Islamic Manuscripts and Books Eighteenth Century Indian Muraqqaʿs

This much-anticipated collection of fourteen essays discusses individual eighteenth-century Indo-Persianate albums (muraqqaʿs) and the paintings and calligraphic pieces therein. It expands our knowledge of the production, collecting practices and audiences of these albums by providing in-depth discussions and new insights. Fourteen essays and one appendix discuss numerous eighteenth-century Indo-Persianate albums ( muraqqaʿs) consisting of folios with paintings, calligraphic pieces, and elaborate decorative margins. These albums – now in Berlin, Baroda, London, Paris, and Manchester – were assembled for or collected by the Mughal nawabs of Awadh (Uttar Pradesh), local elites in Bengal and Bihar, as well as Europeans. The book not only presents hitherto rarely investigated material, but also provides general information and many new discoveries based on first-hand codicological study and historical research. It will significantly expand our knowledge of the production, collecting practices, and audiences of muraqqaʿs in eighteenth-century India.