Folio of Babur Nama

This painting depicts a scene of the 14th of April 1529 when Babur marched through Bibar and crossed the River Saun using a bridge of boats. The artist Jaganath gives names to the prominent boats. The large boat built in Agra is named Asaish (repose), the one presented by Araish Khan is called Araish (ornament) and one called Gunjaish (capacious). Babur set up a platform to which he gave the name Farmaish (request). Babur thus narrates. This incident: I left the ground by boat on Thursday. I had already ordered the boats to wait, and on getting up to them, I had them fastened together abreast in line. Though all were not collected there, those that were greatly exceeded the breadth of the river. They could not move on so-arranged however, because the water was here shallow, there deep, here swift, there still. A crocodile gharial showed itself, a terrified fish leaped so high as to fall into a boat; it was caught and brought to me. Babur is sitting on the platform of Gunjaish surrounded by attendants. In the middle of the paintings is a boat onto which a fish has leapt. Two soldiers armed with muskets are firing at the crocodile. All the on-lookers are sharing in the excitement which the incident has provided. Babur is sitting beneath a pavilion constructed on the largest boat. He is the highest figure in the painting, evidencing his status as master of all the surveys.