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www.absronline.org/journals
277 | P a g e
ISSN: 2313-6758
Volume 2, Issue 5
Pages: 277-283
In Mughal pastime emperor Akbar reared near about 20,000 and there 500
were selected. In Ain I Akbari which translated by Bloch Mann he mentioned
some characteristics of pigeons. Though the origin of those pigeons is
unknown but involvements of English and Russian was clear. That time
peoples got amusements by flying of Tumbler pigeons and some are used as
message sends which called Carrier pigeon. Excellent white colored Indian
Fantail were very common with the Tumbler pigeons. Jacobins’ hooded crest
was nice in appearance; this pigeon was very popular of queen Victoria of
England. Kokah pigeon’s voice was very peculiar; Lahore pigeon were large
in size which was called Sherajee. Lotan still existed in India which rolls with
slight striking or shaking within the fingers. Pouter pigeons were considered
as pouting of their swollen crop. Not only hobby but also the pigeons may
consider as meat for protein demand in the country.
Keywords: Pigeon keeping; Mughal; fancy pigeons,
*M. Ashraful Kabir
Known and Unknown Pigeons in Mughal History
Lecturer in Zoology,
Cantonment Public School
and College, Saidpur
Cantonment 5311, District-
Nilphamari, Bangladesh.
Email for correspondence:
ashraful_wb@yahoo.com
Known and Unknown Pigeons in Mughal History Kabir, M. A.,
278 | P a g e
INTRODUCTION
The word ‘Mughal’ has originated the word ‘mongol’
which means brave. The Mughals period was 1526-
1858 and Babar was the first Mughal emperor. Babar’s
son Akbar was born in Farghana, Afghanistan in the
year 1542. His activities were 1556-1605. In India before
the Mughals there lived Turkish people. So, it’s
possible to availability of fancy pigeons by them.
Moreover, the business relation to English those
pigeons may come in Mughal dynasty. In Akbar court
there were 36 artists with Tansen and poet 51 with
Abu’l-Fazl. Akbar was very conscious on reading and
he established a library in Delhi with 24,000 books.
Akbar was expert on hunting, sports, horse-riding, and
bow-arrow throwing and wrestling. The business area
of Akbar was Bangla, Bihar, Ayodhya, Elahabad, Agra,
Delhi, Azmir, Multan, Lahore (with Kashmir), Malob,
Khandosh, Barer, Kabul, Ahmadabad and
Ahmadnagar (Plate 9). He established a strong
religious law by reading all religions. He declared that
the man who are engaged in animal slaughter not make
a relation with them because they kills animal. Started
of Mughals from mother side Genghis Khan Ruler of
Mongol, China and central Asia and father side Timur
who was the ruler of Iran, Iraq and modern Turkey.
Emperor Akbar’s friend and minister Abu’l-Fazl wrote
a book ‘Ain I Akbari’ in three volumes. Though its first
impression came from Valih Musavi who wrote a
poem on pigeons in 1788 in the Kabutarnama. Musavi
was born in Khurasan of Pakistan. He migrated from
Hyderabad and started business in Tamil Nadu and
died in 1770/71. Akbar’s city Fatehpur Sikri, one of a
Paradise Bazaar when the court relaxed its regulations.
Akbar’s son young Selim who’s another name is
Jahangir, played with some favorite pigeons. The boy
is growing tired of his pigeons, gave them to the little
girl to hold while he ran away. Returning presently he
found one of the pigeons gone, throwing other pigeon
into the air with a scornful turn. Akbar was brave
soldier and wise. He was energetic and keen observer.
He made a design of his own cemetery in Sikandra near
the Agra (Plate 11). Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru declared-
Akbar is the father of Indian nationalism. Historian Len
pool mentioned among the Indian king Akbar was
most dignified (Alam 2014).
