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Battle between Manuchihr and Tur, from a Shah-nama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (Persian, c. 934–1020)

Unknown

1610

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Mughal Painting Baroque History Painting Court of Jahangir

Dominant colour

Battle between Manuchihr and Tur, from a Shah-nama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (Persian, c. 934–1020) is a 1610 unspecified by Unknown, a Baroque work, depicting Court of Jahangir, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1610 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see two armies clashing on a rocky hillside, warriors in bright armor and flowing robes, horses rearing, swords swinging. A man in the center—Manuchihr—wears a golden crown and lifts his sword high, leading the charge. This painting comes from a *Shah-nama*, a Persian epic poem about kings and heroes. But it was made in Mughal India, where Persian stories were loved and illustrated with local flair. The artist mixed Persian style with Indian details, like the patterned textiles and jewel-like colors. To see more of this mix, look up Mughal India, court of Jahangir (reigned 1605–27).

The story of this work

Overview

This battle sets the stage for the ages-long enmity in the epic Shah-nama between the people of Iran and Turan—identified as Turkistan, the lands to the east of Iran. The conflict resulted from a bitter family feud that began when a warrior king divided his realm among his three sons; the older two were murderously jealous of the youngest, Iraj, to whom the best lands, those of Iran, were given. In this painting, the warrior in the center is Manuchihr, the grandson of Iraj, avenging his grandfather’s murder by slaying Tur, Iraj’s older brother to whom the less desirable lands of Turan were…