has further noted in Ani i Akbari that the Emperor was very pleased with the Hindu painters Basava Daswanath and Kesudas As the Hindu and Muslim painters collaborated actively, one drawing the outline the other filling in the colours the third doing ihe border the native painters learned the Persian manner and later even painted parallel pictures for the work of the Persian poet, Nizami and other foreigo books. On the other hand the Persian painters imbibed something of the depth of feelings of the Hindus This comes through the use of decper colours for building trees foliage and characterisation of the face 3 *Lecturer Drawing and Painting Maharani s College, Jaipur Shodhak ·48 Paintings As A Source Thus the Mughal school of painting began as an attempt of Synthesis of the Persian Kalam and the native Hindu workmanship 4 The Hamza Nama which was one of the first set of paintings done by the painters betv een 1567 72 had 1400 pictures in fresco like cloth paintings in which red blue and green colours predominate The plains the pink eroded socks the vegetation and blossommg plum and peach trees are reminiscent of Iran Indian tones begin to appear only in later works as Indians joined hands with the Persian master painter Mir Suyid Ali G Glimpses of Rajasthani influence in Muthal paintmgs are seen in Hamza nama a picture showing giant Zemurud asleep in dr matic Indian wali style painting with two women on a well in an upper corner wearing Rajasthanı clothes in the painting Parrot at Court by the prolific Pasaran Rajasthanı buldings are depicted In the pain ing showing Akbar hunting the complex scene has an European sense of volume and light and shade mixed with Persian high horizon and Hindu emphasis on the emotion-charged drama In the Siege of Ranthambhor the formal Pursian miniature is released into the dynamic Hindu flow Akbar ordered his artists to illustrate the Hindu epics This led to the creation of the illustrated Mahabharata called Razm nama now in the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Il Museum Jaipur It contains 169 full page paintings some of the greatest of this period and was completed in 1589 AD The Ramayana was also trunslated into persian and illustrated a Pamers came to work for Akbar from Lahore (eg Lailu Lahori) Gujarat (e & Sur Kesar and Bhim Gujarat) Gwalor (eg Nand Gwalioni) hashmir (e & Ahmad Kashmiry) and without doubt from adjacent areas of Rajasthan and UP From a study of the names we know that nearly four fifths of the total number of painters were Hindus? Examples of joint productions with the outline designed by well known masters like D swanth Basawan Kesay the cider Lal Mishkina Ramdas etc are common in the historical biographical and religious works Ithe the Tasira i kkandant Timuriyya the Babarnama Akbaroama and of course the great manuscripts of Razmdami and Ramayana 8 Daswanth was regarded as matchless in his time and most excellent in designing drawing of features colouring portrait painting and other species of art Basawan was considered unique ·49 Rajasthan History The Mughal ative Indian elements distinguished from its decorative Persian prototypes by an extended sense of space and an agitated action rarely-seen in Persian Art The finest examples of Mughal painting are not only lively and realistic but contain clements of individual portraiture These distin ctive qualities not only continue in later Mughal painting but eventually affect Rajput art as well 9 In course of time it was inevitable that the mental outlook of the Indian artists would make itself felt and this in fact happened The arabesque of Persian art resolved itself into a line of different quality and tempo and so also the colour scheme took on a different pattern The emphasis on a purely decorative art began to disappear and a new realism crept in 10 The Mughal painting achieved volume and mass like Ajanta A thin shading also the outline with colour contrasts to give relief to the mass the soft modelling especially of the arms are reminiscent of Ajanta Hermin Goetz feels that artists from Gwalior who joined Akbar s atelier introduced these features as well as the lancet as opposed to the almond type of eye 11 The diffrence Mughal art and Rajput art which was emerging at the same time need allusion Rajput art was a reflection of great epic and lyrical tradition It was a romantic art distinct in character but not in technique from Mughal art with a larger sweep of imagina tion corresponding to a larger variety and range of contemporary liter- The Bhakti songs of medieval Indian poets and saints unconscious of their burden of beauty najve and undorned ecstatic and tender inspired this art It is Krishda Lila it is Kabir Mira Bai and Vidhyapa in line and colour 12 High lyrical fervour 10 the robust rhythm of colour is seen in Rajput painting ary forms According to Coomaraswamy,13 Mughal painting even when more refined than Hindu painting is a by way rather than a highway art it is essentially an art of portraiture and a dated art which is as much as to say a placed art The Mughal portrait 15 & delightful inosaic of colour The line is accurate alive the modelling delicate Shodhak ·50 Paintings At A Source and subtle executed with a finc brush Th portraits betray the artists profound insight into human character Jahangir (ruled 1605 27) was a connoisseur of painting and took kcen personal inicrest in this art The painter was ta variably with him on all important occasions like court, durbars royal hunting trips and even wars i Tarachand Jagannath and Sanwal Das specialised in depicting battle scenes Bishandas (regarded by Jahangir as uncqualled in his age in the field of verisimile tude) Manohar and Goverdhan (painters of gorgeous coust scenes) Bichitr (fine portrait painter) and Padurarh (animal painter) were some of the other distinguished Hindu artists An outstanding feature of the painting of this period is superb border decoration which is usually an arabesque with hunting scenes birds and animals picnic pathics music and dancing and people ongaged in various professions Certain clements such as the suggestion of perspective and naturalistic treatment of landscape in the paintings of this persod show a definite influence of contemporary Curopcan painting Portrait painting was done from life In the court scenes however the portraits of the grandees were apparently made from the tracings kept in the atelies 16 The fine lyrica) Persian brush work modulated the emotional hot colours Ochre reds yellows purple mauves were diversified and diluted into soft blues, greys, and greens pink and whites and the predominantly European three dimensional technique began to be adopted frequency in the portraits delicate toning and modelling were introduced as well as shad ing This helped to bring out the character of the person portrayed The delicacy and finish attained great sensitiveness 18 A study of a large number of Mughal portraits shows that these resolve themselves into two definite methods of representation one in which the features are depicted in rigid profile and the other in which they are drawn in what is known as the three quarter face The two styles emerge at the same time progress side by side and in the end the rigid profile ousts the three quarter view and becomes the accepted method of depicting the features in all later portraiture 17 In Jahangir at the Tomb of Momuddin Chisti there is a transition frorn the Persian kalam towards the drama of the native style the multiple planes on which the carly Rajasthan pictures were composed ase effectively fused there with the Persian high horizon.18 Jabangie greatly admired the work of Abul Hasan and Mansur Mansur who Styled himself Naggash for his extremely minute work was ·51 Rajasthan History 1 leading animal bird painter whose Kalam was regarded as naturalistic 19 Of Abul Hasan Jahangir wrote Truly he has become Nadır. uz Zaman (the wonder of the age) His work was perfect He drew the picture of Jahangir s accession as the front spiece fo the Jahangirпара о within Fig 18 Jahangır with his wife which is a study of the Zenana in the palace depicts a garden and balcony adapted from Rajasthani painting In the Jahangir s India painting became more widely diffused Many Mughal grandaess Rajput nobles and to some extent even inerchants employed painters trained in the Mughal atelier Though their work was not of a very high order, they laid the foundations of a new Shodhak ·52 Paintings As 4 Source category of painting which is known as popular Mughal in which though the technique was basically Mughal Rajusthani elements were freely introduced 21 Emergence of the Jaipor School According to Amritrais manuscript Nan charita beautiful pictures of animals birds and flora plints were painted on the walls of Amber Palace of Man Singh (ruled 1590 1614 A D) Narottam Kavi also gives details of the Ragamala Krishnalıla Amaru Sataka Nayak Nayıha Bheda etc painted in the palace walls in bright red yellow and green 22 A few panels of wall paintings have been discovered at Man Singh s palace at Amber Fort 23 They show krishna playing the flute or grazing cows with the gopis The gopis and slimn and well proport noned don a striped Jehanga and Choli The female figures are almost in popular Mughal style and similar to Rasikpriaya fragments in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in the Madhavanata kamahandal Chaupai fragments in the Berlin Museum and in the Ramayana fragments in the Prince of Wales Museum Bombay 24 Sarvu Doshi has traced on illustrated Vasodhara Chant Manuscript (1591 A D) of Amber in a style not far from the main strean of Jain miniature style 5 The painters working for Raja Man Singh s Suratkhana also followed the same norms and produced paintings in a style not far from that of the so called popular Mughal style Raja Man Singh s in terest in painting is further confirmed from trace of painting found in Makhdoom Shah s Maqbara the ruined tower at Mauzumabad and in the Gaurishanker Mahadev Temple at Baikatpur in Bihar & Wall paintings (1586 A D ) have also been found at the Mughal Garden at Bairath (between Jaipur and Alwar) and Mauzamab_d (birth place of Man Singh) The paintings have a variety of subjects jacluding mythological scenes Ragamala the Krishna theme wrestlers elephants camels Laila Majoo themes and scenes depicting dance parties The paintings which were directly executed on stone in the chhatri of Raja Man Singh (erroneously hitherto called the chhatrı of Raja Bharmal) are also extremely interesting These were done in C 1650 A Dº? (Fig 19) ·53 Rajasthan History Fig 19 The influerce of Mughal painting is evident in several panels but such influence is translated into a local Rajasthani idiom The figures have atpatts puggries and Jamas with four points Thus placing them during the late Akbarı or early Jahangiri period Raja Dhao Singh (1614-21 A D) besides erecting the cenotaph for Man Singh and executing the paints in it had wall paintings done at Bhavpura The only state with which Mughals had intimate relations was Amber home of Akbar s favourite wife Maryam az Zamanı his best General Man Singh and Jahangir s second wife The illustration in Hamza Nama gives clear evidence of the influence of early Rajasthanı painting The two female figures are unlike those found in any Mughal painting and are distinctly Rajput 28 Shodhak ·Paintings As A Source In the famous Razm Nama completed for Akbar in 1588 A D the Hindu style clements are different from the Safarid tradition They are intelligible only on the assumption of a fargoing absorption of Raj put style elements. That these Hindu elements in Albars Mughal paint ings come from Amber can be proved by the fact that the carlier figure of Hindu ladies herein wear