UPSC CDS 2021(I)

Origins of Mughal Painting

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Which one of the following painters was not associated with Humayun?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: D

Concept While the Mughal school was founded on Persian principles, the specific artists who moved to India with Humayun belonged to the Safavid court, following the era of the great Bihzad.

Explanation Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad (and their associates like Maulana Dost) were the primary painters who accompanied Humayun from Persia to Kabul and then to India. Bihzad was a legendary master of the Timurid era who died before the Mughal school was established in India.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Bihzad is the 'Raphael of the East', active in the late 15th and early 16th century in Herat and Tabriz, but he never served the Mughals in India.
Logic 2: Options A, B, and C identify the specific Safavid-trained artists who formed the first Mughal Nigaar Khana (studio).

Active Recall

Question

Who is often called the 'father of Mughal painting'?

Answer

Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad are considered the joint fathers of the Mughal school.

Core Insight

Bihzad was a spiritual ancestor and stylistic influence for Mughal painters, but he was not part of their physical administrative circle.