El-khidr Miniatures at the Mughal Indian School from the 11th/17th century to the early 12th/18th century

Abstract

Muslim saint El Khidr Servant of God "Alahi Salaam", known as Khawaja Khidr (Khizr) occupies a role of special distinction, Khidr has been associated in Persia and India with water, The blessed Sufi path, and eternity, Is personality was appreciated by some Mughal emperors, Especially Those Interested in Sufi Ideas, And the Effect of This on the Islamic Painting , Especially the Mughal Indian school, The images of the Khawaja Khidr had religious symbolism at times and Political Symbolism at other Times, It was depicted as a vision or dream preaching the Mughal emperors what they wished, Al-Khidr was previously depicted in Islamic painting, Particularly Persian manuscripts, but with different symbolism, His miniatures with Alexander, The source of life, or his appearance while praying with Elias, or in Manuscripts of the Qiss al'anbia', And he is a companion to God’s Prophet Moses. Popular concepts and perceptions in Persia and Southeast Asian countries differ from others in the rest of the Islamic world. The Persians combined the personality of Abd al-Saleh al-Khidr, peace be upon him, with spiritual features, knowledge and divine wisdom with the popular imaginations of al-Khidr - peace be upon him - as a mythical mystical figure since he is the only one who He discovered and drank from the water of the source of life, and knew al khidr in the same way in India, and the personality of al-khidr in the cities located in northern India witnessed reverence amounting to giving him the character of reverence and deification, this is in addition to the role of folklore in India, which had a great impact on the form of al-khidr that appeared in the Miniatures of the subject of study.

Keywords

• khidr
• sufis
• fish
• mughal emperors
• symbolism