Under whose patronage did the Guler–Kangra phase of Pahari painting first appear in Guler?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Raja Govardhan Chand
Option (1) Raja Dalip Singh — Incorrect. Dalip Singh ruled Guler earlier (1695–1743). Portraits from his reign come before the Guler–Kangra phase began.
Option (2) Raja Balwant Singh — Incorrect. Balwant Singh of Jasrota was the patron of Nainsukh, not the ruler of Guler.
Option (3) Raja Govardhan Chand — Correct. The Guler–Kangra phase first appeared in Guler under Raja Govardhan Chand (1744–1773).
Option (4) Raja Sansar Chand — Incorrect. Sansar Chand was the later ruler of Kangra, under whom the Kangra School blossomed.
NCERT (2026-27): “Guler School The first quarter of the eighteenth century saw a complete transformation in the Basohli style, initiating the Guler–Kangra phase. This phase first appeared in Guler, a high-ranking branch of the Kangra royal family, under the patronage of Raja Govardhan Chand (1744–1773). Guler artist Pandit Seu with his sons Manak and Nainsukh are attributed with changing the course of painting around 1730–40 to a new style, usually, referred to as the pre–Kangra or Guler–Kangra kalam.” |