Taka Shah of Golconda, late 17th century (Private Collection)

The Mughal tradition of portraiture was gradually incorporated into Indian art. Shown here is a portrait of the Taka Shah of Golconda, a Muslim sultanate of the Deccan in southern India. The faces are skilfully individualized, in the Mughal fashion, but the native tradition is seen in the hierarchy of scale: the ruler, as the most important figure, dwarfs his attendants, and his elephant towers over theirs