Interaction of Indigenous Features of Deccan Painting with Iranian Painting in the Golkonda  /  Khalili Falnama

Falnamas are a collection of books on the manners and the instructions of fortune telling. Based on the available evidence these Falnamas have had a long life and were specially evolved during the reign of Shah Tahmasb the second king of Safavid dynasty. During this historical period, illustrated falnama as an artistic genre evolved in the other territories such as in the Ottoman and the Indian courts. Therefore, this article uses a descriptive-analytical approach to examine how Iranian painting of Safavid era influenced Khalili’s Falnama. Khalili falnama as a magnificent piece is one of the manuscripts that well show the influence of Iranian culture in the court of the Qutbshahi sultans of Golconda. By the time of producing its illustrations,  a very close relationship were established between the sultans of Qutb Shahi and the safavid court of Iran, especially in the politics and finances, while the common Shiite religion and doctorine played a dominant role. This Falnama produced in the first quarter of the seventeenth century in the court of Qutb Shahi sultans in Golconda (1512–1687), more than half a century after significant Iranian Falnamas. The illusrtration of this book fortune-telling are a combination of Shiite, religious, historical and mythological stories that derived freely from many different sources, such as the Qur’an, poems of Nizami and Jami and books like the Qisas al-Anbiya and the Siyer-i Nebi. Illustrated pages such as ‘Ali Fighting at the Gates of Khaybar”, “Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey and the Aqsa Mosque”, “The Prophet Salih and his miracle of the she-camel” and “Shah Tahmasp and His Army in Battle”. The style of its miniatures has clearly and to a significant degree borrowed from Iranian Safavid-era court painting, especially the Qazvin and Tabriz schools, and is very much influenced by Safavid Falnamas in many ways, both visually and structurally. Also the history of ethnicity, patriotism and interest in the Shi‘I religion are among the factors that influence this Falnama and form a strong connection to Iranian culture and the Shi‘I religion. some of the elements in the figures, like the clothing features, the coherent use in throne color, famous hats of Gezelbash, etc signify the influence of Iranian painting traditions. However, due to the geography, time, type of illustration and style rules, government conditions and the prevailing intellectual space and the tastes of the clients in each historical period, there are differences in style of the miniatures of this manuscrip, Such as, features of the Deccan native style, especially the presence of a footnote under the miniatures, which is derived from the common Indian tradition; and Despite the executive similarities in the method of painting with the Iranian court painting tradition, the colors are dull, thin and spiritual. In a way that the basics of the visual culture of Deccani’s court can be seen through its miniatures.