The manuscript miniatures below are cropped: please click through to the full-sized, full-page images hosted in Walters' Flickr set.
![The Fall of Samarkand (Walters Art Museum, Ms. W.596, fol. 24a) Mughal manuscript miniature of battle](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaxwuS9UWSLJwPEB9abGBhyphenhyphenaMFEngzPM8oXLB3LAuol1IWmwK6vShA0A1fh_lWRI2VCmWU8jagpMOZGHCzQxgQd3vvhjALihshe04RaypmW-R-TQcJMxpv6KjBPn0s8UbpS6s3-LQfD9H/s1600/The+Fall+of+Samarkand+%2528Walters+Art+Museum+Ms.+W.596%252C+fol.+24a%2529.jpg)
The Fall of Samarkand
![The battle of Sultan Ḥusayn Mīrzā against Sultan Masʿūd Mīrzā at Hiṣṣār in the winter of 1495 (Walters Art Museum Ms. W.596, fol. 18b) Mughal manuscript miniature of a Persian battle](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8okQUyDQwHfMR5RyLSg56OCZgKn8WhI8HdoPaUYMmAfyvJR24Tq6l4P3Qu04H6gIQsDJd0qEa6oqJlFSkR8ZVKQHvedsnKga67y74TYywGrQaAfmiLFT8YngQ-8PVv3pl43oGBtYyyYM0/s1600/The+Battle+of+the+Sultans+%2528Walters+Art+Museum+Ms.+W.596%252C+fol.+18b%2529.jpg)
The battle of Sultan Ḥusayn Mīrzā against
Sultan Masʿūd Mīrzā at Hiṣṣār in the winter of 1495
Sultan Masʿūd Mīrzā at Hiṣṣār in the winter of 1495
![The siege and battle of Isfarah (Walters Art Museum Ms. W.596, fol.6a) Indian mughal miniature of castle siege](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoR0DUDSkwyAx3rGI7zkRFqOQ8856lzotKE4q0Q_Kdd4ioB7C28Q4OG992p2HM-R6Dq_MWO_xu51vEhHVZYkJrEH8JOitkhbQuIOTK4hmN2lnf-aGnjkgyiI8GpJ68F_iKLxieElbRlloI/s1600/The+siege+and+battle+of+Isfarah.jpg)
The siege and battle of Isfarah
![Ḥamzah Sulṭān, Mahdī Sulṭan and Mamāq Sulṭān pay homage to Babur (Walters Art Museum, Ms. W.596, fol. 19a) Islamic manuscript miniature of Sultan receiving guests; falconry](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbL_x30hOBzPtrQ5QtmCqPku5ihxzMh0psjXtcR_eLdvgtaVJaKvtie3QhzsSHoSsuV42T4E3pRMIr70OdmO_aiFhVvwKm_zUlyKaBVf3LwdO3juKqOBVbsJRbLZFJbr7yu6HGGYcY5Luo/s1600/Sultans+pay+homage+to+Babur.jpg)
Ḥamzah Sulṭān, Mahdī Sulṭan and Mamāq Sulṭān pay homage to Babur
![Foray to Kuhat (Kohat) (Walters Art Museum, Ms. W.596, fol. 7a) Islamic manuscript painting; rural setting, sultan on horseback](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecLrilxt_jHqp0-ujp_OZG6tXJhvLc_w9n7nbf7HY9XKD_X9vw9-BK77FGE9c9xB9ufPSYmM1eZNEj36sjEHyEW9HgjIKTmob0doxmfhTxCvs9qyhexKjy9BP0nWW-SQIw10DpallptPH/s1600/Foray+to+Kuhat+%2528Kohat%2529+%2528Walters+Art+Museum+Ms.+W.596%252C+fol.+7a%2529.jpg)
Foray to Kuhat (Kohat)
![Date Trees of Hindustan (Walters Art Museum, Ms. W.596, fol. 28b) Persian manuscript miniature of date palms, birds and dogs](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDtWkT8c-u81bxm3AwhHRjdCBtl_4sznrAm9RD-yZj4Jr6UdL-5hwnabrARYuy3iPYhkIOYMepuUVpyoMMvA2nd4J0bvZSYbjVZwKwSiuONxvmLNPrgofH4DmyKyRH-f8nyoubp7HOrWj/s1600/Date+Trees+of+Hindustan+%2528Walters+Art+Museum+Ms.+W.596%252C+fol.+28b%2529.jpg)
Date Trees of Hindustan
![Babur, during his second Hindustan campaign, riding a raft from Kunar back to Atar (Walters Art Museum, Ms. W.596, fol. 17b) MS miniature from India - people on raft on river](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSANRid-qEe-eQssFYeWnGSY2rVlztp8jrig4JB4d8-IIarS6wjSHNiWN_xFNW9feS5_6LXmeFa30P7tdsJhO_2poCTmCgNNLnaXtoi5kTtpOh-DrEFFC8IcQeFRWT6A8sBLJsmpj14bY7/s1600/Babur+riding+a+raft+%2528Walters+Art+Museum+Ms.+W.596%252C+fol.+17b%2529.jpg)
Babur, during his second Hindustan campaign, riding a raft from Kunar back to Atar
