"Tumanba Khan, His Wife, and His Nine Sons", Folio from a Chingiznama (Book of Genghis Khan)

Basawan|Bhim Gujarati

ca. 1596 · Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper · Islamic Art

The text of the Chingiznama records the life of the legendary conqueror Chingiz Khan (Genghis Khan) and his family. The emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605) commissioned many historical manuscripts in the 1590s, but because the Mughals claimed descent from Genghis Khan, this book must have had particular resonance for him. This illustration depicts the ruler Tumanba Khan, an ancestor of Genghis Khan, with his wife and nine sons.

Artist

Basawan|Bhim Gujarati

Date

ca. 1596

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Purchase, Francis M. Weld Gift, 1948