Acknowledgements
I am immeasurably grateful to the many people who have made this book possible. It has taken more than a villageâmultiple villagesâacross the globe for this project to come to fruition. Over and above all is my UstÄd ji, Daniel Ehnbom, whose calming presence guided my graduate studies. Like any real guide, Dan is a generous enabler. Not only was he enthusiastic about my unusual path to scholarship but he also put all his trust in me finding my feet in the field. It has been a privilege to be under his wing.
I am also deeply indebted to my other PhD committee members at the University of Virginia: Douglas Fordham for the numerous, incisive conversations that helped me frame my initial ideas and methodology; Shankar Nair for his immense patience given the countless times I dropped into his office unannounced asking for advice on everything from Persian translation to arcane questions about seventeenth-century South Asian religions; and Amanda Phillips for her thoughtful and ever-practical advice throughout the writing process.
Other UVA colleagues that I would like to thank include Sheila Crane, Sarah Betzer, Dorothy Wong, Larry Goedde, Krista Gulbransen, Mahshad Mohit, Jane Mikkelson, Sonam Kachru, Mehr Farooqi, Richard Cohen, Rich Barnett, and Ilma Qureshi. From among my own student cohort, I must thank Eric Hupe, Jennifer Camp, Jinchao Zhao, and Justin Greenlee.
At Williams College, over the last five years, I have had the opportunity to share my work with a number of colleagues both informally and through various writing and readings groups. Within the Art Department, Holly Edwards has been a pillar of support. Others who have contributed to my work, providing support and feedback, include Michelle Apotsos, Mari Rodriguez Binnie, Guy Hedreen, Catherine Howe, Liz McGowan, and Kailani Polzak. At the Visual Resource Center, I would like to thank Amy McKenna, Chuck Paquette, and most importantly, Joe Favini, for thoughtfully designing the map that accompanies this volume. Across campus, I have been fortunate to have an extremely compassionate group of colleagues who have always been eager to give feedback. These include Radwa El Barouni, Brahim El Guabli, Amal Eqeiq, José Constantine, VaNatta Ford, Aparna Kapadia, Susanne Kerekes, Sohaib Khan, Joel Lee, and Ashok Rajput. I am especially grateful to Sourena Parham for reviewing my Persian translations, fixing some glaring mistakes, and adding much needed depth and nuance.
As I have expanded and transformed my dissertation into a monograph, the guidance and encouragement I received from our pandemic-era reading group that included Yael Rice, Laura Weinstein, and Fatima Quraishi was a source of incredible support and scholarly growth. Other scholars who shared their writings and have always been gracious with their time and advice include Molly Aitken, Navina Haidar, Supriya Gandhi, Debra Diamond, and Dipti Khera. I am also grateful for the ACSAA community for providing me with a platform as well as an opportunity for workshopping ideas. In particular I would like to thank Holly Schaffer and Jinah Kim for facilitating these interactions.
A number of grants have provided support for my research in the U.S., the U.K., Europe, and Pakistan. Even though the Indian government would not allow me to visit the country as a Pakistani researcher, I must thank the American Institute of Indian Studies for going out on a limb to award me a one-year research fellowship. A junior research fellowship from the American Institute of Pakistan Studies made it possible for me to conduct preliminary research in Europe and Pakistan. With the help of the Metropolitan Museum of Artâs Theodore Rousseau travel fellowship, I spent a year exploring some of the great libraries and South Asian art collections in the U.K. and Europe. I was able to complete my writing through fellowship support from the Council of Library and Information Resources, the Smithsonian Institutionâs Freer-Sackler Galleries, and the American Philosophical Societyâs Franklin Research Grant. My research would not have been possible without the continuing support of Williams Collegeâs Powers Fund and the Class of â45 World Fellowship. The College Art Associationâs Millard-Meiss Grant has helped me with publication subventions.
It was in Lahore that my research journey really began. Without the help of Sumaira Samad, former director of the Lahore Museum, who warmly opened the doors allowing me to document and study the drawing and painting collection, my project would never have taken this direction. I must also thank Uzma Usmani, the keeper of paintings, for always making time for my untimely arrivals and requests. Others at the museum whose help was crucial for my research include Iffat Azeem, Ahtesham Chaudhary, and Ghulam Ali and his security team, who were always cheerfully at hand.
