Rooted in a diversity of cultural, religious, and artistic traditions, the Mughal school of miniature painting flourished in northern India in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, chiefly under the patronage of the emperors Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan. In this beautifully illustrated book, the author surveys the development of Mughal painting from its early beginnings to the masterpieces created by the court studios for the books and albums of their demanding imperial patrons. He describes the historical setting in which the Mughal artists worked and the materials and techniques they used to create their brilliant effects. The paintings reproduced here cover the whole range of Mughal miniature art, from manuscript illustrations of biographical, historical, or mythological works to courtly portrait albums, with both human and animal subject.