You are here : Home > 'India in Ireland' > The Chester Beatty Library

                            The Chester Beatty Library (www.cbl.ie ) 

 

This private collection of the remarkable Chester Beatty, housed in the historic precincts of the Dublin Castle, includes several Indian manuscripts and almost a thousand individual paintings.  The collection is of notable distinction of the time of the Mughal era  --  the great Mughals Babur, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb  --  and others. Prominent amongst these are the Akbarnama (History of Akbar) and various portraits of the emperors themselves.  

Lord Krishna   with cowherd girls  -- feminity, especially feminine beauty and romance, was one of the traditional Hindu themes. Popular depictions included forlorn lovers and depictions of Lord Krishna and his consort, Radha.

Emperor Akbar, known for his curiosity and openness for other religions, in a theological debate with Jesuit missionaries in his ' Ibadat Khana ' (House of Worship)  

Soldiers Listening to Music (late Shah Jahan album of the 1650s)

(Muslim and Hindu painters worked together, producing a fusion in varying proportions, of Indian, Persian and European styles)

Emperor Aurangzeb receives Prince Mu’azzam

Autobiography of Babur (Baburnama)

Begam (Queen) Samru's Household. Begum Samru was a wealthy and powerful ruler, who employed and entertained a large number of Europeans. She converted to Catholicicsm and had two European husbands. The painting includes the name of each individual portrayed and incorporates both Indian and European elements.