What was the composition of artists in the royal atelier during Akbar's reign?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option 1: Persian and indigenous Indian artists
The royal atelier included the most skilled Persian and indigenous Indian artists of that time.
The tradition and fascination for painting started by Humayun was carried forward by his illustrious son Akbar (1556–1605). Abul Fazal, the court historian of Akbar, writes about Akbar’s passion for arts. He records that more than a hundred artists were employed in the royal atelier. This included the most skilled Persian and indigenous Indian artists of that time. This integrated composition of Indo-Persian artists led to the development of a unique style in this period. These artists together undertook ambitious projects that established new artistic standards with regard to visual language, as well as, subject matter. Akbar, believed to be suffering from dyslexia (a condition where a person finds difficulty in reading), laid great emphasis on illustration of manuscripts. It was under his patronage that several seminal projects of translation and illustration of manuscripts were carried out.