The Tomb of the Emperor Baber. From Sketches in Afghaunistan.

By James Atkinson (1780-1852). Published by Longman, Brown, Green & Longman, Henry Graves & Company and W.H. Allen, London, 1 July 1842.

This tomb was erected in 1650 in honour of the Emperor Baber by Shah-Jehan after his conquest of Balkh and Badukshan. Emperor Baber, descended from a tribe of Tartars, gained possession of Caubul in 1504. After several attempts to invade India, he finally reached Delhi and Agra, having killed Ibrahim, the Emperor of Hindoostan. Baber ascended the throne of Delhi in 1526.

James Atkinson was a doctor, journalist and artist during the Afghan Campaign. In 1833 he became surgeon to the 55th Native Infantry, serving in Kabul between 1838 and 1841. He received drawing lessons from the artist George Chinnery before travelling in Afghanistan, then a little-known country. Watercolour drawings were made 'on the spot' by him as he travelled through Afghanistan and subsequently lithographs based on them were made by Charles and Louis Haghe. They were published in London in 1842. 16 of the original drawings for Sketches in Afghaunistan are in the India Office Library.

Abbey Travel 508 no.25. J.R. Abbey, Travel in aquatint and lithography 1770-1860 from the library of J.R. Abbey: a bibliographical catalogue. London, 1957.

See also items PR000018, PR000020, PR000021 and PR000022 from the same work.

Tinted lithograph after James Atkinson with fine later hand-colour and wide margins. An uncommon lithograph from one of the most famous illustrated works on Afghanistan. Approx. 360 x 525mm. (14 x 21ins).