Bijapur’s richly illustrated encyclopaedia, the Nujum al-Ulum (1570), has astronomical illustrations. From which source may these illustrations have been derived?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Ottoman Turkish manuscripts
Option (1) Persian manuscripts — Incorrect. Persian tradition is seen in the colouring of The Throne of Prosperity, not named as the source of these illustrations.
Option (2) Gujarati manuscripts — Incorrect. Gujarati manuscripts are recalled in the stylised plants of The Throne of Prosperity, not in the astronomical pictures.
Option (3) Safavid manuscripts — Incorrect. The Safavid School is named for portraiture like the Mughal, not for the Nujum al-Ulum.
Option (4) Ottoman Turkish manuscripts — Correct. Bijapur had a close connection with Turkey, so these illustrations may come from Ottoman Turkish manuscripts.
Note: This topic was not named in the CUET 2026 syllabus, but it was part of the NCERT chapter. In 2025 and 2026, NTA also asked questions on topics in NCERT that the CUET syllabus did not name. So our mocks have questions from every part of the NCERT chapter, to give you enough practice. Read the whole chapter, not only the sub-topics named in the syllabus.
NCERT (2026-27): “Bijapur School of Painting Paintings from Bijapur in the sixteenth century have a richly illustrated encyclopaedia known as the Nujum al-Ulum dated 1570. …Bijapur had a close connection with Turkey and astronomical illustrations in Nujum al-Ulum may have been derived from Ottoman Turkish manuscripts.” |