Aspirant Academy
ENHI

RAS question

Consider the following statements about the Deccan painting schools: (1) Bijapur Deccan school flourished under Ibrahim Adil Shah II known as Jagadguru. (2) Deccan paintings show strong influence of Persian, Turkish, and European elements unlike the Mughal school. (3) The Golconda school primarily depicted the Qutb Shahi rulers and was the direct precursor of the Hyderabadi school.

Correct answer: (C) All three — (1), (2), and (3).

All three statements are correct: Bijapur painting flourished under Ibrahim Adil Shah II, Deccani painting carried strong Persian, Turkish and European influences compared with the Mughal school, and Golconda under the Qutb Shahis preceded the Hyderabadi school.

  1. (A)

    Only (1) and (2)

  2. (B)

    Only (2) and (3)

  3. (C)

    All three — (1), (2), and (3)

  4. (D)

    Only (1)

Explanation

The answer is all three because the Deccan was not a single court style but a group of sophisticated court-painting traditions at Bijapur, Golconda and Ahmadnagar. NCERT identifies Bijapur as a major centre and says its school was patronised by Ali Adil Shah I and Ibrahim II, both patrons of art and literature; Ibrahim Adil Shah II was known as Jagadguru and supported Hindu and Muslim arts. Deccani painting also had a visibly different idiom from Mughal naturalism: NCERT notes Persian and Turkish connections, including Ottoman-derived astronomical material and Persian landscape treatment. Golconda belongs to the Qutb Shahi setting, with portraits such as Muhammad Qutb Shah, and it is linked to the later Hyderabadi school under the Nizams.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) It leaves out statement (3), although the Golconda school under the Qutb Shahis evolved into the Hyderabadi school under the Nizams.
  • (B) It leaves out statement (1), even though NCERT places Ibrahim II within Bijapur's painting patronage and Ibrahim Adil Shah II is identified as Jagadguru.
  • (D) It is too narrow because statements (2) and (3) are also correct: Deccani painting had strong external influences, and Golconda is linked to the later Hyderabadi school.

Concept

This tests the RAS art-and-culture theme of regional painting schools, especially how Deccani court art differed from Mughal painting. It recurs because exam questions often combine patrons, stylistic influences and later regional continuities in one statement-based item.

Source

Related questions