The LAST Portrait : Tragedy of a dying emperor | With English translation of surviving Persian Inscriptions | Death of Mughal Emperor Akbar - Part 1 of a 3 part series

" Suraj hoon, zindagi ki ramak chhod jaunga
Main doob bhi gaya tau shafak chhod jaunga "

सूरज हूँ , ज़िंदगी की रमक छोड़ जाऊँगा 

मैं डूब भी गया तो शफ़क़ छोड़ जाऊँगा !

" The Sun I am, the seeds of life I shall sow
Even as I set, will leave behind an afterglow "

 

MOST PORTRAYALS OF Akbar show him actively engaged - whether participating in celebrations, hunting, leading armies, directing building programs, or receiving distinguished guests.

But this particular portrayal by Manohar that is possibly the last portrait made of Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1605, just before he passed away, marks a departure from the above tradition. Here, in his early sixties, gray and worn, Akbar is seen leaning against a bolster within a red sandstone throne-pavilion. He seems to be listening intently to a dignified and serious gentleman identifiable as Hakim Ali Gilani, his physician, who is probably discussing possible remedies for the stomach ailment from which Akbar eventually died.

    Last Painting of Mughal Emperor Akbar during the final days just before his death in October, 1605.
With him are present his favourite grandchildren - Prince Khusrau waving a "chauri" - a sign of royal authority and Prince Khurram (the younger child), the physician Hakim Ali Gilani, a marksman holding a matchlock and calling a faithful dog sitting at Akbar's feet, and a peacock on top of the pavilion.

The original miniature is now at Cincinnati Art Museum, USA, Gifted by - John J. Emery, 1950
A copy is present at the National Archives of India, Delhi,  from where this has been sourced. 

In the foreground, a sleek hunting dog turns its face away from an attendant bearing a majestic green matchlock, aware that it is not the time for an outing.

Just behind Akbar stand his two favourite grandsons, Prince Khusrau (son of Princess Man Bai), aged 18 and waving a "chauri" - an object which is both practical and symbolically regal - and a 13 year-old Prince Khurram (son of Princess Jagat Gosain and later known as Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan) with him.

Both youngsters look gravely concerned about their grandfather's failing health, and one wonders if they had any inkling about the political intrigue that was soon to follow with tremendous historical ramifications, in the trail of the passing away of their grandfather and the current emperor.

This painting was made by Manohar, whose father Basawan was also in service of Akbar as a gifted painter. Manohar excelled himself with this miniature. It clearly records Akbar's pained expression mixed with a mannerly resolve in dealing stoically with his malaise, and the physician's concern about the emperor's deteriorating health. Perhaps the physician is earnestly asking the Shahenshah to accept a particular remedy or take rest. Khusrau is shown waving a "chauri" - an emblem of rank among the Mughal nobility.


Importance of the Persian Inscriptions on this painting:

If the painting itself is filled with the undercurrents of a tragedy about to come to pass, the inscriptions on it which reflect the feelings of Akbar during his last days, are equally poignant. They provide a glimpse into the mind of a once mighty emperor who is now weak and dying and well-aware that power is slipping out of his hands into the clutches of the nobility that till a few days back had dared not look him in the face. They offer a rare view of the vulnerable side of Akbar, lonely and powerless, as life ebbs away slowly.

This post presents the Persian inscriptions from the painting along with their approximate translations. Please feel free to help improve the translation. As has been said in earlier blog posts, i used the word "approximate" because some Persian words convey dual meanings. Then there are some Persian words that CANNOT be 'exactly' translated into English without losing their essence. For this reason, serious Mughal historians / scholars prefer to directly read from Persian accounts instead of their commonly available English (or other language) translations, in case of any ambiguity. 

Here is an old blog post that quoted a reputed scholar, and showed how some Persian writing is not easy to be exactly translated into English due to linguistic limitations and cultural differences. 
Link : Meywa Jan Begum Fake Pregnancy Case | An Oriental Perspective
 

Persian Inscriptions on Painting And Their Translation

The First Set of Persian Inscriptions On This Miniature

Shabi Ze Faqa namudam Shikayat Bisyar
Ze Kar-e Khesh mara sad umedwar be Kar
Ke umr rafth wa na gushtam ze bakht-e bar khurdar
Hazar haif se naumed gashtan Akher Kar

Last Painting of Mughal Emperor Akbar during the final days just before his death in October, 1605.
Zoomed version of painting that shows a few Persian inscriptions.
A copy of the painting is present at the National Archives of India, Delhi. 