In recent years a lot of research on fancy pigeons by
using DNA technology (Baptista et al. 2009). From the
very beginning all fancy pigeons evolved from Blue
rock pigeons through domestication and then selective
breeding (Darwin 1868). Performance of Tumbler and
Lotan pigeons tumbling behavior depends on breeding
and environmental factors (Entrikin and Erway 1972;
Kabir 2012). Commercial or squab producing pigeons
have been invented in the next (Hazard 1922). Always
exotic and local pigeons if crossed its progenies
productivity is good as meat (Kabir 2013). In
Bangladesh there are huge pet shops where both table
and fancy breeds are available; though here pigeons are
not considered as meat (Kabir 2013). For the beginners
the style of pigeons rearing what will be a criterion and
loft management is must (Tegetmeier 1868; Wright
1901). Evolutionary sequences are must to understand
the behaviour of pigeons and doves for easily access
(Whitman 1919). Huge informative work on fancy
pigeons was performed by Lyell 1981 and McNeillie
1993. Pigeon flying is very primitive hobby of human
and pigeons’ navigation power is excellent and
scientific at all (Wallraff 2005).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Akbar’s court: Emperor Babar lived in Farghana in
1494 and he was driven out of his homeland by another
Mongol group, Uzbegs. For proper controlling of
Akbar’s court (Plate 10) there are three sections- rank,
salary and military responsibilities. Akbarnama worte
by Abu’l-Fazl in three volumes. Volume I was on
Akbar’s ancestors, II events of his reign with
amusements of pigeon flying and III which is Ain I
Akbari deals administration, royal household, army,
revenue, geography, customs, tradition of India,
statistics of crops, prices and wages etc. Abu’l-Fazl
(1590) was a famous poet of Akbar’s court and he
mentioned the Lotan pigeon as a roller (Persian word
lotna means roller) and the Fantail pigeon as a seasonal
flower for its flower like tail. Jacobin was a popular
breed of queen Victoria of England. In the year 1865
when Russia snatches Bokhara of Turkey they circulate
the Trumpeter Pigeon as Russian Trumpeter (Rahman
1999). Mughal history was very unique and its
geostrategic conditions were good and it’s shaping the
history of the sub-continent and central Asia
throughout the known time (Qadir and Minhas 2013).
Zayn Khan Kokah (1542-1601) was a governor of
Kabul; his portrait was found in the portion of the book
Kabutarnama with Tumbler pigeon (Blochmann 1873).
Known and Unknown Pigeons in Mughal History Kabir, M. A.,
279 | P a g e
Amusements by pigeon flying
Body color, characteristics and amusements of those
Tumbler pigeons were enjoyed by them in the sky.
From the Akbar’s reign to present around 472 year’s
ancient history of Tumbler pigeons have. Mughal
dynasty made a great history of pigeons. Mughal court
culture is addressed as well as artistic interaction with
other Islamic courts and Europe (Koch 2008).
Feeding of pigeons
Four ser of feed were supplied for 100 flying pigeons
whereas this is five sers for other pigeons. 7.5 sers were
needed if they are in pair. Only millet was served in
flying pigeons but other pigeons got seven mix feed-
rice, gram, mung, millet, karar, lahdarah and juwar. 15
servants were dedicated for pigeon rearing and they
got salary from the army section of the court. This
payment was varying from 2 R to 48 R per mensem
(Akbarnama Vol II).
RESULTS
Pigeons in Akbar’s court
Tumbler pigeons have been selected for their ability to
tumble or roll over backwards in flight. In Wendell
Levi's (1941) book ‘The Pigeon’, reference is made to
pigeons with this tumbling ability existing in India
before the year 1590. Charles Darwin, in his book The
Origin of Species, makes reference to the Short-faced
Tumbler which was a popular breed during his
lifetime. Lotan were described in Levi’s book from
Abu’l-Fazl and later on three types of Lotan mentioned
by Alla-oodeen on 1886. First Lotan was pure white
and types were- dasti, kalami and havai. Kokah pigeon
is small in size. The specialty of this pigeon was
continuous ‘kuk kuk’ sound. Carrier pigeon was
trained expert to message sending from one place to
another. Jacobin differs it hood than others and looks
very nice. Fantail pigeon was more attractive on its
expanded and erect fan like tail. In Pouter pigeon its
head is not normally visible due to enlarge or swollen
crop. Its chest is raised upper and standing in two legs
like a man. Lahore pigeon known for its impressive size
and nature was bred in Pakistan (Table 1; Plates 1-8).
Insert Table 1 here
DISCUSSION
The environment of Asian continent was suitable for all
pigeons. In Mughal pastime most of the pigeons used
as sporting includes tumblers and lotans (Diagram 1).
Finally broiler or commercial pigeons (Hazard 1922)
are considered in various parts of the world especially
in USA as King, Strasser, Maltese, Mondain, and
Hungarian etc. Great value of that pigeons are
evaluated as the second or alternative source of protein
all over the world. On the basis of Mughal history there
huge fancy pigeon’s history were found. Orientation of
those pigeons clarified from English and Russia and
then gradually Mongolia which was the kings ancestor,
China, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, Delhi and finally in
Bangladesh (Alam 2014). Now-a-days all over the
world there are a lot of great pigeon rearers. Research
held in English and America and normal selective
breeding in Asia is the creating tools of such pigeons. If
any breeds produced it will be recognized by NPA
(National Pigeon Association) USA by proving its
originality and viability through research.
