Written by grand emperors themselves or by officials of the royal court, the rich body of Mughal narratives constitutes the point of departure of this course. The narratives, of which the Baburnama and Akbarnama are the prime examples, are to be treated in two fundamental modes--as visual objects, and as texts. In the former mode, the function of these narratives as the locus of aesthetic expression would form the object of study: book illustration, painting, decoration, and insertion of images--these would come under investigative focus here. Considered in the textual mode, the narratives would be taken as sources of cultural history, and subjected to literary analysis with a view to articulating their own aesthetic and visual possibilities. Finally, the course will address a fascinating question of aesthetic theory: the question, namely, of the relationship between the image and the text. No prerequisites. All readings in English