Decoding Mughal Realities: A Thematic Study of Baswan's Portraits in Akbar's Era with Psychological Perspective

Abstract

This study delves into Baswan's creative accomplishments as a famous court painter during Emperor Akbar's reign, using a theme analysis of his portraiture. It looks into how Baswan's paintings not only represent individual physiologies and personalities, but also serve as visual chronicle of Mughal sociopolitical reality. Using a qualitative thematic approach enhanced with psychological perspectives, the study decodes the rich symbolism, cultural references, and narrative tactics found in his works. The selected paintings are examined for their depictions of imperial power, religious plurality, intellectualism, and human emotion—all of which were important values at Akbar's court. According to the study, Baswan's pictures served a purpose other than aesthetic appreciation; they helped to shape and spread Akbar's ideological and political worldview. Baswan created a vivid visual rhetoric that contributed to the wider Mughal effort of empire-building and identity creation by paying close attention to detail, spatial organization, psychological symbolism, and expressive line work. This article portrays Baswan not just as an artist, but also as a visual history of Akbar's transforming age.