Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of present-day Assam and Bangladesh in the east, and the uplands of the Deccan Plateau in South India.
The Mughal Empire is conventionally said to have been founded in 1526 by Babur, a chieftain from what is today Uzbekistan, who employed aid from the neighboring Safavid and Ottoman Empires to defeat the sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodi, in the First Battle of Panipat and to sweep down the plains of North India. The Mughal imperial structure, however, is sometimes dated to 1600, to the rule of Babur’s grandson, Akbar. This imperial structure lasted until 1720, shortly after the death of the last major emperor, Aurangzeb, during whose reign the empire also achieved its maximum geographical extent. Reduced subsequently to the region in and around Old Delhi by 1760, the empire was formally dissolved by the British Raj after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Although the Mughal Empire was created and sustained by military warfare, it did not vigorously suppress the cultures and peoples it came to rule; rather, it equalized and placated them through new administrative practices, and diverse ruling elites, leading to more efficient, centralised, and standardized rule. The basis of the empire’s collective wealth was agricultural taxes, instituted by the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. These taxes, which amounted to well over half the output of a peasant cultivator, were paid in the well-regulated silver currency, and caused peasants and artisans to enter larger markets.
The relative peace maintained by the empire during much of the 17th century was a factor in India’s economic expansion. The burgeoning European presence in the Indian Ocean and an increasing demand for Indian raw and finished products generated much wealth for the Mughal court. There was more conspicuous consumption among the Mughal elite, resulting in greater patronage of painting, literary forms, textiles, and architecture, especially during the reign of Shah Jahan. Among the Mughal UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South Asia are: Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Lahore Fort, Shalamar Gardens, and the Taj Mahal, which is described as “the jewel of Muslim art in India, and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”.
The Mughal Empire, known for its rich artistic traditions, employed the motif of the lion and lamb (or calf) in its artwork, especially in miniature paintings. This imagery held significant symbolic meaning within the Mughal context.
- Symbolism
- Lion: Represented power, courage, royal authority, and imperial grandeur of the Mughal emperor. The emperor’s ability to tame ferocious beasts was a metaphor for sovereignty.
- Lamb/Calf: Represented the weak, vulnerable, and innocent subjects of the empire.
- Together: The peaceful depiction of the lion and lamb (or calf) together symbolized the existence of peace and justice during the Mughal reign, where the weak and the strong could coexist harmoniously under the Emperor’s benign rule.
- Origins and adoption
The motif was adapted from the Polyglot Bible, which depicted an ox, a lion, a lamb, and a wolf together to symbolize the union of nations in Christianity. The Mughals adopted these symbols for non-religious reasons, instead using them to present themselves as universal rulers with a divine connection. This motif also referenced the Biblical King Solomon, who was shown taming animals through divine grace, reinforcing the Mughal rulers’ claim to messianic kingship.
- Notable examples
Paintings featuring Emperor Akbar with a lion and calf illustrate this symbolism. Similarly, paintings from Jahangir’s reign often show a lion with a lamb or calf, representing the peace and justice of his rule. The lion and lamb/calf motif in Mughal art visually conveys the emperors’ authority, justice, and ability to create harmony in their empire.