Which artist, with his sons, is attributed with changing the course of Pahari painting around 1730–40 to the pre–Kangra or Guler–Kangra kalam?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Pandit Seu
Option (1) Pandit Seu — Correct. The Guler artist Pandit Seu, with his sons Manak and Nainsukh, changed the course of painting to the pre–Kangra kalam.
Option (2) Nisardin — Incorrect. Nisardin painted the Ragamala set at Chawand in Mewar, Rajasthan, not in the hills.
Option (3) Sahibdin — Incorrect. Sahibdin was a painter of the Mewar School of Rajasthan, not of the Pahari states.
Option (4) Molaram — Incorrect. Molaram was a Pahari painter, but he is linked with the Garhwal School, not with Guler.
NCERT (2026-27): “Guler School The first quarter of the eighteenth century saw a complete transformation in the Basohli style, initiating the Guler–Kangra phase. This phase first appeared in Guler, a high-ranking branch of the Kangra royal family, under the patronage of Raja Govardhan Chand (1744–1773). Guler artist Pandit Seu with his sons Manak and Nainsukh are attributed with changing the course of painting around 1730–40 to a new style, usually, referred to as the pre–Kangra or Guler–Kangra kalam.” |