Sufi saint Abu'l Adyan praying on fire, Indian painting by Daulat

The Sufi Saint Abu’l Adyan praying on a fire watched by Zorastrians Indian painting by Daulat from the manuscript of the Nafahat al-Uns by Jami copied by ‘Abd ar-Rahim.

The Nafahat al – Uns (Breaths of Fellowship) comprises the lives of about six hundred Sufi saints and poets. This work is a revision and expansion of the earlier works of Sufi hagiography by the poet Jami. ‘Abd ar-Rahim or “Amber Pen”, a favorite calligrapher of Akbar made an elegant copy of this manuscript.

The Mughals introduced in India the concept of miniature painting and made a distinctive contribution to Indian art. Daulat, one of Jahangir’s favorite artists is seen here at the beginning of his career. He was accorded the rare honor of painting two self-portraits by Jahangir.