Файл:Bichitr - Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings, from the St. Petersburg album
Possessing a living male heir was of the upmost importance for royals in times past, however, at age 28 Emperor Akbar of the Mughal dynasty had none. Worried, he sought out the consultancy of the Sufi –the Islamic term for a mystic– Shaikh Salim who assured him that a son would come. Shortly later, the prophecy came true and Prince Salim was born. After his ascent to the throne, the young royal adopted the name Jahangir, which translates to “Seizer of the World”. In the miniature painting, ‘Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings’ the so-called world seizer is portrayed to be extremely powerful. Golden flames of the sun surround his head and merge into a larger circle with a crisp white border in a crescent moon shape. This fusion of sun and moon represents Jahangir’s divine leadership over both religion and secularism. It also represents a fusion of cultures as the halo-like sun is similar to what is seen in Christianity, and the moon is very Islamic. Salim is also painted sitting on an hourglass to portray that he is more powerful than all things, even time. He is also shown to be elevated above and larger than the other figures in the painting. While on the topic of the additional individuals in the portrait, it is important to mention their significance. The Sufi mentioned earlier rests next to the emperor and looks pleased. This interaction represents Salim’s relationship with spirituality over even other royals. Next in line comes the Ottoman Sultan who looks to be a foreigner. The third figure is King James I of England who has an uncomfortable look on his face. Finally, Bichitr, the artist, lies on the far bottom corner. These figures are set up to be in order of importance. The piece itself was created in 1615-1618 C.E. India in opaque watercolor with gold and ink on paper
