the arabic calligraphy. in india

THE
ARABIC
CALLIGRAPHY.
IN INDIA
Archaeological Survey of India
I
Origin of the
Arabic Script
It was yd and 4th Century A.D. when the Arabic script
started taking a definite shape. Its basic letters of alphabet
were like some of their other Semitic counterparts, consist
of consonants. Its script was derived from the Nabataean
script which itself had been derived from Aramaic script.
It is written from right to left quite different from other
scripts.
Specimen of bold Naskh of Klwlji period from Mehrauii, New Delhi.
Kufi, Naskh, Thulth, Muhahhaq, Riqa, Diwani and Nastaliq.
Epigraphs are the most authentic and imperishable source
of history. Epigraphs also record the evolution of history
of development of the art of calligraphy. The calligraphy
has been done on paper, coins, seals, metal objects, copper
plates, arm and armours etc.
Islamic Calligraphy in India
Foliated Kufi and bold Naskh.from Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpda, Ajmer.
Arabic, Persian and Urdu languages are written in Arabic
script.The people of Persia, when embraced Islam,
adopted the Arabic script for writing Persian language
which was earlier being written in Pahlavi script.
The most important factor in the evolution of the art
of Islamic calligraphy is the prohibition on depiction of
human or living beings in the tenets of Islam. So as a
result all the efforts of graphic artists and calligraphers
were diverted to make written words so beautiful that
they become capable to adorn their facades and interiors
of buildings, mihrabs, portals, cover and pages of books,
epitaphs, wall-hangings etc. in this way the Arabic script
started developing
its own art of
calligraphy.
Earliest Arabic epitaph in Kufi dated age
471 (1078A.D.) from Baliapatam, Kerala.
There are seven
major
styles
of
Islamic calligraphy,
among
many
other varieties and
regional innovations
made in it over the
centuries,
namely
After the advent of Islam this art of calligraphy has gone
a long way from west Asian & Central Asian countries to
Indian sub-continent, to achieve the status of such an art
that without its mention the cultural history of medieval
India will be considered as incomplete.
Indo- Islamic architecture, royal stationary, royal orders
Varmdns), coins, seals, wall hangings (was/is), fabrics, books
(in manuscript form) etc. were evidently influenced by this
art.
When Muslim rule was established in India in 12th century
A.D., the building activities, along with socio-cultural
institutions started taking shape on this soil and thus
started a process of innovation and blending experiments in
respect of art of calligraphy. And thus India of the period of
Muslim rule could claim possession of some of the marvels
of calligraphy in the world.
Another specimen of calligmphy
of Bengal Sultans' time in 'Bow and Arrow',
I
Kufi
After the establishment of first Muslim Sultanate in
India at the end of 12th century, the tradition of adorning
monuments with large scale calligraphy was set.We get good
specimen ofKufi on monuments of Sultanate period, which
were generally comprised of Bismillah, Quranic "\erses,
names of Allah etc. Epitaphs from Baliapatnam (Kerala)
and Bhadreshwar (Gujarat) are the earliest examples of
Square Kufi. Facade of Qjrwwatul Islam Mosque near Qutb
Minar (New Delhi) and Facade of Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpda
Mosque, Ajmer are good examples of plaited Kufi style.
A panel in Thulih styI.efrom Dargah of Shaikh. Salim Chishti at
Faiehpur
ikri. Uttar Pmdesh.
Thulth
Thulth was though introduced in India right from the
14th century but it never ousted -askh completely. Thulth
was more dignified and much more artistic. It had a great
ornamental value for decorative bands on central mihrabs
of mosques medallions etc. Qutb Shahi and Mughal
calligraphers used thi style generou ly. Jami Masjid
Golconda, Taj Iahal Agra, among others, are the best
example of thi styles. The greatest beauty of this style is
its accommodative & overlapping quality and visual value
which adds elegance and beauty to the monument.
Bihari
Chand Minar at Daulatabad Fort near Aurangabad with the epigraph of
Sultan Ahmad Shah Bahmani I1 in Tughra form.
Naskh
Another popular style which was flourishing side by side,
was N askh which totally ousted Kufi and had a sway over
the inscriptions till 16th century. Naskh was the most
popular style for executing inscriptions for the quality of
its consistency and facility of easy writing and reading.
Most of the inscriptions of the period of Turk Sultans,
Khaljis, Tughluqs, Lodis and early Mughals are executed
in this style. All pre-Mughal coins carry legends in Naskh
style only.
