Mirza Mirak Mashhadi
1592
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1592
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
This painting shows Mirza Mirak Mashhadi kneeling before Emperor Akbar in 1567. Akbar looks calm while Mirza Mirak gets scolded. A guard stands ready with a sword. Mirza Mirak came to defend Ali Quli Khan Zaman, a rebel who kept switching sides. The emperor didn’t buy it this time. Mirza Mirak was later executed. This scene comes from the Akbarnama, a book of Akbar’s reign. It mixes history with imperial power play. For more like this, see the Victoria and Albert Museum.
