Sahifa Banu was a prominent and highly skilled Mughal miniaturist active in the early 17th century, during the reign of Emperor Jahangir. As one of the very few known women artists at the Mughal court, her work provides rare insight into the artistic life of the royal women’s quarters (the zenana). Her sophistication and distinct style have secured her place as one of the best-known female artists of the period.
While historical records on female Mughal artists are sparse, evidence suggests Sahifa Banu was a professional painter who likely worked alongside her male counterparts in the court’s royal ateliers. Scholarly sources hypothesise that she was a “Mogul princess or a personage of high rank,” which would have granted her access to the highest levels of artistic education and the finest materials. This high social standing distinguishes her from artists who might have been trained for more domestic or commercial purposes, and it helps to explain the remarkable quality of her work. Her existence as a named, professional artist challenges the prevailing assumption that art-making was a domain exclusive to men at the time.
Sahifa Banu is definitely known for at least two major works, with a third notable painting also attributed to her.
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“The Son Who Mourned His Father”: This painting, housed at the Aga Khan Museum, is a brilliant example of her mastery of opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Completed around 1620, the miniature is a copy of a late 15th-century work by the celebrated Persian master, Behzad. The original scene, from the epic poem Mantiq al-Tair(“The Conference of the Birds”), depicts a grieving son who is visited by his father’s spirit. By reinterpreting Behzad’s work, Sahifa Banu showcased her training in sophisticated Persian techniques and her ability to adapt and refine a classical composition.
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Portrait of Shah Tahmasp of Iran: Now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, this portrait is perhaps her most significant piece, as it is believed to be the only Mughal miniature signed by a woman. It is a refined copy of a portrait by the Persian master Āghā Mirak. The painting highlights her sophisticated draftsmanship and her ability to capture the regal dignity of her subject. It also reveals a key characteristic of her style: her deliberate rejection of the European perspective. While some Mughal artists of the period began to incorporate Western techniques, Sahifa Banu’s work, including the distinct, flattened representation of the carpet in this portrait, shows an intentional adherence to classical Persian spatial representation, prioritising symbolic and compositional clarity over realistic depth. This deliberate stylistic choice demonstrates her confident artistic voice and her formal education in the traditional Persian aesthetic.
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“A Lady Paints a Self-Portrait”: A third, notable painting is attributed to Sahifa Banu, a folio from a Khamsa-i Nizami manuscript at the British Library (BM. Or. 12208). The work depicts a woman painting a self-portrait while her attendant holds a mirror for her, a theme believed to be unique to the zenana environment. This attribution, though debated by some, has been supported by scholars and offers a compelling glimpse into the private life of the court, suggesting that women were not only subjects of art but also its creators.
Sahifa Banu’s legacy extends beyond her individual paintings. Her work is crucial to understanding the nuanced roles of women in the Mughal Empire, as both powerful patrons and skilled creators. Her status as one of a handful of named female artists, a title she may have shared with contemporaries like Nadira Banu, is a testament to her exceptional talent and the rarity of her position. By producing works that rivalled those of her male counterparts, she secured a lasting place in the history of Mughal art and has become a symbol for the often-overlooked contributions of women to the visual culture of the period.