Mir Sayyid Ali: The Mogul of Miniature Painting

Humayun brought a new dawn to the Mughals and introduced a new chapter of Mughal art in the historical volumes of Indian creative blends. One of the masters gifted by this Mughal was Mir Sayyid who traversed from Tabriz in Iran to the Indian subcontinent.

The Portrait of a Young Writer, dated 1550, graces the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, believed to be a self-portrait of Mir Sayyid Ali | Source: Wikimedia

Paintings are the spy glasses into the unseen past that have revealed a world we can never hope to revive. The past, beyond historical pages, would have been lost in the void of time unless our ancestors immortalised their lives and society in different art forms like paintings. This fact calls for our utter reverence for all the doyens of art forms who bequeathed us these windows that allow us glimpses of the centuries gone by. Mir Sayyid was one of them who added eloquence to Indian art.

The miracle artist was born in the first half of the sixteenth century, on the Persian soil of Tabriz, to the master of Mirto-style paintings of Solṭānīyeh, Mīr Muṣawwir. So, Mir Sayyid Ali excelled in the skills and techniques of the Safavid school under his father but went beyond the expected realms and created a new style of miniature paintings. Though he initially flourished in the Safavid atelier like his father, there came a time when Shah Tahmasp banned any form of living images throughout his empire. It led to the scattering of all artists to different kingdoms and places, seeking patronage for their art forms.

Dated c. 1540 at Tabriz, A Prince and Page graces the British Museum | Source: Wikimedia

Mir Sayyid initially, found refuge in the court of Sultan Ibrahim Mirza, the cousin of Shah Tahmasp. Fortunately for Mir Sayyid, Humayun arrived at the court of the Shah seeking support after losing his Delhi Sultanate. While enjoying Persian hospitality, he got acquainted with the art and literature flourishing in the court of Tabriz. He sought the service of two artists to create a similar personal archive. Though he chose Abd al-Samad and Mir Musawwir, in the end, Mir Sayyid accompanied Humayun to Afghanistan. He began a new phase arriving at the Kabul court in 1549 till mid-1555. After fifteen years, Humayun defeated the grandson of Sher Shah Suri to regain his throne in Delhi, and Mir Sayyid followed his patron to the subcontinent.

Another scene from the Hamzanama, Prophet Elias rescues Prince Nur ad-Dahr from drowning in a river | Source: Wikimedia

The second phase of this reign heralded the golden age of Mughal art, of which Mir Sayyid was the exquisite gem. With the help of Abd-uṣ-Ṣamad, he founded the school of Mughal miniature painting and led the royal atelier to new heights. Out of the paintings of Mir that have survived, most of which grace museums across the world, are those created at the court of Shah Tahmasp. After Humayun departed, Mir continued leading the atelier under the next Mughal king, Akbar. It was under the new emperor that Mir took up the most prestigious project of his career. Akbar commissioned the illustrated copy of Hamzanama*.* The illustrious project began in 1562, and Mir worked on it for the next seven years until it was handed over to his companion Abd-uṣ-Ṣamad.

One of his miniatures from his Tabriz days, Layla and Majnu | Source: Wikimedia

The difference between his paintings from the Persian court and the Mughal court is that the latter are inclined towards naturalistic themes rather than the idealised ones of Persian paintings. Many scholars claim that Mir far exceeded his father's talent, but the influence of Mir Musawwir’s style at its core is evident. Among his early works at the Iranian court of Tabriz, two miniatures of the Shahnameh illustrations are credited to Mir Sayyid, along with the Five Poems, or Khamsa of Nizami manuscripts.

Art often claims its pricelessness because it reaches us by surviving the exodus of time, political upheavals, and human pillage. The best examples are the paintings of Mir Sayyid and the illustrations of Hamzana based on the Persian epic of the first-generation Sahaba, Amir Hamza. The book consisted of fourteen volumes and was illustrated in 1400 larger than the usual size paintings. Unfortunately, only 140 of them have survived, and only fourteen miniatures of Mir Sayyid Ali (attributed by scholars) now adorn the museums.

The miniature illustrates a scene from Hamzanama and graces the Harvard Art Museum | Source: Wikimedia

The dexterous strokes of Mir Sayyid’s brush in miniatures like ‘Elijah the Prophet Rescues Drowning Nur ad-Dahr’ or ‘Portrait of a Young Writer,’ which scholars believe to be a self-portrait of Mir, gained many titles and honours. Humayun titled him the Nadir-ul-mulk (Miracle of the Kingdom), the first position in the list of best Mughal artists given by Abu'l-Fazl in his renowned Akbarnama, etc. Abu'l-Fazl states -

“His art he learned from his father. From the moment he got to the palace, the king's favour beam shone on him. He had distinguished himself by his art ... "

In 1569, the miraculous artist departed from the Mughal court in the subcontinent to perform Hajj, which turned into his last journey. Some claim that he returned to Delhi, while some believe he departed from his illustrious life during the journey. Mir Sayyid Ali stands among the best Mughal artists, for his miniatures brought more glitter to the archives of Indo-Persian art than all the gems and stones infused in Mughal architecture.