Which of the following statements is NOT correct regarding the production of a manuscript in the Mughal court:
(A) The centre of manuscript production was the diwan-i am.
(B) Paper makers were needed to prepare the folios.
(C) Scribes were needed to illuminate the pages.
(D) Painters to illustrate scenes from the text.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (A), (C) Only
(A) The centre of manuscript production was the diwan-i am. Incorrect statement. The centre of manuscript production was the imperial kitabkhana, a scriptorium where the emperor’s collection of manuscripts was kept and new manuscripts were produced. The diwan-i am was the public hall of audience, where the emperor conducted the main business of his government.
(B) Paper makers were needed to prepare the folios. Correct statement. Paper makers prepared the folios of the manuscript.
(C) Scribes were needed to illuminate the pages. Incorrect statement. Scribes or calligraphers copied the text; it was the gilders who illuminated the pages.
(D) Painters to illustrate scenes from the text. Correct statement. Painters illustrated scenes from the text, and bookbinders then set the folios within ornamental covers.
Note: This question is taken from the chapter ‘Kings and Chronicles’ which was there in the pre-rationalised NCERT and has been deleted from subsequent editions of NCERT, including the NCERT book (2026-27).
NCERT (Pre-rationalised): “2.2 The making of manuscripts … All books in Mughal India were manuscripts, that is, they were handwritten. The centre of manuscript production was the imperial kitabkhana. Although kitabkhana can be translated as library, it was a scriptorium, that is, a place where the emperor’s collection of manuscripts was kept and new manuscripts were produced.… … The creation of a manuscript involved a number of people performing a variety of tasks. Paper makers were needed to prepare the folios of the manuscript, scribes or calligraphers to copy the text, gilders to illuminate the pages, painters to illustrate scenes from the text, bookbinders to gather the individual folios and set them within ornamental covers.… 6.2 The Mughal court … After spending an hour at the jharoka, the emperor walked to the public hall of audience (diwan-i am) to conduct the primary business of his government. State officials presented reports and made requests.…” |