▁seem ▁to ▁conj ure ▁the ▁dev ast ation ▁and ▁ble ak ness ▁of ▁G eng his ▁Khan ' s ▁reign . ▁The ▁draw ings ▁have ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁ev iden cing ▁the ▁" br ut al ▁real ism ▁of ▁the ▁draft sm ans hip ▁[ while ] ▁the ▁ly ric ism ▁of ▁the ▁ref ined ▁del ine ations ▁is ▁of ▁such ▁intensity ▁that ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁matched ▁only ▁in ▁isolated ▁instances ▁in ▁Buddh ist ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Islam ic ▁paint ings ". ▁In ▁general ▁the ▁ins cribed ▁text ▁is ▁b anal ▁and ▁not ▁of ▁compar able ▁quality ▁to ▁the ▁illustr ations , ▁either ▁in ▁craft ▁or ▁meaning . ▁ ▁The ▁compos itions ▁are ▁highly ▁express ive , ▁and ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁figures ▁are ▁engaged ▁in ▁ec static ▁rit ual ▁or ▁dance . ▁The ▁fant ast ical ▁mon sters ▁are ▁drawn ▁from ▁local ▁Pre - I sl am ic ▁Central ▁Asian ▁fol kl ore , ▁bearing ▁res embl ance ▁to ▁be ings ▁of ▁Indian , ▁Chinese ▁and ▁middle ▁Eastern ▁legend ▁as ▁Central ▁Asia ▁lies ▁on ▁the ▁cultural ▁cross road ▁between ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁South ▁Asia ▁and ▁East ▁Asia . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁earth ly ▁scenes ▁dep ict ▁every day ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁Central ▁Asian ▁Ste pp es ▁as ▁lived ▁by ▁various ▁eth nic ▁people , ▁most ▁prominent ▁the ▁Turk ic ▁and ▁Iran ian ; ▁was hing ▁clothes , ▁blow ing ▁fire ▁on ▁a ▁cook er , ▁h anging ▁lines ▁of ▁b ows ▁and ▁ar rows . ▁The ▁living ▁wear ▁various ▁head - d