Development of Indian miniature paintings of the Rajput style

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By Zeel Sundhani

  • India
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  • Folk Art

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    The Rajput School of miniature paintings flourished under the Rajputana rulers in the 15th to 19th century CE.  This art of painting that prospered in Central India, Rajasthan and the hilly  regions of the Himalayas, etc, was deeply rooted in Indian culture, taking inspiration from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, folk tales, musical texts like the Geeta Govindam, etc.  These painters contributed very richly to Indian miniature art with Tdevotion.  Rajput paintings are classified into Rajasthani and Pahari paintings.

    Rajasthani

    Rajasthani paintings emerged in the areas of Rajputana in Bikaner, to the borders of Gwalior to Ujjain.  These paintings covered them that were mostly religious and based on love.  Rama and Krishna, along with royal portraits and court scenes were popular themes.  The characteristics of these paintings were the use of gold, bold outlines and brilliant colours.  The stories of Padmavati, Bana’s stories, tales from the panchatantra, etc, were popular depictions.  Many individual styles of Rajput paintings developed.  Under Rajasthani paintings, there are different schools like Bundi , Kota, Jaipur, Mewad, Kishangarh, Marwad, Amber- jaipur, Bikaner.

    Mewar

    Mewar resisted Mughal sovereignty for the longest time, till the reign of Shah Jahan.  It was a period of political turbulence and unrest,  yet the Rajput Kings went on patronising art and developing their own distinct style.  The beginning of this polished style in 1571 CE fully replaced the Apabhramsha because of the migration of a number of artists from Mandu to Mewar,  after the king was defeated by Mughals.  

    The early paintings of Mewar were dominated by the extraordinary artist Sahib din, who focuses on his depiction of literary texts like Ragamala, Ramayana and Bhagavata Purana. 

    Ragamala paintings, developed in 1605 CE,  are the earliest example of a series of Maywad paintings.  They include the pictorial representation of Ragas and Raginis. Brilliant colours are used to depict nayaks and nayikas who are usually dressed in contemporary royal fashion.  After the death of Sahib Din, the style of Mewar paintings changed. Now, the paintings mostly depicted court, ceremonial and city views in unprecedented detail.

    Kishangarh

    Kishangarh paintings developed under the patronage of Raja Sawant Singh in  1748 to 1757 CE.  The popular Banithani paintings belong to this school, and there are very few available today.  Most are believed to be made by Nihal Chand.  His works were able to bring life to literary compositions.  The artists made human figures delicately drawn  with  women resembling the character of Radha,  with lotus- like elongated eyes, arched eyebrows, thin lips and a pointed chin, and an Odhani or headgear, showing her side profile. 

    To know more about Bani Thani paintings, read our blog -

    Embodiment of Radha – Beauty of Bani Thani by Harsh Verdhan Chhajed
    The Tale of Bani Thani in Pichwai Painting by Dinesh Soni
    Bani Thani in Pichwai Painting by Dinesh Soni

    They mostly portray devotional themes as well as the amorous relation between Radha and Krishna.

    Radiant Love: The Eternal Story of Radha and Krishna, Kishangarh art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    The Divine Romance of Radha and Krishna: Kishangarh art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Whispers of Eternal Longing: Krishna and Radha Under the Full Moon, Kishangarh art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Stars of Devotion: Radha and Krishna's Eternal Radiance, Kishangarh art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani 
    Sacred Serenity: Radha and Krishna's Eternal Embrace, Kishangarh art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Harmony of Spring: Radha and Krishna's Floral Serenade, Kishangarh art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani

    The Ragamala paintings, which are a series of illustrative paintings popular in mediaeval India, which talk about the ragas, which are classical amalgamations of art with poetry and classical music dominated this school of art, as well as other Rajput schools.  Each raga personified a colour, the Hindu deities - Raga Bhairavi to Bhairava, and  the time when it was sung -  during the day and night, afternoon, etc.  There are six principal ragas -  Bhairava, Deepak, Shree, Malakaushik, Megha and Hindolam. 

