Another site of religious blending in early modern India took shape at the court of the Mughal emperor. Akbar presided over what we might now call interfaith gatherings and created a blended religious cult for Mughal elites. European-style religious art, painted by Mughal artists, appeared prominently at court, featuring scenes including Jesus, Mary, and various Christian saints.

The Muslim rulers of the Mughal Empire were also taking a growing interest in that ancient Hindu mind-body practice known as yoga. Some of the sultans seemed persuaded that such postures and practices conveyed great power that might well benefit themselves. Around 1550, a Muslim Sufi master closely connected to the Mughal court, Muhammad Gwaliyari, compiled systematic description of twenty-two yoga postures, hoping to incorporate them into Sufi spiritual practice. Somewhat later, the Muslim prince Salim, who subsequently became the emperor Jahangir, commissioned a Hindu artist to illustrate this text, known as The Ocean of Life. In some of these illustrations, such as the one reproduced here, the yogi’s face is painted to resemble that of Jesus, as depicted in the European religious literature then circulating in the Mughal court. Such images represented a remarkable cultural blending of Islamic patrons, Hindu practice, and Christian traditions.

Questions to consider as you examine the source:

Kumbhaka (breathing exercises)