Kevalaodhi Buddhist And Jaina History Of Deccan Vol 2

Author(s): Aloka Parasher Sen, B Subrahmanyam, E Siva Nagi Reddy
Publisher: Bharatiya Kala Prakashan

Page 145

347
Jaina Themes in Deccan Miniature Painting
Unfortunately, in the course of the 16th and 19th centuries AD, the period when the Deccani painters received ample patronage from all classes of people, extension of the Western Indian School is not found anywhere in the Deccan. A fact notable for our purpose is that the patronage of illustrated manuscript was predominantly a concern of the Svetambara Jains, and the more austere Digambara Jains commissioned only a small number of works.
Jainism was followed in the Deccan on a limited scale. Although, there are some Jaina temples in the Deccan and some fine images were made in stone and metal during the 10th and 12th centuries AD, painting did not find acceptance here, there were no big Jaina religious establishments or settlements in the kingdom of Golkonda, Bijapur and Ahmadnagar. "This factor assumes significance in Digambara art as all artistic activity in this community was motivated by either a religious leader of stature or religious establishment like Bhaṇṭaraka Mathas of the twenty-two Digambara Jain Bhaṇṭāraka seats, three of which are located at Karanja one for each of the three sub-groups"."
Despite the various factors, which did not encourage painting of Jaina themes in the Deccan, their meager number establishes their existence. They provided us with at least some material for the study of their style, nature of patronage and the region where the Digambara Jainas had the will and means to have such works produced. This material is a good illustration of the survival of art forms and painting in a period when other more dominant schools of painting and patronage patterns were the order of the day.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1. For early Deccani Painting, see Mark Zebrowski, Deccani Painting, London, Sotheby Publications, 1983; and Jagdish Mittal, 'Painting', in History of Medieval Deccan, vol. II, (ed. H. K. Sherwani and P. M. Joshi) Hyderabad, 1974.
2. Jagdish Mittal, 'Paintings of the Hyderabad School', Marg (Deccani Kalams Issue), Vol. XVI, No. 2, Bombay, March, 1963, pp. 43-56.
3. Jagdish Mittal, 'Deccani Paintings at the Samasthans of Wanaparthy, Gadwal and Shorapur, Marg, Vol. XVI, No. 2, 1963, pp.58-62; Jagdish Mittal, 'An Illustrated Deccani Manuscript From Rajahmundry, A Hitherto Unknown Centre of Painting in Deccan', PAROKSHA (Coomaraswamy Centenary Semniar Papers), (eds.) G. M. Sheikh, K. G. Subrahmanyan and Kapila Vatsyayan, New Delhi, Lalit Kala Akademi, 1984, pp. 109-114 and 6 plates.
4. Saryu Doshi, 'Pancha-Kalyanaka Pata, School of Aurangabad, Marg (Homage to Kalamkari Issue), Bombay, 1978, pp. 45-65. Sint. Saryu Doshi was the first to discover and publish this crucial document for the study of Jaina Painting in the Deccan. My article had drawn much information from her article.
5. Saryu Doshi, 'An Illustrated Manuscript from Aurangabad dated 1650 AD', Lalit Kala, No. 15, New Delhi, Lalit Kala Akademi, pp. 19-28.
6. Ellen Smart, and Daniel Walker, Pride of the Princes: Indian Art of the Mughal Era in the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, 1985, nos. 23 and 24; B. N. Goswamy, and Usha Bhatia, Painted Visionsahe Goenka Collection of Indian Paintings, New Delhi, Lalit Kala Akademi, 1999, no. 149; and Pal, Pratapaditya (ed), Dancing to the Flute, Australia, The Art Gallery of the New South Wales, 1997, nos., 182 and 183. The two paintings are from different sets. 7. Saryu Doshi, Marg, op. cit., p. 58.
8. Ibid. p. 59
9. Stella Kramrisch, Survey of Painting in the Deccan, Hyderabad, 1937, plates XVI- XVII and XXII- XXIII.
10. Jagdish Mittal, 'The Painted Scrolls of the Leccani Picture Showmen: 17th to 19th century, Marg, Vol. 49, No. 3, Mumbai, 1998, pp. 56-65.
11. Karl J Khandalavala; Moti Chandra; and Pramod Chandra, Miniature Paintings from the Sri Motichand Khajanchi Collection, New Delhi, Lalit Kala Akademi, 1960, Plate G and fig. 115.
12. Mark Zebrowski, op. cit. 1983, fig. 189; and Pal, Pratapaditya et. al. The Peaceful Liberations: Jaina Art from India, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1994, fig. 33, p. 47.
13. B. N. Goswamy, and Usha Bhatia op. cit. 1999 no. 76