Khan Jahan Bahadur Zafar Jang Kukaltash and his father Mir Abu'l-Ma'ali, by Hunhar, Mughal, circa 1675-80

ink with colour on stout paper, evidence of earlier compositional arrangements of figures of attendants, inscriptions below in Devanagari and Persian identifying the sitters, central inscription in Persian naming the artist Hunhar, reverse numbered '16' in Hindi numerals, also numbered 1400 in English, inscriptions in english in pencil describing the subject on recto (translated from Persian on recto).

Ex-private collection, Engand, 19th/early 20th century

Generally in good condition, crease running down center of the paper, slight staining near bottom of paper, very minor losses. Some marks and writing in pencil on back. As viewed.
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This is an important portrait drawing of Aurangzeb's military commander Khan Jahan Bahadur Kukaltash Zafar Jang (d.1697) seated opposite his father Mir Abu'l-Ma'ali, by the Mughal royal artist Hunhar.

The three informative inscriptions are as follows:
On the right: "Portrait of Khan-Jahan Bahadur Kukaltash Zafar Jang. He held the rank of 7000 and 7000 horses At the time of ‘Alamgir Padshah he was always in charge of the army and in victories of Bijapur and Bhagnagar [Hyderabad], in the battles of Ujain and Dholpur accompanied His Majesty in his victories. He was wounded. At the time of His Majesty, he was called Mir Baba and when [‘Alamgir was] a Prince, he was his companion and close associate and at the time of …. "(text trimmed)

On the left: "This is the portrait of Mir Abu’l-Ma'ali father of Nawab Khan Jahan Bahadur Kukaltash Zafar Jang, the one ‘Alamgir Padshah [called] Sayyid-e Khafi"

In the centre: "This sketch by Hunhar who in the past was called Kahar Gusain. His Majesty distinguished him by calling him Hunhar and he was a chief painter"

The central inscription is important in not only naming the artist, but also in informing us of his name before he was was given the title Hunhar, a significant biographical detail.

The workings of the artist are evident in the areas of pentimenti, including the changed angle of the morchal, altered architectural details in the background and the two attendants at either side, who are drawn on smaller sheets of paper adhered to the main sheet.

Khan Jahan Bahadur was the most senior general in Aurangzeb's imperial army and as well as the achievements mentioned in the inscription above he was noted for vanquishing the indepenedent Maratha leader Shivaji, thereby facilitating the Mughal conquest of the Deccan. His full name was Khan Jahan Bahadur Zafar Jang Kukaltash, indicating that he was a foster-brother of Aurangzeb, who held him in great esteem and affection. As well as his military victories he was also governor of the Deccan and of Allahabad and Punjab. He was awarded the title Khan Jahan Bahadur in 1673 and he received the rank of 7000 and 7000 horses in 1675, so the present portrait must post-date those years, since it gives his titles and rank in full in the inscription beneath his portrait. He died on 23 November 1697 and his tomb is in Lahore.

A fine equestrian portrait of Khan Jahan Bahadur, also signed by Hunhar, is in the British Library (Johnson Album 18,12, see Losty and Roy 2012, fig.99, pp.156-158; Falk and Archer 1981, no.133). Losty notes that portraits of Khan Jahan Bahadur are extremely rare (ibid, p.158), and thus the appearance of this portrait, signed by the same artist as the British Library example, is an important discovery.

Hunhar's career spanned the late Shah Jahan period and most of Aurangzeb's. His earliest work is in the Late Shah Jahan Album and his latest around 1690. For a listing of other works by Hunhar see Verma 1994, pp.176-179.