Real and Magical Horses in Indian Art

Horses

• horses central in Indian art

• Ayyanar horses in Tamil Nadu

• elites often depicted on horseback

• actual portraits of real horses

  • Mira Bagus by Bagta, Rajasthan c. 1800

• Kanthaka -> horse of Siddartha Gautama

• various Hindu gods associated with horses

• two myths in India about the creation of horses

• historically many horses in India came from West Asia

  • many died at sea

• Mughal empire was cavalry-driven

  • caravanserai architecture

• horses began to be bred in West India in 1600s-1700s

  • Jodhpur horses

• West and Central Asia largely pastoral nomads

• horses became part of the deportment on Mughal emperors

  • Akbar hunting on horseback, late 16thC

Elephants

• Elephant also South Indian war animal

  • also symbol of kingship

  • demonic in the Quran

    • Mughal emperors ignored this

  • Akbar controls elephant Havai, by Balawan 1591

  • provided a vantage point, good for crossing rivers

• portraits of real elephants

Vyalas

leonine/elephantine creatures

Misc

• fondness for piebald horses

• late Mughals also commissioned equestrian portraits

• Sikh emperor Ranjit Singh of Punjab loved horses

• also representation of women on horseback