MANIFESTATIONS OF THE INTEREST IN AND CARE FOR CHEETAHS IN THE AGE OF THE GREAT MUGHAL EMPERORS THROUGH PAINTINGS (932–1069 AH/1526–1707 AD)

Hassan, Salama

doi:10.21608/jguaa2.2024.236765.1148

	MANIFESTATIONS OF THE INTEREST IN AND CARE FOR CHEETAHS IN THE AGE OF THE GREAT MUGHAL EMPERORS THROUGH PAINTINGS (932–1069 AH/1526–1707 AD)
Journal of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists
Article 7, Volume 10, Issue 1, January 2025, Pages 129-158 PDF (3.89 M)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.21608/jguaa2.2024.236765.1148
Author
Salama Hassan^*
Lecturer of Islamic Archeology, Faculty of Archeology, Luxor University, Egypt
Abstract
Abstract مظاهر الاهتمام بالفهود ورعايتهافي عصر الأباطرة المغول من خلال اللوحات (932-1069ه/1526-1707م) [Ar] تعد الفهود من المفترسات التي تم ترويضها واستخدامها في الصيد، وقد عرف الإنسان القديم في الهند أهميتها بالنسبة له من اجل تأمين الغذاء، وقد وجدت الكثير من الرسوم القديمة في الكهوف المتفرقة في انحاء الهند التي تؤكد الاهتمام البالغ بها منذ القدم، وقد اهتم أباطرة المغول في الهند بالفهود وقاموا باصطيادها وتدريبها بأنفسهم ومنحها الرتب والألقاب ووسائل النقل الفخمة والفرش الثمينة، وقد وصل الاهتمام بها لدرجة كبيرة من الاهتمام حيث كانت تحضر مجالس الإمبراطور، كما أنها اعتبرت من الهدايا الدبلوماسية المهمة، وقد اعتنى فناني العصر المغولي في الهند برسوم الفهود وتصويرها في أوضاع مختلفة بداية من مراقبتها في الطبيعة، وفي أوقات صيدهم وفي براعتهم في الإمساك بالفرائس وقاموا بصنع الألبومات والصور المميزة التي تظهر قوة الفهود ومكانتها، وتنفيذ موضوعاتها التصويرية على التحف التطبيقية مثل السجاد والتحف الأخرى. ومن خلال المنهج الوصفي والتحليلي والتاريخي أظهر البحث مكانة الفهد الصياد في الهند، ومظاهر الاهتمام به كحيوان مميز من قبل أباطرة الهند العظماء، الذين عرفوا صفات هذا الحيوان ودرسوها بشكل مستفيض؛ حتى اضحى أحد أركان قوتهم ورمزا من رموز هويتهم، حيث أكدت التصاوير براعته في الصيد التي تحدثت عنها كتب المؤرخين والعلماء، وأظهرت الدراسة ان أباطرة الهند الستة العظماء قد مارسوا الصيد بالفهود واعتبروها رياضتهم المفضلة؛ وان فضل بعضهم في النهاية استخدام البنادق النارية التي تميزت بدقة الإصابة. [En] Cheetahs belong to the predators that are tamed and used for hunting. the ancient Indian man knew their importance and harnessed their power to hunt the prey for him, Many drawings of these animals have been found in ancient caves in various parts of India, which indicates the ancient interest in them. The Mughal emperors in India cared about and trained the cheetahs which they captured. Cheetahs were of great interest, as they attended the emperor’s councils and were granted titles and ranks, luxurious means of transportation, and precious furniture. They were also important diplomatic gifts. The artists of the Mughal era in India were interested in drawing and depicting cheetahs in various situations, from observing them in nature and during their capture to their prowess in hunting and catching prey. They made distinctive albums and paintings that showed the strength of the cheetahs and implemented the subjects of their depictions on applied artifacts, such as carpets., By using a descriptive, analytical, and historical approach, the research paper illustrated the status of the cheetahs in India, the manifestations of interest in the cheetah as a distinctive animal, and the Indian emperors’ knowledge of the characteristics and extensive study of this animal until it became one of the pillars of their power and a symbol of their identity, as the paintings confirmed its hunting prowess that historians and scholars discussed. It showed that the six great emperors of India practiced hunting with cheetahs and considered this sport their favorite, although some preferred to use firearms, which were distinguished by their accuracy.
Keywords
Indian painting; hunting cheetahs; training cheetahs; Akbarnamah; hunting with cheetahs; chase skills; Shikargah

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