the same costume as those of the ladies of Maryam az zamanı s household whereas later figures (since 1600) often show a different type, e the Jodhpur custom of the retinue of Jahangir s first wife Jodha Bai (mother of Shah Jahan) The origin of the style is not yet ascertained It cannot be much earlier than 1580 A Die the date of Hari Dcoji temple at Goverdhan It is evidently based on the Rajput tradition of the time as we know from the Jails of Man Singh palace and the Bundela Ragamala But its principal characteristics stem from Indo Muslim painting in Malwa (most of the territory of which had been taken over by the Rajputs) also other contributing elements have to be taken into account early Jaunpur and Bengali even Deccani and via those later Vijayanagari To the early Kachhawaha school of Bhagwandas rcigo (1573 1589 A D ) we may ascribe especially the Ragamala manuscript Laud which Khandalavala and Motichandra have attributed to Bijapur although the figures are identical with those of Jaipur Razm Napa (Persian translation of Mahabharata) from Akbar s studio and even with those of Rajput and Rajput is in the siege scenes of Ranthambor and Chittorgarh in the Albar Mama of the Victoria and Albert Museum London Some of its miniatures must be very early around 1580 AD Their composition still is very simple and sand not far from the Bundela primitives but the technique is already much more refined and detailed There still lingers something of the tension and expressionistic emotionalism of those Bundela works and yet the general affect a rather cool, more vivid than exalted ) Mirza Raja Jar Singh (1621 67 A D) was very close to Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb His love for literature art and architecture is seen in the collection of Sanskrit manuscripts of celebrated poets like Bihar,das Narottam and k ulapati Misra and to the magnificient palaces and buildings constructed by him in Amber, Agra and elsewhere The painters in Mirza Raja s court introduced idioms of Mughal architec turc, male costume and general composition and decoration of the ·55 Rajasthan History Mughal painting in Jahangir's later and Shah Jahan s early reign But fundamentally the miniatures conserved the simplicity the Rajput female costume the more sweeping character of lines the more contracted colours the flatness of the figures the lack of perspective the strictly geometrical composition of Rajput tradition as is shown by miniatures in the Baroda Museum Two copies of Rasıkapria and krishna Rukmini Veli were prepared in 1636 A D for one of his Maharapis Chandrawati These contain several designs and a couple of illustra tions of Krishna with gopis in a folk style The Kachhawaha princes assumed the fashions of the Mughal court At home they employed local painters who struck to stereotype emotional or introvert Rajasthant themes Later came the symbiosis of the two styles Thus from the primitivism of the Rasika priya pictures to the refinement of the portraits there is a clear advance the drawing is more sensitive the colours and line are nellower and the whole outlook is refined In the Maharaja Sawar Man Singh II Museum are preserved a few mutilated folios of a manuscripts written in Nagrt script There is a miniature which has a likeness of Mirza Raja Ja: Singh This dama ged miniature resembles the Mughal style of the late 17th century with intimate character study fine line work and mellow colour scheme A 34 feet long scroll illustrated with drawings and designs based the Surdas poems is preserved in the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum library The style is close to the folk style of the Rasikapriya and the wall paintings of Amber Flat colours have been used against the backgroud of pools and fountains trees and shrubs and simple architecture During the reign of Raja Ram Singh I (1667 1689) A Da 465 feet long horoscropes1 of Kanwar Kishan Singh was prepared (Fig 20) The horoscope is painted in the Mughal court style and depicts stars plattets dreties Ram Singh Krshan and Bishan Singh bave been executed in a style close to the contemporary Mughal court style etc In the time of Sawai Jai Singh (1699 1743 AD) Jaipur pain ting began to emerge as an independent school The court records in State Archieves Bikaner indicate the Mughal painters like Fazıl Muha Shodhak

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References
1
Motichandra lodian Art Prince of Walse Museom of Western
India (Bombay (1964) Page 30
Abul Fazł Aug i Akbarı Yol I English Translation H Blockman
(Calcutta 1965) Page 114
2

·Rajasthan History 57 Album of Indian Paloting (Delhi 1973) Page 91 3 Anand Mulk Raj 4 Ibid page 86 5 Randhawa MS Indian Miniature Painting (New Delhi) 1981 Page 16 6 Ibid page 22 7 Das AK Dawn of Mughal Painting (Bombay 1983) page 8 8. Ibid, page 8 9 Craven Roy C A concise History of Indian Art (Delhi 1979) page 202 10 Das Rai Krishna Mughal Miniatures Introduction Lalit Kala Academy (Delhi 1955) page 4 11 Chaitanya krishna A History of Indian Painting (New Delhi 1979) P ge 59 12 Srihrawardy Shahid Introduction to the study of Indo-Persian Painting Marg XI-3 (June 1958) Page 25 13 Coomaraswamy Ak Christian and oriental Philosophy of Art (New York 1956) page 135 14 Tuzuk 1 Jahangiri Tr Alexander (Delhi 1968) Page, .0-21 15 Motu Chandra Panorama of Indian Painting (New Delhi) 1971 (page 6 ) 16 Anand Mulk Raj Albom of Indian Painting (Delhi 1973) page 99 17 Brown Percy India Painting Under the Mughals (Oxford, 1924) Page 158-159 18 Anand Mulk Raj 'Album of Indian Paioting (Delbı 1973) page 102 19 Ibid Page 104 20 Brown Percy Indian Painting Under The Mughals (Oxford 1924) page 82 83 21 Moti Chandra, Panorama of Indian Painting (New Delhi) 1971 Page 17 22 Bahura GN Amber sthita Man Singh mahal ke Bhittichittra Katıpaya Sam Samyika Sakshya (in Hiodi) Researcher XII XIII (Jaipur 1972 73) P 63-70 Shodhak ·58 Paintings As A Source 23 Hot Chand, Conservation of Wall Paintings at Amber Palaces* Researcher (1972 73 Jaipur) XII XIII P 60 24 Pramod Chandra 'A series of Ramayana Paintings of the popular Mughal School Bulletin of the Prince of Wales Museum Bombay No VI (1957 59) P 64 70 Iden' Ustad Salivahana and the Development of popular Mughal Art' Lalit kaia No 8 (Dushi 1960) P 25 64 25 Andhare Sh 'A Dated Amber Ragmala & the Provence of the 18th Century Jaipur Paintings Lalit Kaia No 15 (Delhi 1972) P 48 26 Das AK 'Origin of Amber Painting Durga bari Aassociation Annual (Jaipur, 1974) 27 Shodhak Vol 10 pr B 1981 28 Gray Bası) Rajput Paidbog (London, 1948) P 10 29 Goetz Hermann General Survey of Rajasthanı Styles, Marg Vol XI No 2 (March 1958) P 53 30 Ibid P 54 31 Das, AK Amber Jaipur Painting Cultural lleritage of Jaipur (Jarpur 1979) P 124 Manuscript No 1458 the Janam Patra is 465 long and 18 wide and is written in a neat band on good quality paper ·Mewar Painting As A Source of History Ram Vallabh Somani* Rajasthan is famous for its rich tradition of figurative art The portraits and other palettes dealing with some important events can be termed as an important source of the political bistory It is beyond doubt that attempts were made by the artists to bring out the ogneesembiant figures in coeval portraits Therefore we may take them as an important source of history Individuallity of the rulers chiefs and other citizens can be judged by these works of art Some palettes depict ing notable events were executed in Mewar In 1708 when the rulers of Amber and Marwar were not allowed to regain their ancestral states by Emperor Bahadur Shah I they came in Mewar seeking the assistance of Maharana Amar Singh II In a contemporary painting now in possession of Victoria Museum Melbourne (Australia) the Maharana is shown with Maharaja Jaisingh of Amber, Ajitsingh of Marwar aod Rathor Durgadas The inscription has a detailed description of the events Rathor Durgadas remained in Mewar for a considerable time during the regime of Maharana Sangram Singh II In more than 8 paintings Rathor Durgadas together with his sons have been shown This proves the fact that Rathor Durgadas after having been expelled from Marwar enjoyed a respectable position in Mewar A palette depicting large scale festivities was executed in 1722 A,D at the time of the birth of a grandson (Mabarana Pratap II) to Maharana Sangram Singh II Thc marriage ceremonies of Mabarana Raj Singh II together with his uncle Arsiogh were arranged at Gogunda ja 1754 with great ostentation A big palette showing casealeades of marriage party together with other festivities was executed at the same time by the 3 artists of Mewar A large inscription in the back side of the above painting gives manifold *Kalyan ji ka Rasta Jaipur Shodhat ·60 Paintings As A Source details about the social system then prevalent in higher Rajput classes During the reign of Maharana Arisingh Maharaja Vijay Singh of Marwar came to Udaipur During his return journey Bıramdeva Medatıya of Ghancrao and Biramdeva Solonky of Desuri met him at Ghanerao Their historical meeting has been prescricd in contemporary painting now preserved with ar Sangram Singh of Nawalgarh During the reign of Maharana Bhimsingh Medatiya Ajitsingh came to Mewar and remained with the Maharana for a few months Two big palette of Ghaderao contain the details that the Ghancrao chiefs differences wih Maharaja Man Singh of Marwar were reconciled through Amir Khan The Pindari chies deputed his officer who persuaded the Thakur to come to Jodhpur with his subordinate chiefs The inscription from the painting says that Maharaja Mansingh came to receive them upto Ratanada Col James Tod remained in Mewar as Political Agent during the reign of Maharana Bhimsingh His meetings with Maharana in a Durbar and on other occasions have been shown in many paintings It is beyond doubt that the field of paintings is very vast They supply ample material for socio economic studies also Change of dresses head gear and Jamas can very well be studied by them If wc take the cxample of Mcwar we find that after Shah Jchani turban Maharana Sangram Singh 11 adopted small turban It w-s changed to khanjandar by Arisingh Maharana Sardar Singh changed it adopting a new turban which too was altered by Maharana Fateh Singh The personal life of the rulers queens modes of amusement shikar group scenes religious life etc , can also be studied by these paintings ·Painting As A Source of History of Rajasthan-Its Limitations V S Bhatnagar Rajasthan has rich tradition of painting going back to the carly mediacval period The carliest paintings are found in the illustrated manuscripts at the folk level in phad etc The literary sources also refer to portraits and wall paintings in the carly mediaeval period From the 16th Century we have a continuous record of painting activity and the evolution of the different styles which emerged in different parts of Rajasthan can be minutely studied and observed The punung activity from the late 16th century to almost the close of the 18th century was rich and varied in the states as well as at the folk level While discussing painting as a source of history, there arises need to define history Obviously we have to take the term in the wider sense and not merely in the political or military Its social religious and cultural aspects too have to be given their due place and history should be taken in the sense of being things donc by man in the past and which help us in koowing what man is It is in this sease thit the paintings furnish a rich data uscful for a social historian about dress fashions religion climate cultural trends indeals of beauty sex pleasures etc of an age in which painting drawn However paintings like events acquire historical importance posthumously though it is not necessary that each and every painting would