The Adventures of Hamza

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A fantastic adventure story based loosely on the exploits of Hamza, an uncle of the prophet Muhammad, follows his journeys around the world spreading Islam. This narrative features encounters with giants, demons, and dragons, along with abductions and thrilling chases, highlighting both believers and those who resisted the truth. The excitement of these ancient tales was brought to life through public recitations at coffeehouses from Iran to northern India, where storytellers infused their own flair into the performances, often departing from the written text, which varies across manuscripts. An illustrated version was commissioned early in the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar in the late sixteenth century, featuring 1400 large-format paintings, making it one of the earliest products of the royal Mughal painting atelier. The substantial size of the illustrations, nearly two feet high, served to enhance the recitations, with their dynamic style reflecting the vigor of the stories. Today, just over a tenth of Akbar's commissioned paintings survive, and this publication showcases 60 of the finest works from various collections, paired with new translations of the related text passages.