Muraqqa
Also called: Mughal albums · Topic: The Mughal Empire: Babur to Aurangzeb · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A muraqqa is an album of miniature paintings and pages of fine handwriting (calligraphy), collected and bound together for a Mughal emperor. Each page was usually set inside a richly decorated border, often painted with gold, flowers or figures. Muraqqas were among the court's most prized treasures. They show how highly the Mughals valued painting and calligraphy, especially under Jahangir and Shah Jahan.
Example
Jahangir had albums made that put portraits, studies of birds and animals, and calligraphy side by side on the same pages. Single pages from these albums, with gold-flecked borders, are now kept in museums around the world.
Don't confuse with
- Illustrated manuscripts such as the Razmnama or the Padshahnama: these tell one continuous text with pictures added. A muraqqa is a collection of separate paintings and calligraphy pages chosen for their beauty.
Related concepts
- Jahangir
- Nur Jahan
- Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri
- Chain of justice
- Itimad-ud-Daulah's tomb
- Akbar's tomb, Sikandra
- Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar
- Mughal miniature painting
- Ustad Mansur
- Shah Jahan