acquire it Besides paintings have value as pure art and level of excellence of art is Indicative of the acsthetic level of the people of an age *Reader in History, University of Rajasthan Jaipur Shodhak ·62 Paintings As A Source However every source of historical information has certain limitations whether it is a diary or a letter or a document In each mind of the author plays a vital role and we get information to the extent and in the form the author of the document or letter is inclined to reveal or is capable of revealing the facts In painting also except in rare cases we get a pre selected and pre-determined picture by people consciously or unconsciously imbued with a particular view The value of painting as a source of history is limited by some other factors also, some of which are peculiar to aesthetics in general One of these factors is stylization which affects genuineness of the portrayal In portrait Paintings faithfully representation or likeness 18 crucial to its being a source of history but stylization cuts at the very roots of authenticity and validity of portrait becomes open to question The shortcoming is very clear in the portraits of Kota and Jodhpur rulers and to some exteat of Mewar but much less of Jaipur Another factor which affects value of painting as a source of history is the bias of the painter in respect of features background theme of the painting etc The bias in an artist can as much hide and distort the reality as it would in a historian writing history Bias leads to selectiveness and selectiveness affects the authenticity of the portrayal In history authenticity is its very soul In some of the Rajput paintings painters brought up in Mustım social atmosphere are found showing Krishna and Radha in Muslim apparel Realism in the Rajsthani paintings is also affected by the tendency to exaggerate the effect This 1s seen in the portrayal of battle sccoes and also in the paintings in which the painter wants to highlight the grandcour of his patron as we find in the paintings of the Darbars In manuscript paintings which are seldom contemporaneous the painter is conscious that he is portraying a scene or a figure of the past times and he tries to go back imaginatively to those times while drawing the dress or department of the characters he is portraying and yet he cannot go that fat back nor in his attempt to go back he can portray the trends of his own times and thus neither paints the past nor present correctly For a historian it becomes difficult to treat the man uscript paintings which often deal with religious or mythological themes as giving a reliable data or social or cultural impost which may be said to be characteristic of the age depicted by a particular painting ·Rajasthan History 63 Paintings often lack contemporaneousness since the painter himself is not present He is generally creating an image which may acquire lastingness for instance the portrait of Prithviraj Chauhan or of Pratap it is probably based on literary version but literary version itself might have been possibly idealistic without having reliable relation with actuality and therefore has doubtful historical value The idealıs tic element enters a painting often unconsciously and soon pervades is every line and every shade of colour in interpreting paintings as a source of history margin therefore has to be kept for the shortcomings which painting like any other source does have partly on account of its inherent nuture and partly due to external factors Goverdhan wall Painting as a Source of Bharatpur History --Jyotsaa Pande Goverdhan is situated in Uttar Pradesh at the borders of Rajasthan It is a religious place Some Chhattis were erected in the memory of former rulers of Bharatpur State and some temples were constructed by Jat rajas Surajmal s Darbar wall painting at Goverdhan in Surajmal Chhatrı illustrated his displeasure with Jawahar Singh that as the Maharaja held his Darbar in an up storey room Jawahar Singh was not allowed to appear before him, stands at the entrance of the lower storey checked by the gateman The another picture painted 15 that of Delhi s loot by the Jats in which they are shown ravaging Delhi The third picture of Jawahar Singh standing at Jawahar burj of Bharatpur fort with some angry eyes towards Delhi which is painted in a nearby painting Some other paintings are faded These paintings are attributed of late 18th Century Ram Pandes Bharatpur upto 1826 is refered for further reading *Dept of Hindi, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur Shodhak ·Wall paintings Their Scientific Conservation Ilot Chand Rajasthan 19 extantly rich in wall printings Their execution in caves buildings palaces and monuments had been in practice from prchistoric times to this day The primitive paintings are done on the rocks without any priming or ground The paintings at one of the kiosks of sixteenth century monument at Amber arc cxccuted on grey stonc primed with single coat of lime wash Small paintings (drawings and sictches) exposed from lyers of white wash and plaster at Amber palaces are done directly on the stone The technique and style of Fresco paintings at palaces buildings cenotapas and monuments in Rajasthan arc cxtensively described by many authors The technique seem to have been incorporated from earlier Italian Frescocs or elsewhere from south India where the art of fresco buono was known during the Chola and Nayah dyn.sties in this method colours are mixed in lime water or plaster that are made to sink into the wet plaster of the wall through a manual process of beating burnishing and polishing Colours are absorbed by lime and plaster in their interesuces These are further strengthened by the sorption of carbon dioxide while getting dry As a result of the carbonation of the lime the paintings become as durable as the building yet not immune to ravages of time nature and vandalism Palaeolithic caves of Altamira (Spain) Lascaux (France) Bhimbetka (India) and others are known to us by the astonishing Juck of their survival Prehistoric paintings discovered inside caves rocks and catacombs were found 10 a good equilibrium stage with their environment until sealed but when these tombs were excavated and opened these could Deph of Archacology and Museums Govt of Rajasthan Jaipur ·65 Rajasthan History sustain environmental changes for a few decades only Imagine all the great works of Italian Renaissance painting-the Sistine ceiling the stan- 8c of Raphael, the Brancacci Chapel the Monalisa too have been destroyed Wall paintings on the protected forts, palaces cenotaphs and monuments were in better state of preservation But the vulnerable point commenced when some activities like their use for copying and alluminating for study engraving and writing the nimes and dates cooking and dwelling white washing and over painting renovating and restoration etc were carried out These places turned gradually into tourist Places for picnic and cxcursion cxpeditions Thus it is obvious that quantum of damage 15 more due to neglect and human vandal sm Environmental changes has affected the paintings cxisting at the facade of Ganesh Pole at Amber Palaces by causing flaking building and pecling off plaster layer Some yogis used the four rooms of the monument Mughal Gatc at Virat Nagar for cooking with the result cotemporary wall paintings disappeared in the soot Mughal portraits wild animals and other figures executed at the facade are at their decline stage due to rains wiods, sunlight and ravages of time The application of science in the examination and conservation of wall paintings is reported mainly during this century Italian restorers used synthetic adhesive and varnishes for protection of wall paintings of Ajints caves ? Their contribution in preserving wall paintings inside caves churches and catacombs were based on the use of fixatives solvents restrainer and adhesives. They could explore various causes of deterioration by the help of experimentation and subsequently evolved out several rastruments for monitoring The met hod of conservation have been perfected so more so that the paintings inside catacomb can be photographed through a small aperture in the roof before the tomb is actually opened An airconditioned monitoring chamber made below the level of the tomb in Japan is found most cfective for preservation of its wall paintings The damage due to change in temperature relative humidity sunlight and air pollution at the entry of visitors could be avoided by the ground access to the calc under controlled conditions The use of paraloid B 72 in Chloretene is found eflective for preservation of wall paintings in 90 100 percent humid tombs Wall paintings from the places under flood fice and carthquake or unsafe cooditions have been successfully transferred on Shodhak ·66 Paintings As A Source flexible supports Faint and faded wall paintings of Raja Mansingh Cenotaph at Ambers are made distinct and preserved by the applica tion of 5 10 percent polyvinyl acetate in toluene Care has to be taken that the surface should not be contaminated with any dust dirt or soot Wall paintings covered under smoke at Mughal Gatef were cleaned by the help of teepol liquor Ammonia Methyl alcohol and distilled water mixuture The fresco paintings covered under lime wash layers were exposed mechanically taking help of polyvinyl acetate as fixative An interesting panel depicting seven figures composing shaiva theme was exposed elaborately in Mansingh Palace at Amber (see Fig 21 22) While attempting exposing a typical example of ove done paintings has also been preserved in this appartment The panel of Lord Ganesh at Ganesh Poles was consolidated by injecting a mixture of lime casern fevicol and marble dust The fresco paintings at the facade of this pole ire also given consolidation and restoration treatement using thin and thick pasts of the above mixture Wall paintings damaged as a result of flood are preserved by the help of ammonium carbonate solution Biodeterioration of murals stopped by the use of Nystatin Synthetic products like soluble Nylon Polyvinvl acetate poly butyl metha crylate and Barjum aluminate? are found effective for renttachment of flaked paint visibility of faded paintings and consolidation of fragile pigment layers respectively The use of scientific instruments like emission and X ray spect rometer infrared spectrometer along with sodium fusion and organic functional group analyses are reported for identification and determida tion of components of paintings The presence of gelatin and gum based binding media and calcium carbonate and ochre in the paint layer suggest that the wall painting is done in fresco techpique & Scientific conservation of these wall paintings followed by restoration and reintegration for their completion should focus to their ethics and aesthetics Restoration must be confined only to provide prolonged life without altering the originality in their text and texture although it can not be assessed in absolute terms

·Rajasthan History
67
Kher
Fig 21
Fig 22