I am deeply indebted to Muhammad Suheyl Umar in Lahore for helping me navigate the Punjab University Library, and to Hameed Akhund for helping me gain access to the National Museum of Pakistanâs painting and manuscript collection in Karachi.
Back in Lahore, Fakir Syed Aijazuddinâs enthusiastic company, his incredible library, the discussions over chai, and the indelible tales of that great generation of art historians enlivened my research period. My brother Taimoor Khan Mumtaz and his institute of traditional studies, Hast-o-Neest, proved to be a wonderful laboratory for my raw, uncooked ideas. His honest critiques of subtle theological matters were vital for sharpening my arguments.
During my frequent stays in London, the inexhaustible hospitality of family and close friends made the trips so much more meaningful and enjoyable. In addition to thanking my uncle and aunt, Babar Mumtaz and Lalita Uddham Singh, I must also sincerely thank Jonathan and Deborah, Nureen and Reza, Juan and Judith, and Omar, Emma, Justin, and Khalid for providing us with such good company across Britain. Susana Marin shared valuable material from her own research for which I am incredibly grateful. In Dublin I was warmly hosted by my cousin, Faraz Khan, and Tim and Christine OâNeill.
In London the British Library became a second home. Without the assistance of Malini Roy, Ursula-Sims Williams, and Saqib Baburi, my experience would have been much less fruitful. I would also like to thank Susan Stronge, Emma Rogers and Annita Nathwani from the V&A; Richard Blurton from the British Museum; Najam Abbas from the Institute of Ismaili Studies; Christine Ramphal from Francesca Galloway Gallery; Emily Hannam, former keeper of Indian works of art, from the royal collection at the Windsor Castle; Andrew Topsfield, the former keeper of Asian art at the Ashmolean, Oxford; and the staff of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. In Europe, I would like to thank Elaine Wright, Celine Ward, Roselyn Hurel, the helpful staff of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Marja Stijkel, and Caroline Widmer.
In India those who have facilitated my research in museums and helped with image rights include Seema Gera at the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh, Shannan Castelino at CSMVS, Mumbai, and Deepak Alathur at the Bharat Kala Bhavan. I am indebted to Seher Agarwala, Vinit Viyas, and Vrinda Agrawal for their help as liaisons.
In the United States I have had the great privilege of being affiliated with two world-class museums: the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Freer-Sackler. In these contexts as well as in the other excellent American collections I was able to visit, the curatorial staff were all extremely gracious facilitators. In addition to Navina Haidar, at the Metropolitan Museum I would like to thank Sheila Canby, Maryam Ekhtiar, and Abdullah Ghouchani for their assistance. At the Freer-Sackler, Debra Diamond has been a wonderful cheerleader and guide. I must also acknowledge my cohort of Smithsonian fellows, which included Holly Schaffer, Emma Stein, Shailka Mishra, Kent Ciao, and Kerry Roeder. Other scholars from U.S. museums and auction houses who have contributed to my project include Sonya Rhie Mace, Leiko Coyle, and Laura Weinstein.
Finally, I must thank my editor S.C. Kaplan for her meticulous attention to detail. At Brill, I am grateful for Joed Elich and Patricia Radder, who have patiently guided me through the publishing process over several years.
None of this would have come to fruition without the enduring support of my parents, Khawar Mumtaz and Kamil Khan Mumtaz, who have quietly encouraged all of my forays, first as an artist and later as an art historian. My father in particular has been a guiding light, not just for his advice on my work, but as a spiritual and intellectual role model par excellence. My sister, Samiya Mumtaz, and brother-in-law Farjad Nabi, both with their incredible depth of knowledge of local Punjabi culture, language, flora, and fauna, have taken a keen interest in my project as it has evolved over the years. I thank my wifeâs parents, David and Kimberly Pheobus, whose home in Maryland has been a welcoming waystation for so many of our adventures across the globe. Special thanks go to my two children, Hadi and Jahanara, born and raised during the arduous process of writing my first book during a pandemic. They have taught me patience, resilience, and a joy for life I never knew existed. My wife Alyssa has accompanied me on all these journeys all the way, anchoring me at every turn. She has been and will always be my true guru.