Comprehension:
Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Rao Bika Rathore established one of the most prominent kingdoms of Rajasthan, Bikaner in 1488. During his reign, Anup Singh (1669-1698) instituted a library in Bikaner that became a repository of manuscripts and paintings. As a result of long associations with the Mughals, Bikaner developed a distinctive language of miniature painting that was influenced by the Mughal elegance and a subdued colour palette. In Anup Singh’s reign, Ruknuddin, whose ancestors came from the Mughal court, was the master artist, whose style was an amalgamation of the indigenous idiom with Deccani and Mughal conventions. He painted significant texts, such as the Ramayana, Rasikapriya and Durga Saptasati.
A prevailing practice in Bikaner was to set up studios called Mandi, where a group of artists worked under the supervision of a master artist. From inscriptions, it can be gathered that Ruknuddin, Ibrahim and Nathu managed some of these professional studios. On the completion of a painting, the court archivist entered the name of the master artist and the date behind the painting, which resulted in the name of the master artist being inscribed on the works of his students, who may not have necessarily painted in the same style. However, master artists would occasionally put finishing touches to the paintings, in a process called “gudarayi”, literally meaning “to lift”. Apart from its activities of making new miniatures, the studio was also entrusted with the practice of making “marammat” or repairing and also making “nakal” or copies of older works.
The custom of having portraits of artists is unique to the Bikaner school and most of them are inscribed with information regarding their ancestry. They are referred to as “ustas” or “ustads”. Ruknuddin painted exquisite works in soft colour tones. Ibrahim’s works have a misty, dreamlike quality, with dainty figures and heavily modeled faces. His studio appears to be the most prolific, as his name occurs on different sets of Baramasa, Ragamala and Rasikapriya.
Which of the following is a unique feature of the Bikaner School of Miniature Painting?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Portraits inscribed with information of the master artist.
The passage says that "the custom of having portraits of artists is unique to the Bikaner school" and that most of them are inscribed with information regarding their ancestry. Inscribed portraits of artists are the one feature the passage calls unique to Bikaner, so Option (2) is the closest of the four.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: A vibrant colour palette — Incorrect. Contradicted: the passage speaks of a "subdued colour palette", the opposite of vibrant.
Option 3: A unique indigenous idiom that disregards Deccani and Mughal conventions — Incorrect. Contradicted: Ruknuddin's style was "an amalgamation of the indigenous idiom with Deccani and Mughal conventions", so it combined them rather than disregarding them.
Option 4: Influence of Mughal elegance on texts written such as the Ramayana, Rasikapriya and Durga Saptasati. — Incorrect. Wrong focus: a true detail, but not the unique feature; Bikaner painting "was influenced by the Mughal elegance", but the passage does not call this unique to Bikaner, and the three texts are named as Ruknuddin's paintings, not as texts written under Mughal influence.