Khan 'Alam

Mirza Barkhurdar, better known as Khan ‘Alam, was Mughal Emperor Jahangir’s falconer, and his ambassador to Persia from 1613 to 1619.^[2]

Khan ‘Alam brought numerous gifts to Shah Abbas in his capital of Isfahan, including jewelry, and rare objects.^[2] He spent five years at the Safavid court, where he was in close contact with Shah Abbas.^[2] Upon his return, Khan ‘Alam left with gifts for Jahangir, including 240 portraits of Timur and his descendants.^[2]

The embassy famously included the Mughal painter Bishandas. Jahangir was so keen on obtaining realistic depictions of his contemporaries, possibly as a way to better understand their character and intentions, that in 1613 Bishandas was sent to accompany on a diplomatic mission to Persia led by Khan ‘Alam,^[2] to paint the portraits of Shah Abbas I of Persia (1571–1629) and other leading Persian figures such as Abbas's second son Soltan Mohammad Mirza, Saru Taqi or Isa Khan.^[3]^[4] There he was so successful that he remained until 1620, and on his return Jahangir gave him an elephant.^[5]

Shah Abbas and Khan Alam
Shah Abbas and Khan Alam in 1618
A contemporary portrait of Shah 'Abbas, painted from life c. 1618 by Bishandas.^[6]^[7]

References

^ "Khan 'Alam, Mughal Emperor Jahangir's Falconer and His Ambassador to Iran, with a Sparrow Hawk. Harvard Art Museums". harvardartmuseums.org.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Quinn, Sholeh (6 August 2015). Shah Abbas: The King Who Refashioned Iran. Simon and Schuster. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-78074-568-8.
^ Balabanlilar, Lisa (16 April 2020). The Emperor Jahangir: Power and Kingship in Mughal India. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-83860-044-0.
^ Pal, Pratapaditya (1993). Indian Painting, Volume 1. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-8109-3465-8.
^ Crill and Jariwala, 88
^ "Jahangir Entertains Shah Abbas, from the St. Petersburg Album". National Museum of Asian Art.
^ Crill, Rosemary; Jariwala, Kapil (2010). The Indian portrait, 1560-1860. London : National Portrait Gallery Publications, National Portrait Gallery. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-85514-409-5. Bishandas, the artist of this double portrait, was commended by Jahangir as "without equal in drawing likenesses". He had been sent to accompany a diplomatic mission to Iran from 1613-20 in order to 'take the likeness of the Shah ['Abbas I] and his chief statesmen.

[1] "Khan 'Alam, Mughal Emperor Jahangir's Falconer and His Ambassador to Iran, with a Sparrow Hawk. Harvard Art Museums". harvardartmuseums.org.

[SQ-2] Quinn, Sholeh (6 August 2015). Shah Abbas: The King Who Refashioned Iran. Simon and Schuster. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-78074-568-8.

[3] Balabanlilar, Lisa (16 April 2020). The Emperor Jahangir: Power and Kingship in Mughal India. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-83860-044-0.

[LC32-4] Pal, Pratapaditya (1993). Indian Painting, Volume 1. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-8109-3465-8.

[5] Crill and Jariwala, 88

[6] "Jahangir Entertains Shah Abbas, from the St. Petersburg Album". National Museum of Asian Art.

[7] Crill, Rosemary; Jariwala, Kapil (2010). The Indian portrait, 1560-1860. London : National Portrait Gallery Publications, National Portrait Gallery. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-85514-409-5. Bishandas, the artist of this double portrait, was commended by Jahangir as "without equal in drawing likenesses". He had been sent to accompany a diplomatic mission to Iran from 1613-20 in order to 'take the likeness of the Shah ['Abbas I] and his chief statesmen.

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