Religiosity in the Manuscript of the Hamleye Heydari by Bazel Mashhadi(Dated 1222, Bibliothèque National Library)

Religious artwork means drawing religious scenes including war, the iconography of Imams and their lives, the battles of Imam Ali, and the events of Karbala. One of the remarkable works in this style is Hamleye Heidari by Bazal Mashhadi written in the 12th century AH following the style of the Shahnameh. An exquisite copy of it, dated 1222, is preserved in the Bibliothèque National Library. It has 241 images in Indian style.  In addition to the high quality of the drawings in this version, their artistic value is also significant. To introduce this version and its artistic arrays, the present study examines religious paintings. The two research questions are 1) how has the iconography of Prophet Mohammad, Imam Ali, and Ahl al-Bayt been drawn in this version?; and 2) What creative ways has the painter invented for icon painting? The method of image analysis based on form and visual characteristics was used. The results of the research showed that women's illustrations have special prominence in the drawings of this version distinguishing this version from other religious drawings. In this version, religiosity has a unique place compared to similar examples.   Introduction Religious iconography appeared in the 9th century AH- illustrating Meraj-name - and flourished in the Safavid period with the iconography of Qesas Al-Anbya. Initially, religious iconography was mostly devoted to the stories of prophets, but over time it paid more attention to Shiite themes especially the stories of Karbala and Taziyeh recitations. Hamleye Heydari is one of the most important works in the field of religious painting. This work, composed in the 12th century AH, contains 20,000 or 30,000 verses. The date of composition is unknown but researchers suggest that it should be around 1119 AH so Bazel must have spent 50 years of his life on this poetry. Hamleye Heydari followed the style of the Shahnameh in narration as well as characterization. Some illustrated copies of Hamleye Heydari have survived. One of the most valuable, dated 1222, contains 241 images in the Indian style. War flourished as a way to visualize Imam Ali's paintings in the same way as they were depicted in this copy of the Hamleye Heydari.   Discussion This article studies a manuscript dated 1222 from an artistic perspective. First, it examines the copy. Then, it investigates the artworks in the copy. Finally, it analyzes the religiosity in its paintings. The copy is arrayed with decorations such as gorgeous illuminations, golden tables, Eslimi, and floral motifs. Among the most important arrays in this copy are colorful geometric patterns decorated with golden Eslimi and contain some verses.  The paintings are in Indian style that can be recognized in the costumes, portraits, and styles of architecture (similar to the Taj-Mahal). Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and Imam Ali (AS) are displayed as the flames of light. This kind of imagery is uncommon in the painting because, usually, it is only the faces of saints that are portrayed as a flame, not their full body. Pictures are mostly covered with figures of men and women who are very similar in custom and faces, and only limited space is left around the edge. The backgrounds are without vegetation, such as desert reflecting the geographic location of Saudi Arabia. Women are rarely depicted in religious paintings while in this copy women have a central position in the images, for example, dancing, performing a ceremony, and playing an instrument. They are depicted with large and black eyes as well as long and black hair in the same style as Indian women. One of the most important figures in this copy is the image of Gabriel; a full page is dedicated to a miniature of Gabriel portraying him with a turban and a portrait-like Indian face with one side as the moon and the other side as the sun. Conclusion The analysis show creative methods for iconography in this manuscript. In religious paintings, the iconography of saints is mostly depicted with a halo or white veil on their faces, while in this copy the full body of the saints is covered in the golden flame of light. The second point is that in religious paintings, women are not usually a central figure but, in this copy, special attention has been paid to the important role of women. Furthermore, the iconography of Gabriel in the Indian style is a new way of portraying this angel. All these innovative pictures make the manuscript rich and fully valuable in the religiosity tradition.