    Deepak Raga, Ragamala Series, KISHANGARH PAINTING BY SHEHZAAD ALI SHERANI
    Hindol Raag ki Ragini- Deshakhiya, Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Hindol Raag ki Ragini- Pathmanjiri, Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Hindol Raag ki Ragini- Lalit, Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Raag Deepak, Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Deepak Raag Ki Ragini- Kedari, Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Deepak Raag Ki Ragini- Kardni, Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Deepak Raag Ki Ragini- Deshi, Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Deepak Raag Ki Ragini- Kamodi, Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Maalav Kaushik Raag ki Raagini- Todi, Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Bhairav raag ki Ragini- Saindhavi , Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Bhairav raag ki Ragini-Bhairavi , Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Shri Raag Ki Ragini - Basanti, Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Shri Raag Ki Ragini - Dhanashri, Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Megh Raag ki Ragini- Malari, Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Megh Raag ki Ragini- Gurjali , Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani
    Raag Megh , Kishangarh Art by Shehzaad Ali Sherani

    To know more about Ragmala paintings, check out our other blogs - 

    Check out our entire collection of Kishangarh paintings here - 

    https://www.memeraki.com/collections/kishangarh-art 

    To know more about Kishangarh paintings, give our other blogs a read -

    Bundi

    This is very close to the Mewar style, which developed in Mewar  and Kota.  Krishna bhakti played an important role in these paintings and vice versa.  The style emphasised on hunting court scenes, festivals, processions, life of nobles, lovers, animals, birds, scenes from Lord Krishna's life,etc. It was characterised by the depiction of lush greenery and the dramatic night sky, with swirls in water in a dark background.  Humans were shown with round faces and pointed noses.  The sky was painted in different colours with a red ribbon visible.

    Amber school of miniature (Jaipur)

    Amber was the former capital city of Rajasthan, where the Jaipur style originated.  This style shows a strong Mughal influence and is also known as the Dhunnar school.  It became popular in the 18th and 19th century CE because of the development of Vaishnavism.  The themes included myths, ragas, astrological principles, different amusing and erotic scenes, with backgrounds, gorgeous borders and were sometimes even made on life-sized canvases.

    These paintings showed men and women appearing in proportion.  Male figures had clear and attractive faces.  Wealthy men were shown dressed in kurta, pyjama, turban, belt and shoes.  Female figures had large eyes, long hair, and stout in physique.  Popular themes included Radha Krishna, Rajput Princesses, fierce camel fights, pomp and ceremonies of the Mughal court, the stories from the Bhagavata Purana, Ramayana and Mahabharata.  This school reached its pinnacle during the reign of Savai Pratap Singh in the 18th century CE, who was deeply religious and a passionate patron of art.

    Radha-Krishna’s divine harmony In Mughal Miniature by Mohan Prajapati
    Krishna’s eternal yearning for Radha In Mughal Miniature by Mohan Prajapati
    Radha-Krishna’s mystical union In Mughal Miniature by Mohan Prajapati
    Transcendent love of Radha and Krishna In Mughal Miniature by Mohan Prajapati
    Eternal bond of Radha-Krishna In Mughal Miniature by Mohan Prajapati

     Marwar

    This was one of the most extensive schools of art,  flourishing in Jodhpur and Bikaner, both ruled by Rathods.  Jodhpur was a desert kingdom which prospered due to the closeness of the Mughals in the 15th to 16th century CE.  These paintings depicted men, women and colourful patterns, which followed the Mughals, but after the 18th century CE, the Rajput style predominantly influenced them.  These paintings were made with bright colours. The earliest Ragamala paintings, paintings depicting court scenes and Baramasa paintings are attributed to this school. 

    Pahari

    Pahari paintings were found in the Pahadi regions of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Garhwal region and Uttarakhand, which was ruled by Rajput Princess and were divided into smaller regions of 22 princely states.  These regions saw a lot of artistic activity in the 17th to 19th century CE, owing to the migration of a lot of artists from The Mughal court to Rajput regions, due to the policies of Aurangzeb, who did not encourage art, unlike his ancestors.  Two major schools in these regions, Basauli and Kangra.  They covered various themes, including mythological and literary,  bringing in new techniques.  A typical Pahari painting would bring various figures. Where each figure would have a different composition, colour and pigmentation.  The famous painters during this time were Manaku, Samsar Chand and Nayansukh. 

    Basohli

    Basohli was an artistic centre where miniatures with characteristics like lotus petal-like eyes, receding hairline and round face were found.  These paintings had vigorous and bold lines with strong glowing colours.  They majorly used primary colours like red, yellow and blue. They continued the Mughal technique of painting on cloth,  but they also developed distinct styles and  painting. Unlike the naturalistic, secular and subtle paintings with fine details of the Mughal style, Basohli paintings were bright, focused on religious or romantic themes with heavy ornamentation. This continued till the middle of the 15th century CE.  The first patron of the school was Kirpal Pal,  who ordered the illustration of Raja Bana’s works.It is the most famous for the depiction of Radha and Krishna in white garments and Rasamanjari-inspired paintings. 

