Indian Nationalist Art History and the Writing and Exhibiting of Mughal Art, 1910-48

Abstract

This essay traces the changing reception of Mughal art during the first half of the twentieth century and encourages a re-evaluation of the perceived discursive consistency of Indian nationalist art history. By addressing landmark exhibitions and writings on Indian art, it pays particualr attention to the practice of Indian art history, including the over-representation of foreing art historians in India, the circulation of Indian artworks abroad and the creation of a national canon. While acknowledging the relevance of the Hindu-centred spiritual interpretation of Indian art for its general elevation, it charts the rise of an alternative approach that interpreted the Mughal legacy as an intrinsic part of Indian cultural achievements. At the beginning of the century Mughal art had to contend with the view that it stemmed from a non-subcontinental civilization sphere. Yet by 1948 the Mughal legacy had become central to Indian nationalist art history and embodied the longstanding cohesion of Indian culture. This contrasted with the mainstream emphasis on Indian spirituality as well as with entrenched colonial ideas on intrinsic opposition between Hindus and Muslims.