Approximate Translation 

One night i was worried because i was facing many difficulties (physical ailments),
Earlier i was very hopeful and I did many works.
Now i have become old and am not feeling well. 
Oh sad I am, as I am going to die.

Second Set of Persian Inscriptions On This Miniature 

Namazam az ru~eah marg khud dami sad bar
Dear ein Khayal chu~ Khayu~m budh ba Hatif-e-gebh (Payam dadh ki)
Man imrooz Ke~as niyarad yad (Ze Khat-e-'Ariz)
Hameh ze pasti Khud mi kashi tu ein Sea~khti tu ra-zi Himmat dust bar dil-e-gam wa bar (Nadanam-ze-Che~h)

 

Last Painting of Mughal Emperor Akbar during the final days just before his death in October, 1605.
Zoomed version of painting that shows a few Persian inscriptions.
A copy of the painting is present at the National Archives of India, Delhi. 

Approximate Translation 

Therefore many times i wanted to pray to God for my death.
Nobody remembers me today.
You are leading a very difficult life, you are also facing many problems, but there is grace of God.

Last Painting of Mughal Emperor Akbar, moments before his death.
This is more clear than the above miniatures, and shows the top portion.
Copy is present at the National Archives of India, Delhi. I got it from there.

The complete inscription has not been deciphered so far because of its dilapidated condition, but a brief attempt has been made in this post to decipher whatever remains of the inscription. Some of the inscriptions on this miniature have been lost forever, as can be seen above.

Akbar says that one night he was very worried because he was facing too many physical ailments. He remembered the time when he had done many important things. But now that he was old and unwell, he was feeling unhappy that he was going to die.

As mentioned earlier, this miniature depicts Akbar during his last days. He looks drained and sick, despite trying to appear calm and unruffled. The records of the 3rd Christian mission show that there were rumours that Akbar had been administered poison. But other historical writers like Broecke, Ogilby and Mundy opine that Akbar accidentally consumed a poison pill which was intended for someone else.

But despite his sickness, Akbar is seen sitting upright in the miniature, and carrying his sword and ja~madhar (dagger). (He presented this sword to Prince Salim before passing away while anointing him as his successor.) In fact, throughout his sickness, he tried to remain outwardly cheerful and optimistic of his recovery, as recorded by the 3rd Christian Mission in their testimony -

" The Fathers, who had full information of the king's sickness, went on a Saturday to see him, in the hope that he would hear the words, which after long thought, and having commended the matter to God, they had prepared for this hour. But they found him amongst his captains, and in so cheerful and merry a mood that they deemed the time unsuitable for speaking to him of the end of his life, and decided to await another opportunity. "

But from inside, his resolve was getting weakened with each passing day, as we saw from the translation of the Persian inscriptions. The apparent contradiction between Akbar's countenance and thoughts may be ascribed to the desire of a benevolent person and an astute emperor to assure his family, well-wishers and the general public that he was hale and hearty and they had nothing to worry about. Perhaps he himself desperately wanted to believe that he would recover from the ailment that had lain him low, though this might have seemed increasingly like an impossibility with each passing day, filling him with sadness that even a mighty emperor has to bow to destiny and be reduced to dust one day. 

The Christian priests apparently continued their efforts till the end to convince Akbar to convert to their faith but remained unsuccessful, much to their chagrin.

Last Painting of Mughal Emperor Akbar, moments before his death.
This is more clear than the above miniatures, and shows the bottom portion.
Copy is present at the National Archives of India, Delhi. I got it from there.

What Follows 

This is the first part of a series of posts related to the passing away of Akbar and the events that surrounded it. The second part of this series will be posted in a few days. It will attempt to answer the oft-asked question: did Akbar die naturally or was he poisoned? It will also provide a detailed description of the conditions prevailing in the Mughal court at the time of Akbar's death, especially with regard to selection of Akbar's heir and the perceived need for the "protection" of Islam in the Mughal empire by many of the nobles.

I promise to take you down memory lane, in one of the most detailed and meticulously researched articles on this blog, to relive a day when fortunes were made and destroyed in a matter of just 2 hours on the fateful day when a colossus like Akbar passed away. 

Ending this article, with these beautiful lines from the pen of poet Iqbal Sajid.
Courtesy : Rekhta

 
Thanks to Radhika for her inputs.
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Article Category : Mughals (Akbar)