Much of this show features the Indian equivalent of our own illuminated manuscripts, distinguished

by the beautifully cursive varieties of Arab script, and illustrated by teams of court artists many
imported from Iran and of diverse backgrounds - Muslim and even Hindu. The number of craftsmen
and artists expanded exponentially during the long reign of Akbar, the illiterate emperor who loved
stories, amassed a library of 24,000 volumes and commissioned a huge number of paintings; he
declared that he could not tolerate those who made the slightest criticism of art. A painter is better
than most in gaining a knowledge of God, he declared, for although the artist can draw and depict,
he understands that it is only the divine that can bring life. The Muslim Akbar was highly unusual in
not only devising eclectic religious practices for himself but in tolerating all, from Jain to Hindu,