Traditional Indian painting is incredibly diverse incorporating traditions, cultures, philosophies, and values. Within this tapestry of art, one style that truly captivates with its beauty and poetic expression is the renowned ‘Miniature Painting’.

The tradition of painting, in India originated with illustrations on palm leaves and captivating stories in manuscripts during the Pala and Sena dynasties between the 16th centuries. This period gave rise to two schools of manuscript painting known as the ‘Western School of Manuscript Painting’ and the ‘Eastern School of Manuscript Painting’. From this heritage emerged the ‘Rajasthani School of Miniature Painting’ which has become a prominent feature in Indian and global art galleries. The prevalence of large-scale paintings suggests that this form of art is primarily manifested as murals. The palaces in Jaipur and Udaipur showcase wall paintings that demonstrate the skills of mural painters from this school. This style can also be found in palaces, havelis, and historical monuments situated near mural painting areas. Popular themes depicted include Rasalila (the dance of love) and the eternal love story of Radha and Krishna. Additionally, these artworks often showcased processions, scenes from battles, court settings, hunting expeditions, portraits, and captivating landscapes featuring local flora and wildlife. These paintings beautifully capture the essence of Rajasthan culture. Rajasthani artists drew inspiration from Mughal and Persian painting styles while infusing them with their unique touch. These paintings are characterized by their details, poetic elements, and symbolic representations.

With Mughal and Persian styles, these Rajasthani paintings have earned a place, within India’s classical art world. Rajasthan, renowned for its Maharajas and opulent lifestyles actively supported the development of arts and music which paved the way, for the flourishing of miniature painting. These exquisite artworks beautifully capture the grandeur of palaces and royal figures. Talented artists from this genre ventured into regions, like Kangra, Guler, Basohli, and Chamba where they discovered freedom and received generous support from monarchs. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a ruler who governed a vast empire spanning from Afghanistan to China. His leadership in the Khalsa Empire embraced the principles of peace, brotherhood, and welfare for all, which were central to Sikhism. As a result, talented painters found solace in expressing their abilities under his guidance and inspiration.

The Sikh community developed an interest, in the art of painting which can be traced back to the scripture texts (Kaur & Viranjan, 21). It is interesting to note that during the century Sikhs showed an inclination, towards painting as seen in the intricate geometric designs depicted in their scripture manuscripts, which were influenced by Islamic heritage. The origins of Sikh art may be traced back to the Janamsakhis, which primarily existed within this framework for more than a century, except for a few portraits. Janamsakhis are biographical narratives of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. These accounts have been widely popular within the Sikh community throughout history.

The term “Sakhi” originates, from the Sanskrit or Hindi word “Sakshi,” which roughly translates to “witness” and signifies an account provided by someone who saw it firsthand. In the context of Sikhism, it became well known as Janamsakhi combining the term “Janam” (meaning birth or lifetime) (Goswamy & Smith, 14). However, within Sikh literature, Janamsakhis primarily refer to narratives about Guru Nanak’s life as remembered or recorded by those who were present, with him or heard directly from them while the memories were still fresh. These texts mainly comprise incidents and stories that portray Guru Nanak’s personality and teachings in a manner. These artworks draw inspiration from the painting traditions of the region as well as the influence of Mughal paintings that emerged from the 18th century onward.

Before the tradition of Janamsakhi, the tradition of incorporating illustrations, into Sikh texts dates back to the century when Guru Arjan (1563–1606) and Guru Har Gobind (1595–1644), the fifth and sixth Gurus, respectively, started using them. However, it wasn’t until the century that Sikh art truly thrived with the support of patrons. One remarkable early example is the Pothi compiled by Guru Arjan in 1604, which featured an illuminated opening folio adorned in blue and gold (Kaur & Viranjan, 22). According to the Sikh historian Dr. Fauja Singh, the known examples of illustrated pothis and portraiture reflecting the principles and beliefs of the Sikh religion can be traced back, to 1658 A.D. (D. K. Singh, 50). During the time of ‘Guru Har Rai’ the Seventh Sikh Guru. Before this, during the era of ‘Guru Arjan Dev,’ the Fifth Sikh Guru preachers primarily focused on producing Janam Sakhis, which were texts containing both written accounts but lacked illustrations.

The early pothis that contained Sikh narratives and illustrations closely resembled Hindu pothis and scriptures in style. They featured line drawings depicting events from Guru Nanak’s life along with his teachings on Universal Brotherhood, Oneness of God, Dignity of Labour, Respect for Women, and Equality among all castes creeds, genders religions, and faiths. These illustrations were accompanied by concise writing and decorative floral margins. Occasionally Hindu deities were depicted on borders or hashias. With the increasing demand for these embellished pothis, preachers sought out artisans or artists of that period to create several illustrated manuscripts (Figure 1). As time went on floral arrangements gradually replaced designs from the 17th century onwards. Illuminated manuscripts such as Hukamnamas and Nissans showcased floral motifs. A notable influence on Sikh endeavours during the 18th Century was the Kashmiri style, particularly its illustration techniques and illuminated text production. Many illuminated manuscripts, from this period demonstrated characteristics of Kashmiri vine and floral embellishments. According to McLeod (McLeod, 6), these illustrations form a part of Sikh art.

The Janamsakhis have been highly revered for centuries due to their moral significance. However, they also serve as records offering insights into the life and times of Guru Nanak. As a result, these works hold importance. Provide a significant understanding of the evolution of Sikhism as a religious belief system. The earliest documented mention of Janamsakhi can be traced back to Bhai Mani Singh, a scribe and chronicler, in the court of Guru Gobind Singh. He identified three sources; Puratan Janamsakhi, Miharban Janamsakhi, and Bala Janamsakhi (Varanasi, 2020). These compositions were created in the 17th century around the time of Guru Nanak’s passing in 1539. However, initially, Janamsakhi primarily existed as a tradition passed down from generation to generation before being recorded. Janamsakhi texts hold significant religious and cultural importance in the Sikh tradition, similar to how Puranas are revered in the Brahmanical tradition and Jatakas in the Buddhist tradition (Singh, 12).

The manuscript called the B40 Janamsakhi gets its name from the catalogue number it was given when it was acquired by the India Office Library in 1907. The text is written in Gurmukhi script. It contains 57 illustrations that go along with the Sakhis, some of which are full pages and others half pages. There has been a lot of research done on Janamsakhi’s paintings, with a focus on the B40 collection at the British Library. This manuscript is especially interesting because it not only mentions the artist’s name but also provides details about when it was created. Additionally, it has been remarkably well maintained. During the time of the Sikh kingdom, there were some sets of painted Janamsakhis. However, as printing presses were introduced in Lahore in the 1870s the production of these painted Janamsakhis started to decline (Goswamy & Smith, 10).

Under the canvas of Miniature Painting, Janamsakhi illustrations have created a unique space that exuberates that spiritual journey by Guru Nanak. These illustrations capture the essence of philosophy and spirituality with a focus, on Guru Nanak. They visually portray the stories and events, from Guru Nanak’s life conveying social messages. The illustrations found in the Janam Sakhi play a role, in aspects of Sikhism including religious spiritual, historical, philosophical, and devotional expressions. They guide by illuminating the realm and addressing spiritual matters and divine messages. These elements have greatly influenced the style of Sikh art, which encompasses techniques like portraiture, capturing movement storytelling through representation depicting landscapes incorporating meaningful motifs and symbols achieving a harmonious colour palette paying meticulous attention to detail, and refining artistic techniques such, as defining borders and margins. The art form also effectively portrays the traits of individuals while conveying the intended message and purpose behind each theme.