In the manuscript painting tradition, the phase and style casually referred to as ‘pre-Mughal’ or ‘pre-Rajasthani’ is largely synonymous with which term?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Indigenous style
Option (1) Indigenous style — Correct. Works such as the Mahapurana, Chaurpanchashika and Gita Govinda stand for this phase, called pre-Mughal or pre-Rajasthani, which is largely synonymous with the ‘indigenous style’.
Option (2) Sultanate style — Incorrect. This is the hybrid style of Persian and indigenous features seen at the courts of the Sultans.
Option (3) Pala style — Incorrect. This is the Buddhist manuscript painting of eastern India, with a flowing line.
Option (4) Western Indian style — Incorrect. This is the wider school centred on Gujarat; its Jain part is the Jain School. The pre-Mughal phase is not given this name.
NCERT (2026-27): “Western Indian School of Painting …A large group of works of the same period, portraying Hindu and Jain subjects, such as the Mahapurana, Chaurpanchashika, Aranyaka Parvan of the Mahabharata, Bhagvata Purana, Gita Govinda, and few others are representative of this indigenous style of painting. This phase and style is also casually referred to as pre-Mughal or pre-Rajasthani, which is largely synonymous with the term ‘indigenous style’.” |