Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to album and i

Q: What is UPSC Prelims?

UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2019 UPSC Prelims History paper.

Q: How can I prepare for UPSC Prelims History?

To prepare for UPSC Prelims History, practice previous year questions (PYQs), understand concepts thoroughly, and solve mock tests regularly. This 2019 question covers Mughal Art, Architecture, Literature & Music topic.

Q: What is the difficulty level of this question?

This UPSC Prelims 2019 History question has a medium difficulty level and is marked as an important question.

Q: Where can I find more UPSC Prelims previous year questions?

You can find more UPSC Prelims previous year questions on AspirantMitraa. Browse by subject, topic, year, and difficulty level to practice effectively.

Question

Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to album and individual portrait?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: C — JahangirStep-by-step Solution:The history of Mughal painting evolved distinctly under different emperors:Humayun (1530–56): Brought Persian painters Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad from the Safavid court — founded the Mughal school of painting. Painting was primarily in the Persian miniature tradition.Akbar (1556–1605): The Mughal school of painting truly took shape under Akbar. The style was characterised by: illustrated manuscripts of large scale (like Hamzanama — 1,400 illustrations; Razmnama, Tutinama, Akbarnama); multiple artists working on a single illustration; a distinctive synthesis of Persian, Indian, and European elements. Akbar's era was about grand illustrated manuscripts.Jahangir (1605–27): Made the crucial shift from illustrated manuscripts to muraqqa (albums of paintings) and individual portraits. Jahangir was a connoisseur of painting who famously claimed he could identify the work of each artist in a painting. Under him: portraiture became highly refined and individualised; European naturalistic techniques (perspective, shading) were more fully incorporated; album culture (muraqqa) flourished — single paintings arranged in albums rather than illustrating books; nature paintings (birds, animals, flowers) reached unparalleled standards; painters like Abul Hasan, Bichitr, Ustad Mansur (naturalistic paintings) excelled.Shah Jahan (1628–58): Continued the portrait tradition but painting became somewhat more formal and jewel-like compared to Jahangir's naturalistic style.Key Concept: Mughal Painting evolution: Humayun — Persian foundation; Akbar — grand illustrated manuscripts, multi-figure compositions; Jahangir — shift to individual portraits and albums, naturalism, European influence; Shah Jahan — formal portraits, architectural themes; Aurangzeb — decline of court patronage as he was opposed to image-making. Ustad Mansur's nature paintings (birds, flowers, animals) under Jahangir are considered among the finest in world art history.

Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to album and individual portrait?

Master UPSC Prelims with Our Test Series

More Questions from Mughal Art, Architecture, Literature & Music

Frequently Asked Questions

Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to album and individual portrait?

Master UPSC Prelims with Our Test Series

More Questions from Mughal Art, Architecture, Literature & Music

Frequently Asked Questions