    Lotus Grace: Lord Krishna's Divine Garden Basohli Painting by Aastha Billowria & Shivakshi Sharma
    Lotus of Love: Enchanted Embrace Basohli Painting by Aastha Billowria & Shivakshi Sharma
    Divine Ecstasy: Lord Krishna in Basohli Splendor Basohli Painting by Aastha Billowria & Shivakshi Sharma
    Divine Encounters: Lord Krishna and Radha's Rasamanjari Romance Basohli Painting by Aastha Billowria & Shivakshi Sharma

     

    Check out our entire collection of Basohli paintings here 

    Guler

    The Guler School was the last phase of the Basohli style.  These broaden a new naturalistic and delicate style, marking a change in Basohli art,  with light colours and females drawn with delicate and well modelled faces, small and slightly upturned nose and hair done minutely.  After the decline of the Mughals, Kangra was patronised by the Rajputs,  which led to the Guler- Kangra School, which received patronage from Raja Samsar Chand and was marked by sensuality and intelligence, which the other schools lacked. 

    Kangra

    Kangra followed the Guler style and was the 3rd phase of Pahari paintings, flourishing in the last quarter of the 18th century.  It was  characterized by the delicacy of drawing and naturalism.  women were depicted with pointed nose aligned with the forehead with long and narrow eyes and a sharp chin. 

    Women in Kangra by Poonam Katoch

    Famous themes included the stories of Nala Damayanti, Geeta Govindam, love scenes of Krishna etc.  

    Radha Krishna from The Geeta Govind Series: Kangra by Poonam Katoch
    Divine Union: Radha Krishna in Kangra by Poonam Katoch

    This school is also known for Baramasa paintings, or the paintings of the 12 months, and their effects on human beings, which was a very popular style in the 19th century CE. 

    Radha Krishna in Ashwin Mas, Kangra by Mukesh Kumar
    Radha Krishna in Chaitra Mas, Kangra by Mukesh Kumar
    Radha and Krishna in Shravan Mas, Kangra by Mukesh Kumar
    Radha and Krishna in Jyeshtha Mas, Kangra by Mukesh Kumar
    Radha Krishna in Magh Mas: Kangra by Poonam Katoch
    Radha Krishna in Ashwin Mas: Kangra by Poonam Katoch
    Lovers in the Month of Kartika: Kangra by Poonam Katoch
    Lovers in the Month of Phalgun: Kangra by Poonam Katoch

    Ragamala paintings were also a popular theme of this school. 

    Raag Megh in Kangra by Poonam Katoch

    This became the parent school to other regional schools in Kullu, Jammu, Mandi, etc. as the rivers changed course. 

    Check out our entire collection of Kangra paintings here

    Kushmandi style

    It was a folk style of painting, mainly inspired by local traditions and marked by drawings and dull colours,  patronised by the local rulers of Kullu and Mandi areas. It was popular for its Ragamala paintings. 

    Thus, the Rajput style of miniature paintings is a testament to the rich cultural and artistic heritage of India. Spreading across the borders of time and states, from the regal courts of Mewar and Kishangarh to the serene hills of Kangra and Basohli, each school developed its own distinct identity while finding its roots in religious, literary, and folk traditions. Depicting the divine love of Radha and Krishna, the valor of royal courts, or the emotive beauty of musical ragas, these paintings are more than just art to please the eyes. They are vibrant expressions of devotion, mythology, and culture. The timeless nature and lasting legacy  of these miniature paintings continue to inspire contemporary art and help preserve the connection to India’s rich history. 

    References:

    • Beach, Milo Cleveland. Rajput Painting at Bundi and Kota. Museum Rietberg, Zurich, 1987.
    • Goswamy, B. N. Pahari Masters: Court Painters of Northern India. Zurich: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 1999.
    • Khandalavala, Karl, and Moti Chandra. Miniature Painting: A Catalogue of the Exhibition of the Masterpieces of Rajput Painting from the Collection of Dr. Motichand Khajanchi. Bombay: Prince of Wales Museum, 1959.
    • Randhawa, M. S. Kangra Paintings on Love. New Delhi: National Museum of India, 1962.
    • Smith, Vincent Arthur. A History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1930.
    • Wright, E. Mughal Miniatures. British Museum Press, 2008

     

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