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Natural History

Detail of painting of birds flying among foliage

“[Hindustan] is a strange country. Compared to ours, it is another world…” —Babur*

The Indian subcontinent teemed with plants and animals unknown to Babur and his Central Asian companions. After arriving in India in 1526, Babur wrote a remarkable account of the flora and fauna he encountered in his new territory. With his characteristic precision, he records the habitats, behaviors, and even flavors of these unfamiliar species.

Some eighty years later, the Mughal emperor Akbar had his grandfather Babur’s memoirs translated into Persian and illustrated. These folios are from the first Baburnama of five. Made for Akbar himself, the first Baburnama was a collaborative effort among many of the most prominent artists in the imperial workshop. Mansur, one of the greatest Mughal natural history painters, cut his teeth painting superbly observed animals on the folio you will see here . Other artists, like Farrukh Beg—whose three more stylized paintings you can also see in this exhibition—were recent arrivals to India.

*Thackston, Wheeler M., trans. The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor. New York: Oxford University Press in association with Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1996. 332.

Birds, Beasts, and Botanicals

Babur made careful observations of the flora and fauna he encountered on the Indian subcontinent. Some eighty years later, artists working for Babur’s grandson Akbar created these illustrations to accompany the text.

Of the coconut tree in the first painting, Babur describes its leaves, notes its economic importance, and rates the flavor of coconut water as “not bad.” The second painting has been separated from its text, but we can see that the painter has depicted black ibis, merganser ducks, spotted doves, and hoopoes among other, more stylized birds. Akbar’s artists enriched both scenes by depicting birds in male–female pairs, a common theme in Mughal illuminated designs that often appear in margins, confirming their interest in documenting the world.

Birds in a Coconut Grove
Folio from the First Baburnama
Designed by Miskin and painted by Bhura
India, Mughal dynasty, ca. 1589
Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Purchase—The Elizabeth B. Moynihan Fund
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
S2009.3

In the words of Babur…

Babur describes the cultural and economic importance of the coconut tree:

“The coconut is Arabicized by the Arabs into narjil. The people of Hindustan call it naliyar, probably a popular error. The fruit of the coconut is the “Indian walnut” from which ladles are made. The larger ones are made into ghichak bowls. The tree looks exactly like a date palm, but the coconut branch has more leaves, and the leaves are shinier. Just as there is a green husk on top of the walnut, there is a green husk on top of the coconut, but the coconut’s husk is quite fibrous. Ropes for all boats and ships are made from this coconut fiber, as is cord for seaming boats. When the coconut fiber is stripped, there are revealed three holes arranged in a triangle on the nut—two hard and one soft. The soft one is easily pierced with pressure. Before the kernel sets, there is liquid inside. One can pierce the hole and drink the liquid, which does not have a bad taste—rather like liquified date cheese.”

Thackston, Wheeler M., trans. The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor. New York: Oxford University Press in association with Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1996. 347.

birds perched in a coconut grove, near two ducks in a stream

Birds at Baran
Probably from a Baburnama
India, Mughal dynasty, late 16th century
Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Freer Gallery of Art
F1907.611

In the words of Babur…

Babur describes the cultural and economic importance of the coconut tree:

“The coconut is Arabicized by the Arabs into narjil. The people of Hindustan call it naliyar, probably a popular error. The fruit of the coconut is the “Indian walnut” from which ladles are made. The larger ones are made into ghichak bowls. The tree looks exactly like a date palm, but the coconut branch has more leaves, and the leaves are shinier. Just as there is a green husk on top of the walnut, there is a green husk on top of the coconut, but the coconut’s husk is quite fibrous. Ropes for all boats and ships are made from this coconut fiber, as is cord for seaming boats. When the coconut fiber is stripped, there are revealed three holes arranged in a triangle on the nut—two hard and one soft. The soft one is easily pierced with pressure. Before the kernel sets, there is liquid inside. One can pierce the hole and drink the liquid, which does not have a bad taste—rather like liquified date cheese.”

Thackston, Wheeler M., trans. The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor. New York: Oxford University Press in association with Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1996. 347.

a flock of birds flying over a stream and a tree

A Naturalist’s Eye

This folio is from the emperor Akbar’s personal copy of the Baburnama. It was a collaborative effort between Kanha, a senior artist, and Mansur, one of the greatest Mughal painters of natural history. Kanha drew the composition and Mansur painted it, supplying additional details to Babur’s description. His delicate brushwork highlights details of the animals’ forms, such as the soft hair on their muzzles and the shiny, rippled surfaces of their horns.

Two Wild Buffalo
Folio from the First Baburnama
Designed by Kanha and painted by Mansur
India, Mughal dynasty, ca. 1589
Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Freer Gallery of Art
F1954.29 (obverse)

In the words of Babur…

The two sides of this page are a single leaf from Akbar’s Baburnama manuscript. In the text on these pages, Babur records in detail the appearances of animals that are particular to Hindustan:

“Another [animal that is particular to Hindustan] is the wild buffalo, which is much larger than our oxen. Like ours, however, its horns curve backward without touching the back. It is a dangerous, ferocious animal.


Nilgai. The nilgai is as tall but more slender than a horse. The male is blue, which is probably why it is called nilgau [indigo cow]. It has two smallish horns. On its throat it has hair longer than a span that resembles a yak tail. Its hooves are like those of a cow. The female’s color is like that of a doe, and it has no horns or hair on its throat. The female is also plumper than the male.


Hog deer. The hog deer is as large as a white deer, but its fore- and hind legs are shorter, for which reason it is called kutahpay [short legged]. Its horns are branched like a stag’s but smaller. Like the stag, it sheds its horns annually. It is a poor runner, and for that reason it never leaves the forest.”

Thackston, Wheeler M., trans. The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor. New York: Oxford University Press in association with Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1996. 337.

two buffalo near a stream with mountains and trees in the background

Nose to Tail

On another folio of the Baburnama, the artists Kanha and Mansur provided an illustration for each entry. Babur wrote that the blue bull, a kind of antelope, is bluish-gray and therefore known as nila-gau (indigo cow), and that the hog deer, at bottom, has stumpy legs. Other details, such as the dappled coats of the hog deer, do not follow the text and must be based on firsthand knowledge.

Two Blue Bulls and Two Hog Deer
Folio from the First Baburnama
Designed by Kanha and painted by Mansur
India, Mughal dynasty, ca. 1589
Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Freer Gallery of Art
F1954.29(reverse)

In the words of Babur…

The two sides of this page are a single leaf from Akbar’s Baburnama manuscript. In the text on these pages, Babur records in detail the appearances of animals that are particular to Hindustan:

“Another [animal that is particular to Hindustan] is the wild buffalo, which is much larger than our oxen. Like ours, however, its horns curve backward without touching the back. It is a dangerous, ferocious animal.


Nilgai. The nilgai is as tall but more slender than a horse. The male is blue, which is probably why it is called nilgau [indigo cow]. It has two smallish horns. On its throat it has hair longer than a span that resembles a yak tail. Its hooves are like those of a cow. The female’s color is like that of a doe, and it has no horns or hair on its throat. The female is also plumper than the male.


Hog deer. The hog deer is as large as a white deer, but its fore- and hind legs are shorter, for which reason it is called kutahpay [short legged]. Its horns are branched like a stag’s but smaller. Like the stag, it sheds its horns annually. It is a poor runner, and for that reason it never leaves the forest.”

Thackston, Wheeler M., trans. The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor. New York: Oxford University Press in association with Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1996. 337.

two bulls and two deer laying and running among a field and mountains

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