Mughal portraiture was not wholly unique. In which other contemporary schools of painting are such inclinations towards portraiture and the representation of historical and religious figures also seen?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The Safavid and Ottoman Schools
Option (1) The Rajasthani and Pahari Schools — Incorrect. These Indian schools are not the ones named as sharing these portrait inclinations with the Mughals.
Option (2) The Safavid and Ottoman Schools — Correct. The Safavid and Ottoman Schools of Painting show the same inclinations, so Mughal portraiture was not wholly unique.
Option (3) The Pala and Western Indian Schools — Incorrect. These belong to the manuscript painting tradition. They are not named for this point.
Option (4) The Bengal and Company Schools — Incorrect. These grew in the colonial period, much later. They are not named for this point.
NCERT (2026-27): “The Deccani Schools of Painting …The art of portraiture and representation of historical and religious figures are seen elsewhere in other contemporary schools of painting. Mughal portraiture, in this sense, was not wholly unique. We see such artistic inclinations in the Safavid and Ottoman Schools of Painting. The highly documentary nature of portraits is a singularly unique development seen extensively in the Asian Islamic art as also in the Mughal art in India.” |