HistoryMedieval India: Kings and Chronicles

A Mughal emperor saw a dream in which he embraced Safavid Shah Abbas,…

A Mughal emperor saw a dream in which he embraced Safavid Shah Abbas, and commissioned famous Mughal artist Abul Hasan to draw a painting of this dream. Who was that emperor?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → Jahangir

Jahangir commissioned Abu’l Hasan to paint a dream in which he and the Safavid Shah Abbas were in friendly embrace, though the two rulers had never met.

Note: This question is taken from the chapter ‘Kings and Chronicles’ which was there in the pre-rationalised NCERT and has been deleted from subsequent editions of NCERT, including the NCERT book (2026-27).

NCERT: Themes in Indian History Part II — Chapter 9: Kings and Chronicles (Pre-rationalised)

NCERT extract

Fig. 9.16 Jahangir’s dream
An inscription on this miniature records that Jahangir commissioned Abu’l Hasan to render in painting a dream the emperor had had recently. Abu’l Hasan painted this scene portraying the two rulers – Jahangir and the Safavid Shah Abbas – in friendly embrace. Both kings are depicted in their traditional costumes. The figure of the Shah is based upon portraits made by Bishandas who accompanied the Mughal embassy to Iran in 1613. This gave a sense of authenticity to a scene which is fictional, as the two rulers had never met.