·68 Paintings As A Source Notes 1 Hotchand Science in the examination and conservation of works of Art Conservation of Cultural Property is ladia Vol XI 1978 PP 45-47 2. 3 4 5 IC Nagpal The problem of Chemical conservation of Ajanta Paintings Conservation of Cultural Property ip lodia Vol XII 1979 PP 21 58 Hotchand Conservation of Wall paintings in Rajasthan Conserva tion of Cultoral Property lo India Vol VII 1974 PP 66 68 Idem Conservation of Wall Paintings of Mughal Gate, Virat Nagar Ibid Vol VIII 1975 pp 50 52 Idem Conservation of wall paintings at Amber Palaces The Rese archer-Bulletin of Acohaeology and Museums Rajasthan Jaipur Voi XII XIII 1972 73 p 59 Hamblin, Dora Jane Science finds way to restore he art damage in Florence Smithsonian 4 (11) 1974 pp 26 35 Matteini M and Mobs A Barium aluminates for the consoir dation of Mural paintings Icom Committee for conservation Zagreb 1978 15 (5) 1978 pp 1 10 VI Birstein A Study of organic components of paints and gro unds in Central Asia and Crimean wall paintings Icom Comittec for Conservation Venice 1975 I (10) pp 1 10 6 7 8 ·Military System of the Rajputana States Ram Pande The armies of the princely States of Rajputana was not a later origin as some people are apt to think on account of its late moderniza ion in the wake of British Indian Army During the early mediaeval period the military leaders like Rani Kumbha Sanga were of note and in the Mughal period the system has produced the great military leaders like Rana Pratap Raja Man Singh Raja Maldeo, Mirza Raja Ja: Singh, Jaswant Singh Durga Das etc The System of military was based on the Bhaichara of the ruling princes They conqured territories consolidated them and defe nded from external attacks The Rajas created the system which can be better termed as hereditary military services The jagırdars, who were Raja s own kins (Bhaibandh) required to maintain an army a lieu of jagir They were also required the management of cultivated land in peace and military services in the times of invasion campaign and defe nce of the territory The huge forts and fortresses were crected to serve as garrisons These forts were always eracted at some strategic points and were considered the strong poists of defence with traditional arms After the death of Aurangzeb the Mughal Empire began to decline The most important event was the rise of the Marathas and their insurgcacy to north The infighting Rajas of this region could not resist the insurgent Marathas So a new turn came in the military system of Rajputana States of hiring the mercenary troops The Rajputs hired French, Afghans, Vilayatıs Sikhs etc They also hired the Mara thas to settle their own house affairs Shodhak ·70 Paintings As A Source The pre British military system of the Rajputana States become mainly composed of hereditary Jagırs Jamiyat and Mercenaries The main branches of the army were infantry cavalry artillery camel and elephant corps The matchlocks swords daggers and lances were the main arms of infantry The cavalry who has numerous categories was to follow the army The artilery of the most of the States was not in the proper condition either because of their week financial resources or non availability of proper persons to use it The system of branding of the horses and camels and their verification was in practice In 1818 the British East India Company approached the rulers of the Rajputana States for alliance of mutual friendship but with sub sidiary position The rulers accepted the British as their paramount power in place the Mughals According to the treatise concluded with the princely states of Rajputana the rulers were to maintain an army to serve under the British beyond their frontiers In 1899 the British Government entered into agreements with several Rajput rulers for the effective control and discipline of the Imperial Service Troops maintained by the states This resulted in the modernization of the State forces rapidly on the British pattern The feudal or hereditary levies were replaced by the standing armies It brought about the change in the system of giving training drilling recrui ment payment of the salaries and mess system etc While the civil administration of the Rajputana States and their Socio economic conditions were started to be modelled on new lines as a sequal to a net work of salutary reforms their military organisations were left practically unchanged which survived in its essential featurus as a mediaeval relic The Rajas themselves were Jagırdars of the Mughal Emperors The hereditary Jagirdars were muntaining the horses the number of which was fixed or decided by the ruler as required There was no fixed uniform and they were not required to face any short of training performances Raja was keeping his own army also This has the divisons like Elephant and Horse unit Paltan and Infantry divisions Besides this a separate establishment of Forts Guards was also there The mercenary troops cared only for money Writing in 1868 Col Brooks said about the Jaipur army consisted of ten regi ments of foot each 60 strong and 4000 nagas as men ill armed and without dicipline besides a small body of 700 cavalry divided into seven rissalas and 4250 Jagirdar horses There are besides 1500 men employed in guarding the several forts within the territory Speaking generally ·71 Rajasthan History the Rajputanan Army as it survived till the late of nintcenth century was manifestly out of date and unsuitable for the new type of warfare or military campaign caused by the impact of European military system We read that during the British reign the armies of the Rajpu tana states fought in all the major and minor campaigns The Jodbpur Lancers and the Ganga Risala took part in the Chinese war Later on the Ganga Risala whih was sent to Somalia for suppressing the mutiny played a prominent part 'During the world war I the Sardar Risala fought in France and the Jaipur Transport Corps was employed in the middle east The Jaipur State Transport Corps played an important role in winning the battle of Shaiba and captured innumerable enemy weapons and equipment This was the only service corps unit in the whole history of the army of our study which has won a battle honour In the second world war the Ist Bn Jaipur Infantry Szwa: Man Guards and Jodhpur Sardar Infantry operated against the Germans in Italy and in the Middle East Bijny Battery Jodhpur Lancers Joy Paltan Alwar Mewat Infantry hotah Ummed Infantsy and Jaipur Pony Company participated in the eastern sector These armies were considered better for garrison duties training establishments and demostration purposes On the formation of the Greater Rajasthan all the forces of the covenanting states varying in size skill armameats and status were consolidated in one solid force under the distinguished leadership of late Sawai Man Singh 11 who was a rare combination of a soldier statement and administrator As the Rajpramukh of the Greater Rajasthan he was the highest quthority in the military matters After that this system was amalagated with Indian Armed Forces In above lines an attempt has been made to survey briefly the past record of the military system of the Rajputana States The archival material at the State Archives at Bikaner and its branches at Jaipur Kota Alwar Bharatpur Udaipur etc, the records at National Archives of India are also of some value and Administrative Reports of various Rajputana States would form the source material for this The Paintings such as depicting dress and arms of Rajput Military (Fig 23) Partrait of Battle of Gagwana, and of a stratagic Shodhak ·72 Paintings As A Source Fug 23 like chakraview (defence) Makrview (offensive) etc also form the part of material The paintings of the sieges of the two important forts like Ranthambhor and Chittorgarh are also available In one of the painting the drilling army is shown but since there is no inscription so it is difficult to say about its time But we should be conscious enough about its short comings at the time of use ·The History of the Game of Chaugan in the State of Amber-Jaipur Specially as Evidenced from a Study of Paintings Yaduendra Sabai* The tradition of Chaugan in this region can be traced to the beginning of the eleventh century during the reign of Raja Pajjavanaraya (or Pajun) who was the fourth descendant of Dulaharaya and a General of Prithvi Raj Chauhan of Delhi Prithvi Raj was a keen player too So naturally P.jun being one of the leading Generals of the Chauhan king must have shared his kings passion in the game There is a chaugan at Amber which has been in existence for as long as the Kachhawas have been in harness When the white wash was removed from certain portions of the zenana mahals of Raja Man Singh I at Amber many wall paintings of his period were uncovered Among them below a chejja between two of the todis in the middle of the ground floor north wall of the north western Zagapa sarkar of the zanana mahal complex a wall paintings of a horse rider in a swashbuckling pose with the chaugan raised high above his head ready to hit the ball towards the hal is also found This may be regarded as an evidence that Raja Man Singh I was indeed a patron of the game of chaugan if not himself a player of it Mirza Raja Jai Singh I was a patron or a keen player of chaugan us proved by the fact that his court poet Behari Lal in one of the couplets of the famous Sat Sai bas very casual like used the game of chaugan and the happenings therein to illustrate a situation in everyday life of the region he knew so well We have only one painting keeper Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum City Palace Jaipur Shodhak ·74 Paintings As A Source of this period from this region that show a game of chavgan in progress. Very faint traces of this wall paintings is today visible in a monument in old Amber, just south of the Bahari Darwaza Sawy Ja) Singh }} wis of course a keen player of the game He constructed a chaugan in juzta position to his palace in his newly constructed planned city and his buildings the viewing borgs and windowed passages including z latined burj (motiburj) for the ladies of his zanana proves beyond doubt that the g me of chaugan was not only popular with the males but the females of his Jaynagar also took keen interest in witnessing the same Besides this there 15 Jiterary evidence to prove that he played a game of chaugan against his father in law when he visited the latter ar his home in Mewar But the most direct evidence of the game of chavgan being played at Jaipur during the times of Jar Singh II is won from the several miniature paintings some in the personal collection of the M'haraja of Jaipur and others in some collections outside the country as in Berlin and elsewhere One of the paintings show four ladies on different clephants engaged with a totally different type of chaugan playing chaugans with long handles One is reminded of be 16th century sculptural friezs in the temple near Udaipur which shows a similar scene Thus it is clear that even ladies played at chaugan and besides horses cien elephants were sometimes used by wly of bringing variation in the normally played game For people to think up variations to a game one has to agree that a stage must have come when 100 much erposture to the yewing of the game must have forced the people to think up of forms of variations to break the monotomy No chaugan painting of Maharaja S.zwar Ishwar Singh and Maharaja S war Madho Singh I period belonging to Jaipur School have come to light to date but we cannot rule out the fact that the game of chaugan was popular during their times However as is evident from a study of the eleven large sized paratings by Uda Lal Pobekar Sahib Ram and others displayed by the Mah.raja Sawa. Man Singh li Museum in the exhibition Sawan Jar Singh and his City and The Literary Heritage of the Rulers of Jaipur and Amber it becomes clear that Sawai Iswart Singh and after him Sawai Madho Singh I preferred to hold tamasa including animal fights in the cbaugan built by their father There are paintings showing favourite elephants belonging to the Maharajas and some even showing Maharaja Sawai Iswan Singh ridiog his favourite clephent This proves that somehow the passion of playing chaugan had cooled a bit and the soos of Sawai Jai Singh II shoned a preference to other forms of sports and pastimes ·75 Rajasthan History Not much change could h ve been expected during the reign of the next ruler Suwa, Prithivi