Alexander Fights a Sea Battle by Dharmadas, from Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khusrau – Restored Mughal Wall Art

Painted by the master artist Dharmadas in 1597–98, this folio from Emperor Akbar's magnificent Khamsa manuscript depicts a fantastical episode from the Persian poet Amir Khusrau's Ayina-i Iskandari (The Mirror of Alexander). In this legendary tale, Alexander the Great constructs a multi-tiered tower crowned with a revolving mirror to detect pirates menacing the Mediterranean Sea. The scene bursts with activity: boats filled with turbaned warriors, some wielding guns—an intentional anachronism—clash on the waters, while the magical surveillance tower stands sentinel. Buildings with vermillion roofs line the shores, and the composition renders ancient Greeks as contemporary Mughal Indians in jewel-toned robes.

Created for Akbar's famed library, this painting exemplifies how the Mughal court transformed Alexander into a Persianate philosopher-king, fusing Islamic mysticism with technological wonder. Amir Khusrau's 14th-century epic reimagined Alexander as inventor of the astrolabe and mirror—symbols of imperial mastery over land and sea. Dharmadas, working alongside luminaries like Basawan and Manohar, brought Akbar's vision to life with virtuosic detail and kaleidoscopic color. Today, the surviving folios are divided between collections, preserving one of the early Mughal period's most sumptuous manuscripts.

This painting is part of Aurah Living's restored Mughal collection — digitally cleaned and color-corrected from archival sources, with the folio's painted inset, decorative hashiya, and original paper margins preserved.

Premium matte paper print, framed in solid wood with a beveled cream mat. Three frame finishes: Black, Red Oak, White. Free shipping in the continental United States.