The Nujum al-Ulum, dated 1570, is a richly illustrated encyclopaedia from Bijapur. Who was the owner of this manuscript?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Ibrahim II
Option (1) Ali Adil Shah I — Incorrect. He patronised the school of Bijapur, but the owner of the manuscript was his successor.
Option (2) Ibrahim II — Correct. Ibrahim II (1580–1627) of Bijapur owned the Nujum al-Ulum and might have commissioned the Ragamala series in the 1590s.
Option (3) Hussain Nizam Shah I — Incorrect. He ruled Ahmadnagar (1553–1565). The earliest Deccani paintings are in a volume of poems celebrating his reign.
Option (4) Muhammad Qutb Shah — Incorrect. He was a ruler of Golconda (1611–1626), shown in a portrait sitting on a diwan.
NCERT (2026-27): “Bijapur School of Painting …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. The latter was also an expert in Indian music and author of a book on this subject, Nauras-nama. He was the owner of Nujum al-Ulum manuscript and might have commissioned the Ragamala series in the 1590s.” |