Sirgh, who came to the throne as a young lad of hye But apparently the gume of chaugan not only rega ined favour of the man during his reign even the ladies started playing the game with renewed interest I have discovered a painting on the walls of the baradarı (Northern) of the Zanana kund at Galta, which clearly shows a pair of scantly clad ladies turbaned seated on horse engaged in a melee during a game of chaugan (Fig 24) The players Pour HANN on Fig 24 are still shown using the crooked chaugans as used by the rider in the Zanana mahal of Raja Man Singh I The Bara dari also shows a scene of a royal procession with the inscription clearly indicating that the ruler seated on the elephant is Sawai Prithvi Singh of Jaipur The face also bears a resemblance of the young Maharaja as a youth of 25 years or so There is also a myslery connected with the way in which the Maharaja met bis end According to some sources the Maharaja was a keen player of chaugan and he losed to practice daily on horse back at the Atish Grounds One day some men of the maji Chadrawati had him thrown off from bis mount so that the way was cleared to put on throne of Jaipur her own son of thirteen Pratap Singh Considering the fact that Sawar Pratap Singh and not Man Singh the son of the deceased Mabaraja born of the Keshangarh Princess. became the next ruler We are forced .o accept this source Some say that the boy Shodhak ·76 Paintings As A Source Man Singh was a posthumous one and so he was superssded by Sawal Pratap Singh Be it as it may the fact remains that chavgan as a favourite game of the people of this region had once agais made a place for itself under the sun Sawa: Pratap Sirgh was a great patron of all forms of sports and pastime During his times the gime of chaugan was keenly played This is proved by more historical sources than one There is a painting in the Maharaja Sawas Man Singh It Museum of Sawat Pratap Singh s period painted in the Jaipur style by one of the fifty of the Surat Khana, which shows Radha and Krishna playing chaugan on horse near the banks of a river It is easy to pass thus of as a mythological fantacy of female involvement It is thus possible that the man and their women played at chaugan separately or even together There are some paintings in private house in the willed city of Jaipur and outside in its environs that show men and their woman at chaugin The death of Sawas Jagat Singh was the beginning of a reign full of intrigues fowl play murders and treaty with outsiders and their subsquent interference Sports and pastimes therefore became unimportant and so naturally the patronage dwindled However with the advent of the British and the establi hment of the Jaipur Political Agency the game of chavgan was once again gained popularity This time in its modified form as modem poło using the rellet T stick larger fields more organised formal play Maharaja Sawa: Ram Singh II used the old chaugant for his games but during the time of his successor Sawai Madho Singh it due to the interests shown by Col Swinton S Jacob a new modern polo field was laid out in front of Jacab s house There are several paintings and photographs of this later half of the last century that show the game of polo in pro gress at the old chaugan and the modern polo ground There are also some painted and listed photographs of this period showing similar scenes This gave The period of Sawa: Man Singh II saw a new wie to this mo der version of an ancient game He was responsible for taking the Jaipur Polo team to the very top of the world rank teams tise to the 'fearsome foursome epihtet given the Jaipur Polo team of 1933 by the fimous British Journal Tetler and this is said to have 20spired some Jaipur modern painters to show the fearsome foursome seated on elephent back scaning the British players on horse back, who ase shown decing away from the advancig elephant The showing of the ·77 Rajasthan History players atop elephant with polo sticks in hand, is not a fragement of immagination of some painter As we have seen we have had sculptures and paintings showing ladies playing chaugan from elephants I have recnetly come across a photograph of game in progress in the old chaugan near the City Palace a photograph from an album showing the Maharaja of Jaipurs Birthday week celebrations of the year 1928 A D The picture clearly shows four clephants with their mahawats holding along bandled polo sticks engaged in a mid field melee during a game of this different form of polo The oil paintings one of which is displayed in the Polo Victory Cinema and another of which is in the Maharaja Sawai Min Singa II Museum must have been inspired by thrs event or another similar cvent after this one For Further Reading | Yaduendra Sahai, Horses and Polo in India in Polo Souvenir Nigeria 1980 2. • The Polo The Domain of Maharajas by Yaduendra Sahai in Nation 1 Herald January 11 1981 3 Maharaja Sawai Man Siogh II The King of Polo by Yaduendra Sahai in Polo Souvenir 1983 published by Rajasthan Polo Club Jaipur 4 Polo The King of Sports by Geoffery Wight in Piaget World Cup 1984 Palm Beach Polo and Countrv Club USA $ Sports and Pastime During The Time of Sawa: Man Singh (1743 50) of Jaipur by Yaduendra Sahai in The Cultural Heritage of Jaipur, 1979 Rajasthan History Congress 6 'The Jeypore Goide by Thomas Holbein Hendley Published by the Raj Press Jeypore 1876 7 ladıan History by S M Naqvs Published Pitambar Publishing Company, New Delhi 1978 8 Aidi Akhatj by Abul Fazal Allamt 9 Behari Satsa1 English Translation as Poems of love and Hisdom by } P Bahadur Jaico Publishing House 1969 10 . Polo and The Maharajas of Amber and Jaipur by Yaduendra Sahai In The Exhibition Polo Match Souvenir published by Rajasthan Polo Club to commemorate the visit of HR.H the Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) Shodhak ·Mural Tradition in Shekhawati Facets of Cultural Data Vijai Shankar Srivastava Shekhawati (27° 20 28°34 North lat X 74°41 76°6'East long) founded in the middle of 15 cent AD by Rao Shekha a scion of the Kachhawaha Rajput house of Amber (Jaipur) is extremely rich in the tradition of art and culture Located in the semi ard zone in north western Rajasthan it was the cradle of Curly man during the Stone age, followed by the emergence of Copper Age Cuitures as revealed from the archaeological diggings made at Ganeshwar (ich Neem ka Thana dist Sikar) The exavations at Jodhpura Sunari (dist Jhunjhunu) and Jodhpura Pragpura located in nearby Toravati region have yielded material remains of the proto historic period in the form of evidence of Ochre Coloured Pottery and Painted Grey Ware cultures In the medi acval times the great Prathars Chauhans kayamkhadis and Sbekha wats had to contribute their own mite in the formulation of the person ality that is Shekhawatı The cultural relics and the monuinents which were once the theatre of history bespeak of the rich heritage enshrined in the region Their documentation and detailed study is still a desideratum Equally rich is the tradition of mural paintings in Shekhawat11 Rajasthao has a great legacy in the realm of pictorial art beginning to houry past The discovery of painted rock shelters in Kota Jhalawar Sawai Madhopur Bharatpur and elsewhere in Rajasthan during the last few decades coupled with the rich variety of painted potsherds of the proto historic and historic periods uncarthed from the cxcavated sites explicitiy show the great tradition After a big gap the tradition finds its flowering in the form of Iflostrated Manuscripts, Midratures Vijyaptı Patras faofa or lostrated Letters of Invitation toJain Acharyas etc )and finally in the wall paintings Painted architecture *Deputy Director Deptt.of Archaeology and Museums Rajasthan Jaipur ·79 Rajasthan History was the symbol of status and prosperity Ancient works composed in Rajasthan Viz Nisithachurni written at Bhinamal (7cent AD), kuralayamala Katha of Udyotana Suri written at Javalıpuri e Jalor (V S 835/A D 778 Prithviraj Mabakarya (12ccnt A D }speak in eloqu ent terms about the wall paintings Sultan Jalaluddin Khilzı during his conquests (A D 1290 96) of the fort of Jhalo Dear Ranthambhor (Sawai Madhopur) noticed exquisite paintings on the walls of the palace and also smooth glassy plaster on the walls refracting the image of the person beholding it harl Khandalavala infers it to indicate that the art of preparing a glassy plaster base for murals and also as a decorative treat ment of the walls themselves so common in later day Rajput palaces and haveles was known and practised in Rajasthan even in the 13 cent A.D9Maharana Kumbha s (1433 68 AD) palaces at Chittorgarh arc also said to contain mural paintings Curiously, the earliest evidence of mural paintings as they are preserved in the from of an integral part of the historical buildings are preserved in hachhanaha kingdom of Amber The paintings in the Mughal Gateway st Basrat the painted cenotaph of Maharaja Man Singh and his palaces at Amber the painted maqbarn of Maqdoom Shah al Amber and the painted cenotaph of possibly Nabaraja Bhao Singh at Bhaupusa (Jaipurs are good examples and show Mughal impuct though the themes arc indige nous The wave of the tradition of murals secms to have reached in the Shekhawati region from the Kachhawaha principality Though in view of time and chronology, the murals in Shekhawati are comparat: yely late but the painted architecture reached its climax there The decorated wall became the symptom of the architecture and it became the general belief that the decorations on the walls foster prosperity (Hrat 91591 41001) As the bastions adorn the strongholds and cita dels, so also the paintings adorn the walls (972 estret, va sta)-says the poet Meha (16 cent AD) of Chusu region Another poet Bhikbajana (V S 1685/A D 1628) hailing from Fatehpur (She Akawati) speaks in his poctic language how the artists are proficient in making forms and creating varied themes 5 The entire region of Shekhawatı along with the contiguous arcas like Toravati and Churu are also exceedingly rich in murals, though not very old and formed an unseparable and integral part of the architecture Sacred as well as secular bulidings were decorated and embellished with paintings both at the exterior and in the interior The Shodhak ·80 Paintings As A Source temples cenoatphs (gat?), harelles step wells (arget) all preserve a rich harvest of mural paintings on varied subjects Many splendoured kaleidoscope of the life of the people and their religious beliefs and customs song and dance, festivals and frolics aspirations and attain ments etc are unleashed through these paintings It is a whole world of rich and robust iridescence This rich repertoire of source material for the study of social and cultural history needs immediate attention and analysis The entire area of Shekhawat, had glorious tradition of paint ings on walls beginning from the close of 17 cent AD to modern times it reached to its climax in the 19 cent and still is a living tradition The introduction and arrival of Railway Train Motor Car Ship Victorian cart Gramaphone etc was a great attraction to the artist and these themes were extensively used while painting the walls of the buildings in Shekhawati As these were introduced in India in mid 19 cent AD and late it helps in dating of these mural paintingsø In sorre of the barelies there is also the depiction of the portraits of Queen Victoria George V Edward VIII Maharaja Ram Singh (Jaipur) Maharaja Ganga Singh (Bikaner) and the local rulers etc which also provide additional support to the date of their constructions Some of the inscribed cenotaphs of the local rulers having fine mural paratings are important for the study of the gradual development of the traditions of these