Manuscript paintings were often given to princesses as part of their…

Manuscript paintings were often given to princesses as part of their dowries and exchanged between kings and courtiers. Why were paintings often given as gifts in this way?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → They were considered precious and valuable, and were also portable

Option (1) They were considered sacred and auspicious, and were also rare — Incorrect. Paintings are not called sacred or rare as the reason for gifting. The reason given is that they were precious and valuable and also portable.
Option (2) They were considered family records, as the colophon named the patron — Incorrect. The colophon page gave the names of the patron, artist or scribe, and the date and place of the work. It is not given as the reason for gifting.
Option (3) They were considered precious and valuable, and were also portable — Correct. Paintings were gifted to princesses and exchanged between kings and courtiers because they were precious and valuable artifacts and also portable.
Option (4) They were considered marks of learning, and were also stored in the library — Incorrect. Each set was stored as a bundle in the library of the king or patron. This tells how sets were kept; paintings are not called marks of learning.

Note: This topic was not named in the CUET 2026 syllabus, but it was part of the NCERT chapter. In 2025 and 2026, NTA also asked questions on topics in NCERT that the CUET syllabus did not name. So our mocks have questions from every part of the NCERT chapter, to give you enough practice. Read the whole chapter, not only the sub-topics named in the syllabus.

NCERT (2026-27): “The Manuscript Painting Tradition …Each set was wrapped up in a piece of cloth and stored as a bundle in the library of the king or patron. The most important folio-page of the set would be the colophon page, which would furnish information regarding the names of the patron, artist or scribe, date and place of commission or completion of the work, and other such important details. …Considered as precious and valuable artifacts and also being portable, paintings were often gifted to princesses as part of their dowries when they got married. They were also exchanged as gifts between kings and courtiers as acts of gratitude and traded to distant places.”

Manuscript paintings were often given to princesses as part of their dowries and exchanged between kings and courtiers. Why were paintings often given as gifts in this way?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → They were considered precious and valuable, and were also portable

Option (1) They were considered sacred and auspicious, and were also rare — Incorrect. Paintings are not called sacred or rare as the reason for gifting. The reason given is that they were precious and valuable and also portable.
Option (2) They were considered family records, as the colophon named the patron — Incorrect. The colophon page gave the names of the patron, artist or scribe, and the date and place of the work. It is not given as the reason for gifting.
Option (3) They were considered precious and valuable, and were also portable — Correct. Paintings were gifted to princesses and exchanged between kings and courtiers because they were precious and valuable artifacts and also portable.
Option (4) They were considered marks of learning, and were also stored in the library — Incorrect. Each set was stored as a bundle in the library of the king or patron. This tells how sets were kept; paintings are not called marks of learning.