Manifestation of "Position of Ahl al-Bayt (as)" in Miniatures of Ilkhani and Timurid Periods

Shiite art is monotheistic art, which is placed in the scope of Islamic art by emphasizing the two principles of Imamate and justice. Some have considered the formation of the Safavid government as the foundation for the emergence of this art and considered this period as the beginning of Shiite art, but it should be said that the spread of Shiite art in Iran started in a gradual process from the Ilkhanid era, and it spread and continued in the Timurid era and was stabilized in the Safavid era. The existence of Shiite tendencies among Iranians has manifested the themes and elements of Shiite beliefs in miniature and has caused the presence of the face of the Prophet (pbuh) and Ahl al-Bayt (as) in the miniatures. The purpose of this research is to identify the visual characteristics of "position of Ahl al-Bayt (as)" in the miniatures of the Ilkhanid and Timurid periods and their relationship with the principles of Shia religion. Based on library studies and with a descriptive analytical method and with a comparative approach, the miniatures of Ilkhani and Timurid periods have been examined from the perspective of Shia beliefs and how to depict and analyze their aesthetic and symbolic elements. The findings show that the illustration of versions with Shiite themes and especially Ahl al-Bayt (as) has always been influenced by the religious thinking of artists and their supporters in different era. As in most of the Shiite miniatures of the Ilkhani period, a realistic method is used to display visual components, and sometimes explicit and simple symbols have also appeared in them. However, in the Timurid period, with the increase of Shia tendencies, they tried to portray Shia themes and personalities as they were reflected in the Shia religion by avoiding realism and entering the field of symbolism, and in this way, the platforms for the growth of the symbolic elements of the Shiite miniatures of the Safavid period were provided.