CONCLUSION
Akbar was not only great as social status but also great
as pigeon collector from various parts of his business
area (Plate 9). He was artistic minded and his court was
always filled-up with poet and singer also. His
homeland Farghana was the court where pigeons bred.
He reared lot of pigeons along with Habib, who was a
pigeon-fancier and servant of Akbar’s court (Plate 10).
Prehistoric pigeons are now considered a great
researchable bird by history. So, a German writer said
‘Nothing is insignificant in the world; it all depends on
the point of view’. Historically famous emperor Akbar
had hobby for pet pigeons and after his dead he was
buried in Sikandra (Agra) (Plate 11).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Author is cordially thankful to his colleague Quraishi
Abu Moshiur, Assistant Professor in History
Department of Cantonment Public School and College,
Saidpur, Bangladesh for his immense knowledge on
history especially Mughals. Writer of this article also
thanked to his favorite teacher Mr. Tofail Ahmed,
Senior Teacher of the same institution for providing the
real information basis on his visit of Akbar’s
establishments in Delhi and Agra. Photographs were
collected from internet except Plate 2, 5 and 9.
REFERENCES
Alam KB. 2014. Islamic history and culture (in Bangla).
Metropolis Library, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Known and Unknown Pigeons in Mughal History Kabir, M. A.,
280 | P a g e
Alla-oodeen. 1886. The art of training pigeons in the
east. The Zoologist (series 3) 12: 219-219, 252-258.
Baptista LF, Gomez JEM and Horblit HM. 2009.
Darwin’s pigeons and the evolution of the
columbiformes: recapitulation of ancient genes. Acta
Zoologica Mexicana (n.s.) 25(3): 719-741.
Blochmann H. 1873. The Ain I Akbari by Abu’l-Fazl
Allami. The Asiatic Society of Bengal. Vol 2:
amusements by pigeon flying.
Darwin CR. 1859. On the origin of species by means of
natural selection. John Murray, London.
Darwin CR. 1868. The variation of animals and plants
under domestication. John Murray, London.
Entrikin RK and Erway LC. 1972. A genetic
investigation of roller and tumbler pigeons. Journal
Heredity 63: 351-354.
Hazard FA. 1922. Profitable pigeon breeding.
American Pigeon Journal Company.
Kabir MA. 2012. Tumbling behavior of pigeons. Glo. J.
Sci. Frontier Res. 12(6):17-19.
Kabir MA. 2013. Productivity of crossed indigenous
pigeon in semi intensive system. Basic Res. J. Agric. Sci.
Rev. 2(1): 01-04 pp.
Kabir MA. 2013. Productivity, management and
marketing of pigeons in pet shop. J. Agric. Econ. Dev.
2(4): 147-153.
Koch E. 2008. Mughal imperial architecture (1526-1858
A. D.) and its links to central Asia, Iran and the west,
HAA 183 lecture: syllabus and readings fall, Sackler
318.
Levi WM. 1941. The Pigeon. Levi Publishing Co., Inc.,
Sumter, S C.
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McNeillie A. 1993. Pigeons of the world. A Magna
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Known and Unknown Pigeons in Mughal History Kabir, M. A.,
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Table 1
Following table showing the history of fancy pigeons in Mughal pastime
Sl.
Pigeons’
name
Origin
Selection measured
Availability
Impacts
1
Tumbler
India
Ancient breed
Asia
Sport
2
Lotan
India
Sub-breed of Tumbler
Asia
Sport
3
Carrier
India and
Turkey
Artificial selection from
Homer pigeon
England
Sport
4
Fantail
India
From Tumbler
Asia
Feather
5
Kokah
India
More cooing capability
Asia
Voice
6
Lahore
Pakistan
Large size
Asia
Size
7
Jacobin
India
Single gene mutation
Asia
Feather
8
Cropper
India
Selective breeding
Asia
Crop
Plate 1. Tumbler Plate 2. Lotan Plate 3. Carrier Plate 4. Fantail
Plate 5. Kokah Plate 6. Lahore Plate 7. Jacobin Plate 8. Cropper
Known and Unknown Pigeons in Mughal History Kabir, M. A.,
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Plate 9. Emperor Akbar’s reign
Plate 10. Akbar’s court Plate 11. Akbar’s graveyard
Known and Unknown Pigeons in Mughal History Kabir, M. A.,
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Diagram 1. Most pigeons are used as sporting
