Between 1735 and 1757, the Kishangarh artist Nihal Chand worked for which ruler?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Sawant Singh
Option (1) Raj Singh — Incorrect. Raj Singh was the Kishangarh ruler whose initiation into the Pushtimargiya cult made Krishna Lila themes the court favourites. Nihal Chand is named as the artist of another ruler.
Option (2) Sawant Singh — Correct. Nihal Chand worked for Sawant Singh in these years and painted on Sawant Singh’s poetry.
Option (3) Ajit Singh — Incorrect. Ajit Singh (1679–1724) was a ruler of Jodhpur; his period celebrated Durgadas in poems and court paintings.
Option (4) Pratap Singh — Incorrect. Sawai Pratap Singh (1779–1803) ruled Jaipur and employed around 50 artists.
NCERT (2026-27): “Kishangarh School of Painting …With Raj Singh getting initiated into the Pushtimargiya cult of Vallabhacharya, Krishna Lila themes became personal favourites for the rulers of Kishangarh and represented a major portion of their court art. Sawant Singh’s most celebrated and outstanding artist was Nihal Chand. Nihal Chand worked for Sawant Singh between 1735 and 1757, and composed paintings on Sawant Singh’s poetry that portrayed the theme of divine lovers — Radha and Krishna, in courtly surroundings, often appearing tiny in the vastness and minutiae of their panoramic landscape settings.” |