THE INDIAN EXPRESS
By Adrija Roychowdhury
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| A painting depicting religious discussions in Akbar’s Ibadat Khana, (Wikimedia Commons) |
INDIA---While Christianity had been received and adopted in several other countries before it came to India, the religion’s reception here was unique in the sense that it was accommodated in a manner serving the interests of the Mughal rulers. But in so doing, the Mughals made known to native Indians, Christian values and traditions that the country would go on to celebrate for centuries to come. The very first paintings to reach the Mughal court were large oil paintings of Mother Mary, a religious figure known to the Muslim world, by her presence in the Quran. The Jesuits then presented the Royal Polyglot Bible to Akbar, with Biblical illustrations done by a Flemish painter. [
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| Jahangir presents Prince Khurram with a turban ornament, 1617 (Royal collection trust) |
