The Relationship between the Pictorial Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and the Ilkhanid and Timurid Paintings

Characters, elements and motifs can be seen among the paintings left from Ilkhanid and Timurid periods which are not only no trace of them can be found in earlier periods, but also cannot be studied or recognized by sources such as pre-Islamic painting, Manichaean art, Sogdian painting, Chinese art, and even Christian art which had an effect on Persian painting.
With the domination of Mongol in Iran and the establishment of the Ilkhanid dynasty prevailed different political, cultural, ideological and religious conditions in this region. In addition to the shamanic beliefs that the Mongols believed in, most Ilkhanid rulers chose Tibetan Buddhism as their official religion. As a result of this and their support, many Buddhist monks entered the court of the Ilkhans from Tibet and Kashmir. They appeared in court as "Bakhshi" and built many Buddhist temples in Iran.
Tibetan Buddhism has a very rich pictorial tradition. This pictorial tradition is the result of a combination of mental imagery in the shamanic and “Bon” beliefs , with Buddhism Which has been able to create one of the richest pictorial traditions of Buddhist art in this region. Now the question is: whether the pictorial tradition of Tibetan Buddhism could have been an influential source in the emergence and formation of these elements in Mongol painting.
The aim of this study is to place the pictorial tradition of Tibetan Buddhism as a source along with other influential sources on the painting left from Ilkhanid and Timurid periods. The method used in this research is based on inductive reasoning. The evidence which is presented to substantiate this claim will be pursued in two ways: First, the evidence of the presence of Buddhism in Iran and its relationship with Tibet in historical texts. Then, images and paintings from the Ilkhanid and Timurid periods that have the influences of Tibetan Buddhist art are studied in three section: form, structure and composition, context and subject, and finally the Images created by descriptions provided in the historically texts. In the last section, possible criticisms of the discussed manuscripts and the position of the pictorial tradition of Tibetan Buddhism in relation to other sources will be answered. It seems that the Mongols beliefs in Tibetan Buddhism and in general the mental patterns of the Mongols before entering Iran and facilitate communication across their vast territory from east to west. In conclusion, we can say that the arrival of Tibetan Buddhist monks in Iran due to the support of the Ilkhanid rulers and the construction of Buddhist temples in different parts of Iran have been effective in shaping elements and motifs. This result can introduce Tibet as a source for understanding Iranian painting along with other sources and factors which had an effect on the Ilkhanid and Timurid painting.