B. N. Goswamy is a scholar of the Pahari Schools of Painting. Why doe…

B. N. Goswamy is a scholar of the Pahari Schools of Painting. Why does he say that grouping Pahari paintings by region could mislead?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → Political boundaries were always fluid

Option (1) Each hill centre formed an independent school — Incorrect. The hill centres had their own features, but they did not develop as independent schools with distinctive styles. This is not his reason.
Option (2) Political boundaries were always fluid — Correct. Goswamy says grouping by region could mislead because political boundaries were always fluid. So he takes a family of artists as the bearer of a style.
Option (3) The hill centres shared one common style — Incorrect. Each centre crafted individualistic characteristics in painting, such as figural types, costumes and colours. They did not share one style.
Option (4) The Kangra style stayed within the Kangra kingdom — Incorrect. The Kangra style travelled: it started a local school of book illumination in Kashmir, and the Sikhs employed Kangra painters.

NCERT (2026-27): “The Pahari Schools of Painting …Unlike the distinguishing stylistic features of Mughal, Deccani and Rajasthani Schools, Pahari paintings demonstrate challenges in their territorial classification. Though all the above centres crafted precisely individualistic characteristics in painting (through the depiction of nature, architecture, figural types, facial features, costumes, preference for particular colours and such other things), they do not develop as independent schools with distinctive styles.…B. N. Goswamy, one of the most significant scholars of the Pahari Schools of Painting, has attributed the shaping of Pahari style from the simplicity of Basohli to poetic lyricism and refinement of Kangra to the ingenuity of a family of artists through his scholarly approach of family as the basis of style.…He argues that identifying Pahari paintings on the basis of regions could be misleading as political boundaries were always fluid.…”

“Kangra School …In Kashmir (1846–1885), the Kangra style initiated a local school of Hindu book illumination. The Sikhs employed other Kangra painters eventually.…”

B. N. Goswamy is a scholar of the Pahari Schools of Painting. Why does he say that grouping Pahari paintings by region could mislead?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → Political boundaries were always fluid

Option (1) Each hill centre formed an independent school — Incorrect. The hill centres had their own features, but they did not develop as independent schools with distinctive styles. This is not his reason.
Option (2) Political boundaries were always fluid — Correct. Goswamy says grouping by region could mislead because political boundaries were always fluid. So he takes a family of artists as the bearer of a style.
Option (3) The hill centres shared one common style — Incorrect. Each centre crafted individualistic characteristics in painting, such as figural types, costumes and colours. They did not share one style.
Option (4) The Kangra style stayed within the Kangra kingdom — Incorrect. The Kangra style travelled: it started a local school of book illumination in Kashmir, and the Sikhs employed Kangra painters.

“Kangra School …In Kashmir (1846–1885), the Kangra style initiated a local school of Hindu book illumination. The Sikhs employed other Kangra painters eventually.…”