murals in Shekhawati region As these cenotaphas are some times dated and memorial tablets installed there the dating of these murals are on more sure footing One of the earliest painted cenota phe datable to the close of 17 or early 18 cent A Dis discovered in Udaipurvatı It also contains inscriptions in colour both in Persian language and script which is dated in Hızri era 1114 (1701 AD) and the Hindi inscriptions in Devanagari script are dated in V S 1761 and 1791 (1/04 and 1734 A D) This important edifice was built in memory of Shah Jogidas by his two brothers Damed Bijairam and Deva (Devid.is) soa s of Bhagwandas Jogidas wis the grandson of Mohan Sah the cashier and minister of Todarmaí (1640-58 AD) the local ruler of Udajpurvati Some of the other notable painted cenotaphs liks the cenotaph of Rao Sardulsingh (V S 1807[A D 1750) at Parshurampura (Jhunjhunu) cenotaph of Rao Chandasıngh (V S 1843/A D 1786) at Ganera (Sıkar) the cenotaph of Takgeta(V S 1833/AD 1776) at Churu the cenotaph of Bakshıram khandelwal Mahajan (V S 1840/A D 1783) at Reengus (Sikar) the undated cenotaph at kasalı (Sikar) the ceno taphs of Doongji Jawarji at patoda (Sikar) etc are landmark in realm of mural paintings in Shekhawati region ·81 Rajasthan History These paintings provide detailed glimpse of the social and cultural life of the people No aspect of life is excluded in them Paurante themes both Vaishnav3 and Sharya dominate As major bulk of tbc mercantile populace in this region belong to Maheshwari class, who are Vaishnava by faith, the popularity of the scenes from the fe of Rama and Krishna seems natural Interestingly the havelies of the Jaina Seths also are decorated with Hindu themes-boih Rama and krishnu Sametimes these depictions are interesting from iconographic View point At Sardarshahar the fight of Surya and Rahu a theme uakaoun in the sculptural art finds dermeated Love lores and folk themes were other attraction of the artists Dhola Maru was the most popular theme and there is hardly a building with painting in the region which does not contain scenes from this popular folk lore Usually Dhola and Maru are shown on the camel which is chased by Umara Sumara on the horse s back in the Thakurji temple at Bhalerı (Sardar sbahar) Maru has been painted as a newly wedded bride with verl The other love loves which find popularity in the murals are Binjha Sorath, Sadaya Vatsalınga as well as Laila Majnu, Heer Ranjha Raja Risalu, Jalal Boobana, Guleha fam Begum etc Some of the most famous 5:21nts/heroes and their deeds also formed the subject matter of these paintings. To quote a few examples Guru Nanak (Churu 19 cent AD) Pabuji staking his life while protecting cows (Sardarshahar later half of 19 cent AD) portrait of Doongji Jawarji (Nawalagarh V S 1957/A D 1900 and Ramgarh) in the cenotaph of Rio Chandasınch at Ganen, Hadi Rani with her severed head kept in a big salver 18 shown which happens to be one of the most pathetic themes from Rajput history Classical subjects like Raga Ragial and Barahmasa are also depicted in these murals and the cenotaphs of Poddar Serhs at Ramgarh are interesting from this vice parat Here the musical melodies are labelled and inscribed These paintings are the store house of the social and cultural life of the people Day to day life of the commoner and his costoms and beliefs are vyidly portrayed here The artists took keen interest in depicting various facts of life which was full of vigous and cnthusiasm Various customs forming part of the marriage ceremony are delineated in details, Panaghot and Ponikarin was another theme wbich attracted the painter wherein colourful scenes of ladies on the Village well/stepwell are portrayed Interestingly some themes from Shadhak ·82 Pajntings As A Source the common life as they find depiction in the murals from Shekhawati are lively and inspiring Suffice it to quote a few examples such as the Raika (1754T) milking the she camel the oxen fetching water from the village well the peasant engaged in ploughing the field the lady at work on the Charkha the juggler (79727) showing the feats of a monkey to the village folk and the like As these murals are the creations of the British period glimpses of the European life are also met with Besides the portrait of personages like Queen Victoria George V, Edward VII etc the figures of Edwardian lady with big hat in various postures are also commonly depicted in this context the haveltes at Sardarshahar are worth mentioning In the bows of one steamship an Englishman of massive proportions is shown here in one of the havelies seated on a dias surveying the sea ahead with a large telescope In another painting at the same place is depicted an arctic expedition with thickly clad explorers beside an ice bound ship fighting desperately with a polar bear At the exterior of the hayıl es of Baradıa Seths at Sardarshahar the artist has delineated a big ship having inscription Made In Germany but curiously the letters are upside down showing the ignorance of the painter about English alphabets Folk element is evident in the Shekhawati murals Some of the facinating folk motifs are also painted Curious mythical beasts besides animals (like horse camel elephant) formed with the combina tion of lady figures (नौनारी अश्व नौनारी उष्ट्र नौनारी पुन्जर नौ नारी etc) are very popular subjects The drawings of curious beasts like the one having the face of an animal (fowl?) and the body of the fish a colossal bird (like falcon") having a group of elephants on the various part of its body are very popular At Ganeshwar the latter has even been labelled as 330 90 (dated VS 1959/A D 1902) Some of these painted havelies and cenotaphs also contain symbolic drawings and graphs (75 7&and atath etc) besides inscriptions in red or black colours which are quite interesting As these are incised by the merchant class these inscriptions record the local rates of various commodities on a particular day Such inscriptions are noticed in the cenotaph of the Poddars (VS 1919/A D 1861) at Ram garh and havelies (VS 1982/A D 1925) of Vijaivargiya at Ganeshwar both in district Sikar As regards the technique of these murals they seem to be painted directly on the dry plaster The straight forward application ·83 Rajasthan History of paint on the walls has proved detrimental The utter neglect of these monuments whose owners are living outside in the metropolitan towns as well as the effects of sun rain dust-storm etc have put these edifices in a sad state of preservation Colours of these murals have faded con siderably and at places the painted plaster has esther cracked or actually been pushed off Paintings are also found on the wooden beams, doors and windows etc The houses also use intricate mirror work in the various apartments chiefly in the ceilıng floor niches etc The villagewell in Shekawati with four elegant pillars (FTTT) surmounted with dome is also usually decorated and painted in some of the havelies and cenotaphs the name of the artists are also met with who are technically known as Chejara (@TC) and mostly belonged to the potter s class Notes The Survey of Antiquities and Art Traditions in Shekhawati region was conducted by the author during August 1978 to April 1983 Though the present (contd ) districts of Sikar and Jhunjhunu which originally form part of Shekhawatı were hopey combed but the contiguous areas of Churu (Bikaner State) and Toravati were also covered partially so as to have an assessment of the trends and traits in the realm of art and culture number of mounds and sites were dotted historical monuments like artistic temples strong holds step wells havelies were noticed scattered sculptural relics and inscribed memorial tablets were discovered A special attention was paid to the study of art traditions with reference to painted architecture in which the region is surprisingly rich The article is based primarily on the findings and on the spot observations in the context of Mural Traditions of Shekhawati 1 2 Giriraj Kumar, Painted Rock Shelters from Rajasthan, Cultural Contours of India (Dr Satya Prakash Felicitation Volume) ed Vijar Shankar Srivastava, II part Delbı 1981 pp 277 285 3 Career of Jalaluddin Khulz, Indian Aptiquary, Vol II, No 8 Nove mbey 1939 and also Kari Khandalavala Wall Paintiogs from Amber Portfolio Lalit Kala Akademi New Delhi 1974 pi 4 Dr Herman Goetz Bairat Murals Arts Orientalis Washington Vol 1 No I and Dr Satya Prakash Uttar Bharti Agra University, Agra Shodhak ·84 Paintings As A Source Karl Khandalavala Wall Paintings from Amber Portfolio Lalit kala Akademi New Delhi 1974 Near the cenotaph at Bhaupura (near Renwal in Jaipur) exists a colossal step well (Baori) which contains an inscription dated V S 1694/A D 1637 written both in Persian and Devanagri scripts - It records the construction of the step well by the male nurse (8113) Chatra and (his wife?) the female nurse (915) Lakshmi of Maharaja Jai Singh evidently Mirza Raja Jai Singh I (AD 1621 166 ) of Amber for the comfort of god s creatures and donors dedicated it to Srije God Vishnu of whom the donors were the devotees For details refer Dr Satya Prakash Epigraphia Iodica (Arabic and Persian Supplement) 1968 (8) pp 67 68 5 चित्रकार चित्रित शक्ल की हे विविध चरित्र । चित्र चितरा भीखजन, रहा अपन वे चित्र ॥ 6 The first railway train in India started in the year 1853 between Bombay and Thana In Rajasthan railway was introduced on 11 August 1873 when Bharatpur was connected with Agra followed by Bandikur Dausa and Bandıkut Bharatpur by which were formally opened for public on 20 April 1874 In Shekhawat, and contiguous areas railways came in existence in the opening decades of the present century Some important tracks with their date of opening being From То Date of Opening Miles Sanganer Niwar 16 11 1905 32 15 Niwai Sawai Madhopur 17 10 1907 41 19 Marwar Frontier Sujangarh 16 9 1909 1 42 Sujangarh Ratangarh 2 2 1910 28 56 Ratangarh Churu 22 5 1910 26 61 Churu Hissar 8 7 1911 79 36 Bikaner Ratangarh 24 11 1912 84 97 Jaipur Reengus 1912 1916 35 50 Reengus-Palsana 6 4 1918 14 14 Palsada Sıkar 1 12 1922 17 02 Sikar Nawalgarh 18 9 1923 16 95 Nawalgarh Jhunjhunu 1 8 1924 22 85 Sikar Fatehpur Sethan 18 1924 30 OS For further details refer Ram Paode, Railways in Rajpatana 1982 Jaipur pp 29 30 ·Historical Personages- Murals of South East Rajasthan BMS Parmar Like religious themes Raga raginis Nayıkabheda Festivals Baramasa theme portraits of rulers of Kota Bund, Jhalawar and some other neighbouring chiefships were also painted over the walls of the palaces havelis and temples of Kota Bundi Jhaluwar Indergarh Uniara and Nagar Some of them are of course contemporary and interesting from the point of view of attempting history by the medium of paintings The place wise study of the theme of this paper follows Chitrashala Or Ranvilas Baodi --It is a part of Bundy Palace Complex and consists of inner rooms and verandas The doors of these rooms had ivory inlay work over them The ceilings and the walls have puntings said to be done in the period of Rao Ummed Singh (1749 73) who regained his patriarchal throne from the usurper There is no doubt that the chitrashala paintings were originally executed during his times And probably also painted in the times of his grandson Bishan Singh (1773 1821 AD) and retouched in the times of Ram Singh (1881 89 A D) The former state of Bundi bordered by Tonk and Jaipur on the north on the west by Mewar to the south by Mewar and Malwa and to the south east by Chambal river which forms natural boundary between Bundt and sister state of Kota The earliest Bundi painting of our interest from bistorical point of view is datable to the times of Rao Surjan (1554 1585) contemporary of Mughal Emperor Akbar The painting is of Bhalerao and Anipa