The Mughal Emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605) was known for his religious tolerance, and had holy Hindu scriptures translated into Persian. He presented the magnificent copy of the Ramayana from which this miniature comes to his mother in 1594. Sita, wife of the protagonist, Rama, has been captured by the evil demon Ravana. In this scene a frightened Sita begins to doubt whether it really is her good friend, the monkey general Hanuman, standing before her.