A portrait of Khan Zaman with shield and sword, attributable to Bichitr, Mughal, circa 1630

gouache heightened with gold on paper, laid down on an album page, ruled in colours and gold

Shuja al-Daula, Nawab of Oudh (r.1754-75)
Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, K.B. (1725-74), Governor of Bengal, as a gift from the Nawab in circa 1765; from the Small Clive Album, previously on long-term loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Christie's, London, 18 December 1968, lot 77

Paintings from the Muslim Courts of India, The British Museum, London, 1976

London 1976, p.83, no.153

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The album to which this painting once belonged, known as the Small Clive Album, was acquired during Lord Clive's last visit to India between 1765 and 1767, as a gift from Shuju' al-Daula, Nawab of Oudh (r.1754-75). The majority of the album, containing 56 Mughal miniatures of seventeenth-and eighteenth-century origin, was sold by the Earl of Powis (Lord Clive's direct descendant) at Sotheby's in 1956 (Sotheby's, London, 17 January 1956, lot 332A). These were later gifted to the Victoria and Albert Museum, where they remain to this day. However, as is often the case with albums of Indian and Persian miniatures, several leaves had been previously detached, possibly through family bequests, and on 18 December 1968 a group of pages from the same album, some with slightly different borders, was sold at Christie's (lots 66-88, this page lot 77). The first of those bore a Persian inscription that confirmed the Shuju' al-Daula provenance ("Court of Nawab Shuju ud-Daula, Bahadur Jhang", see Christie's, 18 December 1968, p.49, lot 66).

The entry in the 1976 British Museum exhibition catalogue suggests that this portrait may be of Mu'taqid Khan (also known as Allah Wirdi Khan), Governor of Malwa in 1634 (London 1976, no.153, p.83, for his visage see Begley-Desai 1990, p.140; Beach and Koch 1997, pp.38, 41 & 167-9, no.10, where he is identified as 66 in fig.86). It now seems more likely, however, that the portrait is of Shah Jahan's distinguished officer Khan Zaman (d.1637), who was the eldest son of Mahabat Khan, the Khan Khanan, and of whom there are several mentions in the Shah Jahan Nama of 'Inayat Khan (see Begley-Desai 1990). He appears twice in the Padshahnama (see Beach and Koch 1997, no.10, pp.41 and 169, as no.47 in fig.86), bearing a very similar shield (by Bichitr, c.1630), and as the central equestrian figure at the siege of Daulatabad in 1633 (op.cit., pp.80-81 & 189-190, no.31, by Murar, c.1635). The portrait was probably originally intended to be included in one of Shah Jahan's royal albums, which contain numerous portraits of emperors, princes, courtiers and noblemen by the leadings artists of the day. For descriptions, illustrations and discussions of such albums see Wright 2008; Stronge 2002, pp.142-173; Welch et al 1987.

The facial appearance of the Hindu artist Bichitr is well-known from his self-portrait to be found in the left foreground of 'Jahangir preferring a Sufi Sheik to Kings', c.1615-18, now in the Freer Gallery, Washington, D.C. (Beach 1981, p.30, left detail). This is very likely to be among the earliest known works by this artist, who was to become one of the Emperor Shah Jahan's leading portrait painters. For further discussion and illustrations of Bichitr's work see see Beach 1978, pp.101-7; Leach 1995, vol.II, pp.1099-1100; Okada 1992, pp.164-170. For comparison with other portraits by or attributed to Bichitr, see Hambly 1968, p.72, col.pl.47, p.88, col.pl.61, and p.91, col.pl.64; Leach 1995, vol.I, pp.387-9, no.3.15, pp.386 & 398, no.3.24, pp.401 & 405, no.3.26, pp.408 and 392-3, no.3.19, and pp.410-411 & 413, no.3.29; Wright 2008, pp.178, 290, 294, 327, 350, Pal 1993, pp.270-2, no.75, pp.274-276, no.77B; Paris 1986-I, pp.42 & 46, no.17.

Robert Clive (1725-74), known as 'Clive of India', is recognised as one of the key figures in the history of British India. Beginning in 1744 as an assistant of the East India Company at Fort St. George near Madras, he quickly moved up the ranks having transferred to the army in 1746. After defeating the French Company after a long siege at Arcot in 1751, he became governor in 1755 and won the Battle of Plassey in 1757, which was instrumental in securing India for Britain. He became master of Bengal and retook Calcutta the same year. In 1760, he returned to England for three years, hoping to gain a political position to influence actions taken in India. Setting himself to reform the East India Company and lessen corruption, he went back to the Subcontinent to serve his second and third governorships and became Commander-in-Chief of British India. Although he was subjected to political criticism, he is remembered as 'the heaven-born general', a nickname given by Pitt the Elder for his remarkable leadership.