The Tarikh-e-Khandan-e-Timuriyah is a richly illustrated manuscript, which deals with the history of Timur and his descendants till the reign of Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar. This document of heritage value and a priceless work of art, was submitted by India in 2010 for inclusion in the Memory of the World Register and was inscribed by UNESCO in 2011. Currently, the manuscript is at the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna, Bihar.
 
Babur established the Mughal dynasty in India in the early 16 century and with this the tradition of Persian painting was introduced in the country by master artists, Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd al-Samad. Babur’s son and successor, Humanyun was a man of letters. He maintained a huge library and had many court painters working for him. Babur’s grandson, Akbar (1542-1605), himself studied painting in his youth under Abd as-Samad and paid close attention to the work of his court painters. He commissioned the work of creating the Tarikh-i Khandan-i Timuriyya, in the form of a richly illustrated manuscript, covering the reign of Timur and his successors down to his time.  
 
The text of this manuscript was written in beautiful bold Nastaliq, with coloured and gold-ruled borders. The paper used was cream coloured, of excellent quality, with a slight ivory gloss. The text was taken from an earlier work, Tarikh-i Alfi, and at least 133 miniature paintings were added to it. The very first miniature depicts Timur as a child playing with his young companions and then as a king. It also depicts themes like Babur's joy on Humayun's birth and the celebrations of a grand feast on that occasion. There is a miniature depicting Humayun's accession to the throne. The masterpiece is the one depicting the birth of Akbar, which shows his mother lying exhausted and dressed in a green robe, while baby Akbar, dressed in a high conical cap, is resting in the arms of a nurse. 
The manuscript was a collective work and several artists contributed to it.  The study of the signatures shows some of the drawings were done by one artist while coloured by another. Some of the leading artists who contributed to the miniatures are Daswant, Miskin, Madho Mukund, Haidar Kashmiri, Miskeen, Manohar and Basawan. The miniatures show that by this time the painting tradition had moved away from its Persian origins and had acquired an Indian character under the influence of Hindu artists. Colors were brighter and compositions were more naturalistic, with predominantly secular themes, such as nature and portraits of royalty and courtiers. 

The imperial court under the Mughals was not only a centre of administrative authority to manage and rule the vast Mughal Empire, but was also a centre of cultural excellence. This illustrated manuscript is a fine example of Mughal patronage to art and letters and is of great historical and artistic value.