![The battle of Panipat and the death of Sultan Ibrāhīm, the last of the Lōdī Sultans of Delhi (Walters Art Museum, Ms. W.596, fol. 14a) Islamic battle in Hindustan in manuscript painting](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilC5IZt2XcLtReXreEkOIfXef9EhVdwMtoxtA8QnbwohYTaFkgAenVPytWGD4OU9-5xLZf9Xhm7fo77bDJH4cC-AKmE41bA_VbeCwnTXdJ_uLfaVAafPzAw9uaYBMffsnGUKdXCnKVxZ1d/s1600/The+battle+of+Panipat+%2528Walters+Art+Museum+Ms.+W.596%252C+fol.+14a%2529.jpg)
The battle of Panipat and the death of Sultan Ibrāhīm, the last of the Lōdī Sultans of Delhi
![Babur entering Kabul (Walters Art Museum, Ms. W.596, fol. 16a) Islamic MS miniature of horse/rider procession into castle](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAk4x6HpN6U12dDJXE-8_P4HA4meXvehOKZ8QQaeesQWsCTItuznQBktDvxBazBleuOxIe7g60SD2kaXVozhiQCcHJd8fYdF04GTSPCKWtPxatqXkJu1mDL8wG0riHYPlWz6F9rFMDMdl/s1600/Babur+entering+Kabul+%2528Walters+Art+Museum+Ms.+W.596%252C+fol.+16a%2529.jpg)
Babur entering Kabul
![Babur and his warriors visit the Hindu temple Gurh Kattri (Kūr Katrī) in Bigram (Walters Art Museum, Ms. W.596, fol. 22b) Indian mughal MS miniature of Hindu devotees outdoors partly clothed](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDfOT2t9Y_hVGMclALa4_qnHeMVSEbzQvspMGGaEO_RC1ysRbnlHA1tQTGrZlTfM3BBG9GjyGSKtAaj573Vx_CpnNk-3si9iLXgDV2dVqVKzY4pXW-qUitnS6yD-ldIdp5Wq44YbJdfkk/s1600/Babur+and+his+warriors+visit+a+Hindu+temple+in+Bigram+%2528Walters+Art+Museum+Ms.+W.596%252C+fol.+22b%2529.jpg)
Babur and his warriors visit the Hindu temple Gurh Kattri (Kūr Katrī) in Bigram
![Babur and his party hunting for rhinoceros in Swati (Walters Art Museum, Ms. W.596, fol. 21b) MS miniature - Turkish/Islamic/Persian/Indian : hunting](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQTCdEiXEDLgQW-i3OWUHchd-eGEYMNjo-VdArswcTWMImOJ5mK6oE71lTMA3vgN0-mJltESN79punuyA0MZ50SPkNukKw7VjmJCOQbNvA9e3GV3K0DvPuPz-EASFckPuAqx5jRcwzE7f/s1600/Babur+and+his+party+hunting+for+rhinoceros+in+Swati+%2528Walters+Art+Museum+Ms.+W.596%252C+fol.+21b%2529.jpg)
Babur and his party hunting for rhinoceros in Swati
![Animals of Hindustan: Monkeys, Rodents and a Peacock (Walters Art Museum, Ms. W.596, fol. 26b) Mughal miniature painting of peacock and other animals 1500s](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDKaLCkK9gPNk0jfy2rNOyq_WIhx_0CUxqfrb8TmEKY_kusxRRBdq7AqOih26db2kOdbGrr8pKH0IYl0PmM12Y6tnhDj_UQIRccmjQ1dwQFUPSh7qqFQ5-WeUQggfGWBuiZh3Jjqk1n9d/s1600/Animals+of+Hindustan+%2528Walters+Art+Museum+Ms.+W.596%252C+fol.+26b%2529.jpg)
Animals of Hindustan: monkeys, rodents and a peacock
"Recognized as one of the world’s great autobiographical memoirs, the Baburnamah is the story of Zahir al-Din Muhammad Babur (1483-1530), who conquered northern India and established the Mughal Empire (or Timurid-Mughal empire).
Born in Fergana (Central Asia), Babur was a patrilineal Timurid and matrilineal Chingizid. Babur wrote his memoir in Chaghatay Turkish, which he referred to as Turkic, and it was later translated into Persian and repeatedly copied and illustrated under his Mughal successors.
The present copy in Persian, written in Nasta'liq script, is a fragment of a dispersed manuscript that was executed in the 16th century." {very slightly edited: PK}
Walters manuscript W.596 (Memoirs of Babur or Baburnamah) is available from the Walters Art Museum website or from their Flickr set.
Follow along on Twitter: Walters Art Museum and Will Noel (Manuscript Curator). Thanks Will! [Also see Will's great blog, Parchment and Pixel, where he features items of interest from the Museum].
The Walters Art Museum's online collection of manuscripts and rare books includes one hundred and forty Islamic works; or see the list: The Digital Walters.
Previously: arabic || illuminated