A portrait of Ahmad Beg Khan, attributed to Hunhar, India, Mughal, circa 1657

Ex-collection Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962)

Sotheby’s London, 12 April 1976, lot 106

This portrait can be identified as one of Ahmad Beg Khan, a noble with a chequered political career, by an inscription at the lower edge of the painting field. Ahmad Beg Khan was the nephew of Ibrahim Khan Fath-Jang and benefitted from his prominent family ties, being appointed governor of Orissa during the sixteenth year of Jahangir’s reign (1621). Three years later, he was defeated by the rebellious prince Shah Jahan on the banks of the Ganges and, following his surrender, was welcomed into Shah Jahan's court with an initial rank of 2,000 with 1,500 horse, matching the rank he had held under Jahangir (Thackston 1999, pp.420-1). He was subsequently appointed to prestigious positions in Multan and Awadh, but he was stripped of his rank and land for unknown reasons during the twenty-eighth year of Shah Jahan's reign (1655). His setback was redressed two years later, when he was reinstated to imperial favour. It seems likely that this portrait of the elderly, long-serving Ahmad Beg Khan was made upon his readmittance to the court.

The portrait is closely comparable to a portrait of Ja'far Khan ascribed to Hunhar from the Small Clive album and a portrait of Mirza Bahman I'tiqad Khan (d.1673), also ascribed to Hunhar, both in the British Museum (inv. nos.BM1920 0917 0.13.18 and BM1920 09170.13.28).