Why did Anand Coomaraswamy use the term 'Rajput Paintings'?

1) To honor Rajput rulers
2) To categorize and differentiate from the Mughal School of Painting
3) To emphasize the influence of Mughal art
4) To promote indigenous art forms

2

Answer: Anand Coomaraswamy used the term 'Rajput Paintings' to categorize and differentiate the indigenous tradition of painting in the princely kingdoms and thikanas of Rajasthan and parts of Madhya Pradesh from the more well-known Mughal School of Painting.

The term ‘Rajasthani Schools of Painting’ pertains to the schools of painting that prevailed in the princely kingdoms and thikanas of what roughly constitutes Rajasthan and parts of Madhya Pradesh in the present time, such as Mewar, Bundi, Kota, Jaipur, Bikaner, Kishangarh, Jodhpur (Marwar), Malwa, Sirohi and other such principalities largely between the sixteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Scholar Anand Coomaraswamy in 1916 coined the term ‘Rajput Paintings’ to refer to these as most rulers and patrons of these kingdoms were Rajputs. He, specifically, coined it to categorise and differentiate this group from the much known Mughal School of Painting. Therefore, Malwa, comprising princedoms of Central India, and the Pahari Schools that comprises the pahari or mountainous Himalayan region of north-western India was also in the ambit of Rajput Schools. For Coomaraswamy, the nomenclature represented the indigenous tradition of painting prevalent in the mainland before the conquest by the Mughals. Studies in Indian paintings have come a long way since then and the term ‘Rajput Schools’ is obsolete. Instead, specific categories, such as Rajasthani and Pahari are employed.