Toda Mongke and His Mongol Horde, Folio from a Chingiznama (History of Genghis Khan)

* Nearly 20,000 images of artworks the museum believes to be in the public domain are available to download on this site. Other images may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. By using any of these images you agree to LACMA's Terms of Use.

Toda Mongke and His Mongol Horde, Folio from a Chingiznama (History of Genghis Khan)

Pakistan, Lahore, Mughal Empire, 1596
Drawings; watercolors
Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper
Sheet: 15 x 10 in. (38.1 x 25.4 cm); Image: 12 3/8 x 8 in. (31.4 x 20.3 cm)
From the Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, Museum Associates Purchase (M.78.9.8)
Not currently on public view

Curator Notes

The Chingiznama (History of Genghis Khan) is a section of the Jami al-Tawarikh (History of the World) written by the eminent Persian historian Rashid al-Din (1247-1318)....
The Chingiznama (History of Genghis Khan) is a section of the Jami al-Tawarikh (History of the World) written by the eminent Persian historian Rashid al-Din (1247-1318). Its first section, called the Tarikh-i Ghazani, describes the history of the Mongol and Turkish tribes, concentrating on the Mongol Emperor Genghis (or Chingiz) Khan (r. 1206-1227) and his successors until the death of Ghazan Khan (r. 1295-1304). This manuscript of the Chingiznama was completed in 1596. It is now held mainly in the Gulistan Palace Library, Tehran. This folio depicts Toda Mongke, the Khan of the Mongol Golden Horde (r. 1280-1287), and his army. He is the central figure on horseback wearing a distinctive feathered headdress also worn by some of his soldiers. The setting is a hilly landscape with palatial structures appearing in the distance. It has been suggested that this painting may show him on the way to his accession ceremony. Contemporary accounts record that he converted to Islam and lived an austere life, surrounding himself with theologians. His religious studies came at the expense of the affairs of state, and when he was reminded by his ministers of his duties as the Khan, he abdicated in favor of his nephew Tulabugha and dedicated himself to God. According to the marginal inscriptions, the illustration was designed and painted by Tulsi (active 1575-1596) and the portraits were done by Madhava (active 1575-circa 1610), who is also known as Madhu or Madhava Kalan (Madhava the Elder).
More...

Bibliography

  • Keene, Bryan C., editor. Toward a Global Middle Ages: Encountering the World Through Illuminated Manuscripts. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2019.
  • Rosenfield, John.  The Arts of India and Nepal: The Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection.  Boston:  Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1966.
  • Keene, Bryan C., editor. Toward a Global Middle Ages: Encountering the World Through Illuminated Manuscripts. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2019.
  • Rosenfield, John.  The Arts of India and Nepal: The Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection.  Boston:  Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1966.
  • Heeramaneck, Alice N.  Masterpieces of Indian Painting : From the Former Collections of Nasli M. Heeramaneck.  New York:  A.N. Heeramaneck, 1984.
  • Pal, Pratapaditya. Indian Painting, vol.1. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1993.
More...