File:17th century Akkanna and Madanna brothers, Golconda Sultanate.jpg

English: Akkanna (left) and Madanna were brothers, born in a very poor Brahmin family in Golconda Sultanate (now much of Telangana, part of Andhra Pradesh). They helped Abul Hasan Tana Shah gain the throne in the 1670s. He appointed them his ministers, giving them the responsibility to collect Jizya taxes from the Sultanate's predominantly Hindu population. Soon they were in control of entire tax collection system and the exchequer.

• They closely worked with colonial era traders, particularly the Dutch India company merchants who left copious records including miniature paintings of key officials (mostly Muslims, some Hindus) they interacted with.

• The two brothers believed in "welfare of all citizens", and spent the taxes on public works, boosting trade, building temples and resting centers along trade routes.

• The Golconda Sultanate's royalty and elite predominantly consisted of Muslims, who were not happy with their power and influence in Golconda Sultanate. The Muslim elites reached out to Aurangzeb whose army attacked Golconda Sultanate in 1683, accepted a temporary deal that paid enormous financial tribute as a condition of peace. In 1685, Aurangzeb ordered a regiment of his military led by his own son to attack Golconda Sultanate, absorb it into the Mughal empire. The two brothers were beheaded, the Sultan of Golconda arrested and imprisoned, Golconda dissolved.

• The head marks shows that Akkanna (left) preferred to display his Shaiva tripundra dedication to the painter, while Madanna shows Advaita Smarta dedication (these can also be interpreted as a modified Shaiva-Smarta and Vaishnava-Smarta marks).

• The above two 2D miniature paintings were produced in the 17th-century, collected in 1816, transferred to The Netherlands in 1838, and are now a part of the Witsen Album with 49 miniatures (RP-T-00-3186), Rijks Museum, Amsterdam.

• According to Rijks Museum, the 2D original painting is in public domain. This is a photo of the original.

• According to the original collector and the curator notes (also), "Portret van Akanna Pandit, opperschrijver van de koning (shahnawis-i kull) in het domein van Sultan Abul Hasan", "Ekjenna pendiet, Secretaris van Sultan Abulhasan", ‘Madenna pendiet, bewaerder van het Seraglio van Sultan Abulhasan’, 'Madanna Panit is tot aan zijn heupen afgebeeld, naar links gewend, zijn rechter hand opgeheven alsof hij iets vasthoudt. Blad 37 in het `Witsen-Album', met 49 Indiase miniaturen van vorsten. Boven het portret een stukje papier met de naam in het Perzisch. Onder het portret een stukje papier met de naam in het Portugees.' paper deck paint gold leaf gouache (paint)

• This 2D painting was created in the 17th-century and already accepted as public domain by the Rijks Museum. Therefore PD-Art guidelines of wikimedia commons apply. Any rights I have as photographer, I donate it to public domain through wikimedia commons.