Digital Rare Book:
Mediaeval India under Mohammedan rule, 712-1764
By Stanley Lane-Poole
Published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York - 1903

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Image:
Babur and his army saluting the standards

Painting depicting an epic ceremonial event from the Baburnameh. Babur and his army salute the standards to the right of the image, while to the left stand the yak-tail standards fermented with mare's milk (kumis). Members of the royal military band, mounted on camels, blow trumpets and beat large kettle drums at the upper right. Two isolated boxes of text appear on the left, each with two lines of text. Painted in opaque watercolour and ink on paper.

This right hand page of a double page composition portrays the first Mughal emperor, Babur, performing a ceremony inherited from the Mongols. Annually the Mughal emperor sprinkled kumis, fermented mare's milk, on the yak tails of the standards. The Mughal emperor Babur followed the annual Mongol custom of anointing yak-tail standards with fermented mare's milk (kumis) in the presence of his army. Members of the royal military band (naqqara-khaneh) blow trumpets and beat large kettle drums at the upper right. The musicians are mounted on camels,so that they will sit higher than the army and be heard. Called naqqara, the drums were made of metal covered with skin held in place by laces.This illustration is the right page of a double page composition from the 'Victoria and Albert' Baburnama of which three pages are included in Princes, Poets, & Paladins (cat. nos. 82-4).

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