Awrangzib Hunts Nilgais

The image of the hunt is common in both Islamic and pre-Islamic art. The royal hunter symbolizes superior skill, strength and heroism, whether portrayed alone or as part of a large, formal hunt. Here the Mughal emperor Awrangzib (r. 1658-1707) is portrayed hunting nilgais. This painting is, however, essentially a landscape, a rather rare occurrence in Mughal and other Islamic painting.