Maharaja Jaswant Singh (1638–1678) ushered in a productive period of painting in Jodhpur. Which text was the most prominent of the themes he patronised?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Bhagvata Purana
Option (1) Ramayana — Incorrect. A Ramayana set (1804) was painted later, in the reign of Man Singh, not Jaswant Singh.
Option (2) Shiva Purana — Incorrect. The Shiva Purana set also belongs to Man Singh’s time, the last phase of Jodhpur painting.
Option (3) Bhagvata Purana — Correct. Jaswant Singh followed the Vallabha cult of Shrinathji, so he patronised Krishna related themes, with the Bhagvata Purana as the most prominent one.
Option (4) Nath Charita — Incorrect. The Nath Charita (1824) was painted for Man Singh, a follower of the Nath Sampradaya.
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): “Jodhpur School of Painting …A productive period of painting was ushered in by Maharaja Jaswant Singh (1638–1678) in the mid–seventeenth century. A trend for documentary painting through portraiture and depiction of court life started under his patronage around 1640 and enjoyed prominence till the advent of photography in the nineteenth century when it substituted painting for recording events. Numerous portraits of Jaswant Singh survive. Due to his inclination towards the Vallabha cult of Shrinathji, he patronised many Krishna related themes with Bhagvata Purana as the most prominent one.” “Jodhpur School of Painting …The last phase innovative of Jodhpur painting coincided with the reign of Man Singh (1803–1843). Significant sets painted during his time are the Ramayana (1804), Dhola-Maru, Panchatantra (1804) and Shiva Purana. … Man Singh was the follower of the Nath Sampradaya and paintings of him in the company of the Nath gurus survive. Also, a set of Nath Charita (1824) was painted.” |