Art Indica with Alka Pande and Nidheesh | Empire of Senses: Ep 1 | 500 years of Mughal arts

What does it mean to experience empire through the senses?In Episode 1 of Art Indica, hosts Alka Pande and Nidheesh Tyagi begin a journey through 500 Years of Mughal Arts. Titled Empire of the Senses, this episode explores how Mughal visual culture engaged sight, texture, material, and ornament as forms of power, identity, and aesthetic experience.Dr. Alka Pande and Nidheesh Tyagi discuss the major art, architecture, and visual culture that defined five centuries of Mughal rule, from imperial ateliers and miniature painting to forts, palaces, gardens, calligraphy, and courtly material culture. They trace the Mughal legacy from Babur's nostalgia for Samarkand to Shah Jahan's Taj Mahal, examining how the Mughals made India their home and created a syncretic Ganga-Jamuni culture that continues to shape North India today.The conversation covers the luxury of Mughal thought and action, the evolution of painting from Persian to distinctly Mughal styles, the grandeur of Fatehpur Sikri and the Red Fort, the refinement of pietra dura and calligraphy, the introduction of Urdu, the patronage of music and the lasting impact of Mughal aesthetics on Indian art and design. Featuring discussion of key works like the painting of Jahangir weighing Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan) in gold, the episode sets the stage for a season that rethinks the Mughal world not only as a political empire, but as a rich cultural and aesthetic landscape.Presented by Abir Pothi.In this episode:The five senses and Mughal luxuryBabur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb, Bahadur Shah ZafarMiniature painting, ateliers, and portraitureForts, palaces, gardens, and charbagh landscapesPietra dura, calligraphy, and material cultureSyncretic culture and Ganga-Jamuni tehzeebMughal influence on Indian art, architecture, and design todayListen to new episodes every week on Art Indica.