India can boast of adding a new style to the world of
Islamic Art i.e. Bihari Style. A record from Kapadwanj
(Gujarat) of the time of Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq is
the best and rare example of this style. We do get many
manuscripts of holy Quran written in this style.
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Mesmerising Thulth calligraphyjrom thefacade ofTaj Mahal executed
by Abdul Haq Shirazi during Muglwl Emperor Shahjahan's time.
I Bengal Style
I
The calligraphers from the court of Bengal Sultans were
so innovative that they gave a new dimension to Thulth
style and created their own variety which very well found
in the epigraphs of Bengal. The vertical strokes in this
variety are arranged in such a way that they resemble
the stems of coconut trees, a regional factor. The art
historians have designated it as 'Bow and Arrow'style or
moving swans/boats against a backdrop of coconut trees
on the coast.
and popularized
by Great
Mughals in India. Mughals
preferred Nasta'liq for writing
any thing, except Quranic verses.
Farmans, epigraphs, coins, seals,
potteries, arms, manuscripts, etc.
were inscribed in Nastaliq.
Inscriptions
on the Black
throne of Agra Fort, Epitaphs
of Khusrau Bagh, Allahabad
(Jahangir's period) Sarai Azam
Khan,
Ahmedabad
(Shah
]ahan's period) and Safdar lung's
tomb (later Mughal's period)
are the excellent specimen of
Nasta'liq style.
Ornamented wasli injine
Nastaliq being the example of
calligmphy on paper.
Thghra
Elegant Nastaliq on the black throne of Mughal Emperor"Jahangir
kept at Agm Fort.
Nasta'liq
By the start of the 16th century the world of art saw a
very delicate cursive style called Nasta'liq. It was Khwaja
Mir Ali Tabrizi (d.1416) who for the first time designed
a new style of calligraphy by masterfully blending Naskh
and Taliq together;his able disciples who practiced and
propagated the Nastaliq style produced such a large
number of followers who contributed a great service
to the field of Nastaliq calligraphy during the time of
Safawids.
Islamic Calligraphy in India is greatly influenced by the
Safawid calligraphers ofIran.
Leaving one or two examples, Nasta'liq was introduced
Taghara means bird in Arabic and the
word Tughra is derived from this very
word. Tughra is a form of calligraphy
in which the names of Allah,
Quranic verses, king's name, emblem
of government etc. are written in bird
or animal form or beautiful geometric
arrangement. The Ottoman Sultans
Tuqhra in pear's shape.
of Turkey used this form to write
their names and titles on the royal orders, documents,
stationery etc. In India also this tradition was adopted by
nearly all Muslim rulers.
Tughra is not a separate style as such. Kufi, Naskh, Thulth,
Nasta'liq etc. can be arranged in geometric designs, bird /
animal or floral forms to be called Tughra. It is generally
found in medallions, arms, flags, guns, coins, seals and royal
orders lfarmans). Some time a mirror effect is also created
with the true and retrograde image written face-to-face.
The retrograde calligraphy is much useful in engraving seals
and dies of coins.
Calligraphy in
Manuscripts
Nastaliq caUigmphy with floral backgroundfrom thefacade of
Jamaat Khanna in Jami Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri.
The art of Islamic Calligraphy is not limited to the stone
writings only. We get beautiful specimen of calligraphy in
the manuscripts of holy Quran, hand written books, poetic
collections, history chronicles, waslis (wall hangings),
farmans etc. These specimen are written not only in black
ink on white hand-made paper but folia of opening pages
of these books, specially of the holy Quran, are highly
decorated with gold ornamentation and colour adorning.
Calligraphy on Coins
The other area which is highly influenced by the art of
Islamic calligraphy is the medieval coinage.
The Mughal Emperors added a new chapter in the medieval
coinage by producing coins with elegant calligraphy on
them. Specially the coins issued by Akbar, Jahangir and
Shahjahan are considered the most beautiful coins of the
world only because of their calligraphy and layout.
The Epigraphy Branch at Nagpur in fact deals with Arabic
and Persian inscriptions. The medieval coins are also
examined in this office.
The epigraphs copied m
Annual Report on
and historically
epigraphs are
photo plates
journal
Indica- Arabic
Supplement
a year are noticed in the
Indian
Epigraphy
important
published with
in the research
Epigraphia
and
Persian
(EIAPS).
Coin of Nawwab Usman Ali Khan the VII Nizam of Hydrabad.