A Golconda portrait shows a sultan sitting on a diwan early in his reign. He wears the typical Golconda dress and an elegant tight-fitting cap. Who is the sultan?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Muhammad Qutb Shah
Option (1) Muhammad Qutb Shah — Correct. His portrait shows him on a diwan in the Golconda dress and a tight-fitting cap.
Option (2) Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah — Incorrect. He is the ruler in Dancing before Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, Golconda, 1590, a scene of dancing, not this portrait.
Option (3) Abdullah Qutb Shah — Incorrect. His portrait shows him enthroned with a sword in one hand and a halo, not seated on a diwan in a cap.
Option (4) Ibrahim Adil Shah II — Incorrect. He was a ruler of Bijapur. He is shown hawking on a galloping horse, not seated on a diwan.
NCERT (2026-27): “Golconda School of Painting …There is a portrait of Muhammad Qutb Shah (1611–1626) as he sits on a diwan early in his reign. He wears this typical Golconda dress and an elegant tight-fitting cap. The composition has gained increased sophistication and skill, while the strict symmetry of the 1590 pages is retained. One may say there is adequate reference to Mughal painting.” |