two named elephants of Rao Surjan Registering officer Kota Shodhak ·86 Paintings As A Source An inscription on the top left corner states हाथी राव सुरजन का भालेराव anfaat TTTIS The most powerful ruler of Bundı was Satrusal (1631 1658) who greatly favoured by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan had pain ters in his employ He took part in the Deccan campaigns and bis brother Madho Singh was given the Jagır of Kota in 1632 His son Bhao Singh (1658 1681) and grand son Aniruddha Singh (1681 1695) also participated in Deccan campaigns During Bhao Singh s period Bundı punting made rapid progress but influence of Deccan styl is there Under Aniruddha Singh the Bundt style cquired a lyrıcal quality It was however during the reign of Ummed Singh (1749 73) that the Bundi Painting entered in its most glorious phase The study of the mural of our theme begins with it After the death of Budh Singh his son Ummed Singh was in trouble because of Jai Singh of Jaipur who dethroned him and put his own protege Dalelsingh of Karwar Ummed Singh put his family under the guardianship of Rao Durjansal of Kota Both the princes met and chalked out the scheme to regain the throne with the help of Mewar and Shahpura rulers This meeting between Ummedsingh and Durjansal has been painted by Bundi artist size 2 42 x 84 cm at Chitrasala Palace Bundi Its date of composition cannot be earlier than 1750 A D because Ummed Singh was able to sadle himself only after regalang Bundi in 1748 AD with the help of Mewar and Kota princes Probably to commomorate the gratitude towards Durjansal of kota Ummed Singh got painted bis meeting with him on wall Ummed Sigh was wise brave and faultless personality bul god fecring In one of the paintings he is shown worshipiog Shrinathji His grandson Bishan Singh has also been shown in the painting with folded hands Meeting of Ummed Singh and Rao Bishan Singh 1 05X 95 Cms is also recorded in these murals In 1771 A D Rao Ummed Singh abdicated the throne of Bundi to pass the rest of his life as royal ascetic He installed his son Ajit Singh in his place But Ajit Singh was pot destined to rule for long and breathed last due to a chronic disease Although Ummed Singh hud renounced the sceptre, but was compelled to guide his grandson in managing the affairs of the state This painting is the reminiscent of one such meeting in which the two are shown seated over patterned cushion with the ·87 Rajasthan History masnad to their back Bishan Singh is wearing turban and smoking hukka, while emaciated Ummed Singh is shown bare headed and his hair have grown grey Bostan Singh in a garden is one of the finest pieces of murals although more interested in hunting Bishan Singh patronised paintings also In his times Chitrashala was embellished with certain good qualıy murals among such their is one panel in which Rao Bishan Smgh has been painted watching dance performance in the palace garden in the centre of which there is - fountain with lotus and ducks the plantain palm and mango trees are blossomed peacocks are pershed over Besides dancers and singers whole party consists of zanana It is a fine composition and a good specimen of Bundi art of late 18th century Similarly there are some other murals in this Chitra shila showing Bishan Singh on horseback and hunting wild animals Indergarh Estate of Indergarh was carved out by Indrasal an younger brother of Rao Satrusul of Bundi and in latter Mughal period was amongst the hothris which used to pay tribute of Rs 17506)- to Kota Durbar of which Rs 6969/ were paid by the latter to Jaipur Indergush now forms part of Distr Bundi and is situated at the distance of 72 Kms north of Kola on Delhi Bombay Broadguage Railway line Its fort is situated over an hillock Palaces Portions known as Zanana Mahal Suparı Mahal and Hawa Mahal have wall paintings In the Zanana Mahal there are number of Raga Raginis in mature Bundi style Besides these there is a panel measuring about 3X1 meire inside the arch over the southern gate of the Zanana palace in which a noble probably Indrasal on horse back been painted hunting ducks with the help of falcon and in another he is shown inspecting horses brought from Arab and Turkey hota The former state of hota as we have already said wat an offshoot of Bundi hota is known for its dense forest wealth which 15 even now the haunts of tigers The rulers constructed hunting lodges near lakes in forest In a painting from Kota a prince and his ladies are depicted sitting in a hunting lodge watching a herd of dear quen ching their thrist On the opposite side is a pair of lions The painting Is dalable to mid eighteenth ceatury The murals of our surveyed places mostly reveal the hunting scenes As evident in the following description Shodhak ·88 Paintings As A Source Detta Shridhr Ki Harelt Devta Shridharjis ancestors have been priests and advisers to the rulers of kota This Havcl is multistoried structure overlooking Chambal Its first and second floor rooms have murals covering different traditional themes and some of them have historical personages like Maharao Ummed Singh Kishore Singh and his younger brother Prithivi Singh In another scene kishore Singh and Prithvi Singh the two sons of Ummed Singh (1776 1819 AD) are depicted while hunting lion Jhala hi Haveli During late 18th and early 19th ceptury a very renowned person named Jhala Zalım Singh arose to politxal signrficance in the state of kota after the winning of the battle of Bhatwara (1761 AD) which was fought between the forces of kota and Jaipur In subsequent days he became Dewan of the State and weilded actual power He was great patron of art and literature A Havel (Kahla Kothi) inside Kota fort is named after him possesses beautiful murals representing mature Kota Stvle Here m some paintings he has been depicted in the company of a ludy, at worship and in prime of his youth But worth mentioning is one panel me..suring 6 65 X 65 Cms wherein Zalım Singh and Maharao Ummed Singh (17 01819) are painted hunting Rhiro boar lion wild buftilo and deer in a dense forest The treatment of wild beasts and the landscape proves the skill of kota artist In other palaces the rulers of Kota have been painted while playing Holi participating in the festivals of Dashera Gangaur and in hunting expeditions Rao Ummed Singh and Ram Singh II (1827 65 AD) have prominently depicted in these Murals Volara & Nagar Fief of Unsara enjoyed quasi independant status during 18 19th centuries and comparised the parganas of Unrara Nagı Kakor and Banetha said to be granted to Chanderbhan by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan It is also to be added here that Unjara Chiefs always remained politically alligned to the house of Jaipur accepting the suzerainty Rao Raja Sardar Singh was the contemporary of Sawai Jai Singh and connived with bim to dethron Budh Singh of Bundt he built palaces at Nagar and Unlara which have mural paintings Nagar is situated 35 Kms south of Tonk Previously it formed part of Unjara Thikana There is Palace inside the fort Much before Narukas Nagar was a great cultural centre It remained the capital (Karkot ·89 Rajasthan History Nagar) of the Malawa tribe from 2nd century BC to 4th century AD Archaeological excavations of its ancient site have revealed a good number of copper coins bearing legend Jaya Malavanam in Brahmi characters besides terracottas Raja Sardar Singh I built a palace here and got its walls painted The themes here also are traditional and some of them are related with contemporary priaces details of them are being given to the paintings like - Rao Raja Sardar Singh I, It is an balf profile portray (66 66 Cms ) inside a nicke done over the araish most probably by Mir Bagas an artist of Bundi Style This Nagar portrait of Sardar Singh is quite similar to that of Uniara palace and differ a little in delination of moustaches from his another portrait of Bhagrata Puran (1759 D) painted by Mir Bagas This Bhagyata Paras manuscript is in the private collection of Rajendra Singh of Uniara a descendant of Rao Raja Sardar Singh I Budha Singh and his courtiers -(43X38 Cms) is another mural Budh Singh (1702 29 AD) was the brother in law of Jai Singh But after he death of Aurangzeb later s ambitions arose so high that Budh Singh was evicted from Bundi throne and Sardar Singh of Umara connived with Amber ruler in this political garre Here in this mural Budh Singh has been shown while seated over a cushioned seat Smok- Ing hukka His face is whispered and quite akın to that of Bund: Chitrashala and National Musuem Ragmala miniatures of his period Deva Singh Dalel Singh and Salım Singh are the courtiers seated infront of him and in the left Meeting of the Princes (43x41) is a mural depicting Ummed Singh (1729 69 AD) of Shahapura (Mewar) Gopal Singh II (1724 57) of Karauli Surajmai (1756 63) of Bharatpur and the Maratha general Malhar Rao Holkar It is believed that such meeting took place Besides there are two more paintings depicting an youthful Zalım Singh Zhala seated with folded hands infront of Mabarao Satrusal (Fig 2S) and in like manner prince Ummed Singh seated infront of his father Budba Suagh Shodhak

·90
Paintings As A Source
3
Fig 25
Interestingly in another panel according to inscription Emperors
Shahjahan and Aurangzeb are shown with Jar Singh of Amber (Fig 26)
All these Murals are of Bundi style datable to late 18th century
VA
Barangay
Fig 26
Uniara Palace Untara palace was also built by Rao Raja
Sardar Singh I under his patronage an artist named Mir Bagas painted
the portraits of Maharaja Naru and from Chandra Bhan to Sardar

·91 Rajasthan History Singh But the protraus of Sirdar Singh and his grand father Sangram Singh s (1690 1715 AD) faces resemble with each other in one of the wall paintings Thakur Fateh Singh, Sangram Singh and Rao Ajit Singh are depicted (Fig 27) 1- Fig 27 Jaswant Singh Vishnu or Bishan Singh and Bhim Singh respectively were his successors portraits of them have also been painted over the walls But the courtscene and portrasts of them are done by the artists trained in Jaipur style Their quality of colouring drawing and composition is poor Due to the ravages of time inadequate maintenance and their exposure to the nestling of birds the colours of these murals have faded and araisha plaster has withered away at places Jhalawar s garh palaces have also murals of 19th and 2015 centuries These palaces now are the head quarters of District offices The theme is traditional Rag raginies Kawayan Mahabharat but some portraits of historical personages are also depicted Shodhak ·Vaishnavism as the Source of Pictorial Tradition in Rajasthan Ram Pande* and Jagatnaraio** The eleventh century had witnessed great popularity of the vaishnavacult of Bhakti Movement Alberuns who visited India in the wake of invasion of Mehmood of Ghazani in 1017 found the religion of the people vaishnava was also fascinated by the noble idea of Bhagvat Gita This popularity was largely due to the work of south Indian saint Ramanuja (1017 1137) who was long lived A contemporary of Ramanuja was Nimbarka (died) 1162) He was born at Nimba in the Bellary District of Karnataka According to Nimbarka the way to peace and happiness is bhakti for the lotus like feet of krishna and that bhakti is only to be obtained through grace At the close of the twelfth century Jayadeva the Bengali poet wrote the Gita Govinda on the love of Radha and Krishan Radha is the invention of this poet Henceforth in eastern India the province of Bihar and Bengal became the centre of Radha Krishna Cult Vidyapatı (€ 1400 1470) a Bihari wrote poetry of great sensous charm on the love of Radha and Krishna His contemporary was the Bengalı poet Chands Das (A1429) who lived at Nannura in the Birbhum District of West Bengal