The Nujum al-Ulum, a richly illustrated encyclopaedia from Bijapur dated 1570, has 876 miniatures. Many of them illustrate weapons and utensils. What do others among them illustrate?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → The constellations
Option (1) The constellations — Correct. Besides weapons and utensils, its miniatures show the constellations.
Option (2) Battle scenes — Incorrect. Battle scenes are in the 12 miniatures of the Ahmadnagar volume of poems.
Option (3) The Ragamala modes — Incorrect. Ibrahim II might have commissioned a separate Ragamala series in the 1590s.
Option (4) Court scenes of a young ruler — Incorrect. Court scenes of a young ruler are in the earliest five Golconda miniatures, in the Diwan of Hafiz.
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): “Bijapur School of Painting Paintings from Bijapur in the sixteenth century have a richly illustrated encyclopaedia known as the Nujum al-Ulum dated 1570. Among the 876 miniatures, which adorn this remarkable little volume, many illustrate weapons and utensils, while others the constellations. The women are shown in south Indian dress, tall and slender as those in the Ragamala paintings. The school of Bijapur was patronised by Ali Adil Shah I (1558–1580) and his successor Ibrahim II (1580–1627), both patrons of art and literature.” |