2-730-245 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Ghatotkacha and three demons in his company chase Bhagadatta, from Bhishma-parva (volume six) of a Razm-nama (Book of Wars) adapted from the Sanskrit Mahabharata and translated into Persian by Mir Ghiyath al-Din Ali Qazvini, known as Naqib Khan (Persian, d. 1614), 1616-1617. The red demons riding elephants were generated in multiples by Ghatotkacha, a son of one of the five Pandava brothers who knew how to use magic. Though created by magic, the elephant-riding demons could still cause problems for their adversaries and forced them to retreat. This scene took place on the fourth of 18 days of heated battle. This lavishly illustrated copy of the Book of Wars was commissioned by the Khan Khanan, chief minister to the emperor, first under Akbar (reigned 1556-1605) then under Jahangir (reigned 1605-27).