He had fallen in love with a washerwoman Ramı who in fact was his Radha He was boycotted by his Brahmin kinsmen for what they regarded as a social crime a high caste Brahımın falling in love with a low-caste woman When in distress he prayed to his family goddess Basult the goddess appeared to him 19 dream and said, love Shodhak Jaipur ** Govt PG College Kota ·93 Rajasthan History this woman my son it is your fate that you should do so nay, this love will sanctify you neither I nor hundreds of gods and goddesses like me will be able to give you a glimpse of that higher life wbich this woman s love will teach you By the middle of the thirteenth century Islam was fimly established in India and made an impact on the religion of the Hindus Islam declared that there was one great God, who was supporter of the virtuous and the sustainer of the world There was growing disenchant ment among the Hindus with speculative and philosophical theories on religion which were current And which could no longer satisfy their Spiritual aceds This promoted the faith in Krishna as the personal God who foved mankind Another contribution which Islam made to the Hindu religious thought was through Sufism The Sufi techniques of inducing mystic ecstasy such as dancing music repetition of the name of God and the recital of love poems were adopted by Chaitanya (1486 1533) the prophet of Vaishnavism in Bengal According to Chaitanya God or Krishna is the lover and the soul of man is his bride represented by Radha For describing the stages of Radha s love for Krishna the analogy of human love as adopted The first is the awakening of love The dext is the meeting of lovers followed by sagibhoga or union Then comes grief on separation symbolized by ihe anguish suffered by the gopis of Vnandavana when Krishna goes to Mathura Finally comes bhanummilana or the spiritual marriage The system of Chaitnya aimed at the culture of emotion and thus arose a subtle classifaction of love which could be cultivated in many ways lle came to the realization that love is the supreme regulat ing principle of the universe The universe is a poem and the spiritual soul alone is privileged to read its deep poetry The rise of Vishnavism as a faith of the Hindus had special significance for Rajasthan in the fifteenth century Braja the country around Maihura became the centre of Krishna worship Vallabhacha rya (born 1478) and his son Vithalnarba were the founders of the new creed They were followed by the blind poet Sur Das (1479 1584) wbose poem on the emploits of krishda compiled in the Premsagar a poctical Version of the Bhagavata Purana provided themes for paintings to the artists not only of Mewar but whole of Rajputana Mira Bai (1504 Shodhak ·94 Paintings As A Source 1550) the princess of Mewar s devotional poems in praise of Krishna which are still sung in India She was followed by Bihari Lal (1595 1613) the author of the Sat Sai „od Sawant Singh Raja of Kishangarh in the middle of eighteenth century The romantic mystical poetry of these poets inspired the paintings of Rajasthan The deity of Shirinathji towards the last quarter of 17th century was brought to Nathdwara where a separate school of painting started with Vaishnavism theme Sawant Singh was follower of the Vallabhacharya Cult pushti Marg the Path o Pleasure According to this cult God is to be sought in the enjoyment of life rather than in asce icism The Brahman priests of Pushthi Marg who presided over the ritual of Krishna worship evolved a beautiful ceremony wnih plentiful use of in cense and flowers They and their followers dressed in silk and anoin ted themselves with perfumed oil Their followers were the Rajas the airstocracy and the wealthy merchants The drama of the mystic love of Radha and Krishna was not peculiar to Kishangarh In fact it was enacted in palaces and mansions of aristocracy and merchants all over Rajasthan in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries Partap Singh (1779 1803) the epicurean ruler of Jaipur used to dress as Krishna while his concubines played the role of gopis in rasa dance in some of the paintings from Jaipur he 18 dressed as Krishna playing the flute while a favourite concubine representing Radha stands by him gazıng lovingly into his eyes In fact the new cult provided a pretext to the princes and noble for erotic experiences with their concubines and courtesans under the guise of religion It is this refined eroticism which we find reflected in the paintings of this period which lends them great charm In 1757 Sawant Singh abdicated the throne and accompajned by his faithful Bani Thanı proceeded to Virndavana There he spent the remaining years of his life and died in 1764 A year later Banı Thanı too followed him A characteristic of the Kishangarh painting is that a number of them which deal with the Krishna theme do not follow the familiar anecdotes mentioned in the Bhagvata Purana These are the paintings which are based on the verses of Sawant Singh They indicate a close personal relationship between the poet and the patron on one side and the artist on the other Besides the Krishna of these paintings is not the pastoral god of Gokula and Viradavanana but an aristocrat slim and ·95 Rajasthan History tall he is Rajput priace, dignified and arrogant Radha is not a simple village girl but courtesan who is conscious of her beauty and knows the art of seduction The vallabha cult has influenced paintiogs very much The religious works like Bhagpats Bere painted The erotic works like Jaideo s Gita Goroda and Vidyapata were also paintad besides the walls This has revolutionalised in the field of terrple architecture also by giving a concept of Pichhwai Vallabha infulance is quite obvious in the murals and miniatu res of the Marwar because of Jsawant Singh s association with Shrinathji During his time Chopasant became the centre of Vallabha art According to the statement of Lama Tara Nath and painting in Jains temple the tradition of miniatures and murals is very old Nagor painting of Shantınath Temple is dated 1605 AD Paliis nearby town of Jodhpur was a prolifice Tikhana of the painting work during the time of Raja Gaj Singh (1610-1630) Bhakat Singh (1724 49) was ruler of Nigor He executed some wall paintings in the buildings like Hawa Mahal Badal Mahal Shish Mahal at the Nagor Fort Both in quality and quantity in atelier of the Maharaja soon a sub school of Marwar mural sprang up These paintings reveal that the Maharaja got them painted under the infulance of Vaishnava Cult By painting Shri Krishna and Radha the Maharaja actually took immence delight in seeing women in the different poses and theme of so called Vaishnava cult Maharaja Man Singh due to his unconscious faith in the Nath cult accorded to the Kanpatha Yogies a partial treatment later it became a panth painting of Jhalandar Nath is clear proof of it. Sirohı wall paintings may be regarded 25 unique in this direc tion as the theme of these is the life of Ram and Sita in place of Krisha and Rudha For Further Study 1 Karl Khandalavala and Eric Dickinson hisbangarh Paintings 2 MS Randhawa and DS Randhwa kishangarh Paintiog 3 Dinesh Chandra Sen Chattabya and His Age 4 Thomes Arnold and Alfred Gullauave The Legacy of Islam 5 RA Agarwal Marmar Murals Shodhak ·Tribal Wall Paintings in the Perimeter of History and Culture Veerbala Bhansar* Rajasthan is famous for its colourful tradition of miniature paintings from early historic to modern times Vagad arca whose main districts are Banswara and Dungarpur in South west of Rajasthan has also a colourful living tradition of art Bai swara Dungarpur Pratapgarh and neighbouring villages belong to MP and Gujarat States has a vast population of Bhi tribe Bhils are considered as aboriginal inhabitants of this place and the minas are also very impor tant aboriginal tribe of this arca They have their own culture and traditions Though they are Non Aryans but now mingled with Hindu culture In the interior villages and remote areas they are still living with their primitive culture We can meet the Shamans (Bhopas) who guide their life and cure the disease We can see Menhir (Seera cheera in their own Language) as the monumental slabs or tablct of their deceased ancestors which are carved in stone This is the oldest culture of the primitive people not only of these tribes but of all the primitive tribes in world I We can see the paintings on wall in each and almost every occa sions on the most important occasion of marriage they paint with termeric and rice powder on the mud wall The names of these paintings are Deradı Bharadı or 'Maret or Gotrej (arca wise difference) This is a peptagon form of the composition in which they paint a couple of figure (bride and bridegroom) and some times god go ddess depjecting a peacock on the top of the fifth corner > In other empty places they put a form of sun moon and stars out side of the Fig 28 Dept of Drawing and Paintings Vory of Rajasthan Jaipur ·97 Rajasthan History pentagon sometimes they paint a horse rider, in its most primitive form The motif of this horse (excluding the rider) has a character of the stone age animal puntings of Altamira cave in Spain 3 They execute a human figure out of two reversed triangles and a round on it to show the face or head and the two straight lines are enough to depict the hands This is also a one of the oldest style of cave paintings in India reported by VS Wakankar from the nearest places of Vagad in MP as well as from Kota of south cast Rajasthan The Gonds of MP also draw this type of figures on their walls 4 It is well known that the Vagad is a part of Ahanan culture which is the oldest culture of Rajasthan and parillel to that of the Harappan culture of Indus Valley The Vagad is an important place for i scopper industry, which was developed by the inhabitants of this region These people have been forming a culture of thousands years ago which is the pre harapp3n culture These people of Vaged draw the forms of trident sun and moon on different occasions The form of trident represnts Lord Shiva or Bhairon, which is the favourite god of Bhils The sun and moon probably represent the phenomenon of nature There are many other paintings of the animals like cow goat bull and even a cimel which is not a popular animal of this region 6 Thus we can see the variety of paintings on the mud walls of the tribal people References • Bhils erect stone tablets in memory of their male dead (never to deceased women) and as a rule, the figure of the deceased as carved on the stone Rajasthan Gazetteer 1879 Vol I P 122 2 The Pentagon drawing from Loharia, Thesi! Kushalgarh Dast Banswara (Fig 28 at Page 96) 3 1969- (a) Drawing from MC Burkitts 'The Old Stone Age' Calcutt P 169 (Altamira caye Spain) (Fig 29) (b) Drawing from Tehsil Ghatol Dist Banswara (Fig 30) Shodhak ·98 Painting As A Source in the 1: 3 (a) N 3 (0) Fig 29 Fig 30 A 1976- (a) Drawing from VS Wakankars Stone Age Painting Bombay P 15 (Bhimbetka) (Fig 31) (b) Drawing from Tehsil Ghatol Dist Banswara (Fig 32) W $ N4 (0) N4 (6) F16 31 Fug 32 the area of Udanupr Dungarpur and Banswara Districts had witnessed the growth and development of Ahar culture which florushed in the region as an independent entity as early as 2000 BC in that part of Rajasthan also the indigenous people had deve loped copper industry though we have got earlier remains also at Bigor (Dist Bhilwara) in the form of copper arrow heads etc and datable to 2800 BC on the basis of C 14 analysis much before Pre Harappan culture Shodhak (A journal of Historical Rese arch) 1983 Vol 11 P/ARC Agrawals Prohistoric Rajasthan- The cradle of copper Age culture Jaipur P 20 (1) Drawing from Peepal Khoont Dist Banswara (Camels) (Fig 331 (h) Same place (a cow) (Fig 34) 6 Tomo Fig 34