Which of the following is not an architectural style of the British buildings in India:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Persian style
Option (1) Neo-Gothic style — British style. Revived in England in the mid-nineteenth century, the neo-Gothic, with high-pitched roofs, pointed arches and detailed decoration, was widely used for public buildings, especially in Bombay.
Option (2) Neo-Classical style — British style. The neo-classical style, with geometrical structures fronted with lofty pillars, was derived from the buildings of ancient Rome; the Town Hall in Bombay was built in it.
Option (3) Persian style — Not a British style. It is not one of the three broad styles the British used for their public buildings in India.
Option (4) Indo-Saracenic style — British style. Developed towards the beginning of the twentieth century, Indo-Saracenic was a hybrid style that combined the Indian with the European, inspired by medieval Indian buildings with their domes, chhatris and jalis.
Note: This question is taken from the chapter ‘Colonial Cities’ 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): “4.3 Architecture in Bombay … For pubic buildings three broad architectural styles were used. Two of these were direct imports from fashions prevalent in England. The first was called neo-classical or the new classical. Its characteristics included construction of geometrical structures fronted with lofty pillars It was derived from a style that was originally typical of buildings in ancient Rome, and was subsequently revived, re-adapted and made popular during the European Renaissance. It was considered particularly appropriate for the British Empire in India.… 4.3 Architecture in Bombay … Another style that was extensively used was the neo-Gothic, characterised by high-pitched roofs, pointed arches and detailed decoration.… …Towards the beginning of the twentieth century a new hybrid architectural style developed which combined the Indian with the European. This was called Indo-Saracenic. ‘Indo’ was shorthand for Hindu and ‘Saracen’ was a term Europeans used to designate Muslim.…” |