"Arjuna Battles Raja Tamradhvaja", Folio from a Razmnama

Art Historical Context

This folio from the Razmnama captures a dramatic episode from the Indian epic Mahabharata, showing the hero Arjuna locked in combat with Raja Tamradhvaja. Created around 1616–17, the painting belongs to a Persian translation of the Hindu text that was first commissioned by Mughal emperor Akbar in the 1580s. The work thus embodies the rich cultural exchange between Persian court traditions and Indian narrative traditions under Mughal patronage. The artist, ‘Abd al-Rahim, worked in the refined style associated with the powerful noble Khan-i Khanan. Using ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on pape...