Abstract

Beginning in 1580, Jesuit missionaries introduced the Mughal Emperors, Akbar and Jahangir, to a wide spectrum of works of art from the Renaissance period. The realism and devotional power of images representing Christianity aroused much interest at the Mughal court. A stimulating dialog ensued, leading to the creation of Mughal–Christian art in a new hybrid vocabulary. No other Islamic culture painted as many works inspired by the Bible as did the artists of Mughal India. Each party had selfish interests at heart; the Jesuits wanted to uphold the supremacy of their faith while the Mughals wished to justify their right to rule in a foreign country. Although the Mughal Emperors did not adopt the Christian religion, they readily accepted Biblical imagery for it helped them express their ideas of governance. Unwittingly, the Jesuits found themselves fuelling Mughal imperialism. This paper attempts to shed further light on the strategies of acculturation that were at work.