The Hamza Nama was the earliest illustrated manuscript project under…

The Hamza Nama was the earliest illustrated manuscript project under Akbar. Consider the following statements about it:

(A) It was completed under the supervision of two Persian masters, Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd us Samad.
(B) Its base surface is paper with cloth at the back, on which the narrative text is written.
(C) The technique applied in it is gouache, which is water-based and in opaque colours.
(D) A professional narrator read its stories aloud to Akbar while the folios were shown.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → (A), (C) and (D) only

(A) It was completed under the supervision of two Persian masters, Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd us Samad. — Correct. The project was finished under Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd us Samad.

(B) Its base surface is paper with cloth at the back, on which the narrative text is written. — Incorrect. The order is reversed. The base surface is cloth with paper at the back, and the text is written on that paper.

(C) The technique applied in it is gouache, which is water-based and in opaque colours. — Correct. The folios were painted in gouache, a water-based paint in opaque colours.

(D) A professional narrator read its stories aloud to Akbar while the folios were shown. — Correct. A professional narrator read the stories aloud, and the painted folios were held up at the same time.

NCERT (2026-27): “Early Mughal Painting …Akbar took delight in hearing the stories of Hamza, a character much loved in the Middle East popular and intellectual circles, which were read out aloud by a professional narrator. Simultaneously, the corresponding folios and painted Hamza Nama narrative was held for a clear view. …The base surface is cloth with paper at the back, on which the narrative text is written to help the narrator and the technique applied is gouache, which is water-based and in opaque colours. …The suggested date of this magnificent project is 1567–1582 and was completed under the supervision of two Persian masters — Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd us Samad.”