Babur Scene from the Akbarnama (with border from the Farhangi-Jahangiri dictionary manuscript)

The Emperor Akbar is one of the most famous rulers in the history of the Mughal Empire. He presided over an opulent court that was renowned for its interest in culture and knowledge. Akbar had a history of his reign—the Akbarnama, or Book of Akbar—composed for him by his friend, the courtier Abu'l Fazl. These two manuscript pages likely formed part of an Akbarnama manuscript.

Images from historical chronicles, more so than for other literary texts, most often served as illustrations and were secondary to the written text. Outside the context of the chronicle, these images were often difficult to decipher and could be understood only in a general, superficial way. Combined with the text, however, these images enlivened the narrative, as specific people, places and events could be recognized.