The Armies of Timur Combat the Forces of Nasir al-Din Mahmud Tughluq 1595 - 1600

Bhora painted this vibrant scene of "The Armies of Timur Combat the Forces of Nasir al-Din Mahmud Tughluq" with opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper. Here, we are confronted with a chaotic yet meticulously rendered battle, dominated by the imposing elephants. The elephant, a symbol of power and royalty, strides through the scene. Its presence echoes ancient war elephants of antiquity. Notice how the image has a visual connection to images of Hannibal crossing the Alps; elephants have long been potent symbols of might and imperial ambition. The act of lifting stones by figures atop the hill is striking. This primal gesture— hurling objects from above—reverberates throughout history, appearing in biblical scenes of siege warfare. It taps into our primal fears and collective memories of conflict, engaging our subconscious understanding of struggle and survival. The painting is more than just a historical record, it's a window into the enduring motifs of power and conflict that shape our collective psyche.