Question

How did miniature paintings develop under the Mughal patronage?

Answer 1

Hint: The Mughals empire spanned in the Indian subcontinent and were the dominant force between 1526 to 1858. they traced their lineages from Genghis khan of Mongols and Amir Timur of Timurid dynasty.

Complete answer: The roots of Indian miniature painting can be discovered in the Buddhist pala period in the ninth or tenth century where leaf manuscripts were used. Then in the twelfth century, India paper was introduced which led to large format manuscripts.
 Under the existence of the Lodi dynasty, manuscripts were represented in court style, but the tradition of miniature painting gained full momentum with the contact with the Mughal rule in India. Miniature paintings are small-sized paintings that were generally created in watercolour on paper or cloth.
There were no schools of miniature paintings in India but with the establishment of studios at the Imperial court, illustrated miniatures, portraits album manuscripts or genre scenes made their way all of India and Indian paintings began a new phase in its evolution. The Mughal emperors like Akbar, Shah Jahan and Jahangir patronized the highly skilled painters of the miniature style of art. These manuscripts under Mughal patronage generally portrayed scenes of battle or hunting, court scenes or general other aspects of social life under the reign of the ruler. These paintings were often regarded as a valuable gift and were exchanged among the close associates of the emperor exclusively.

Note: With the decline of the Mughal empire, many miniature artists migrated to emerging regional states of Deccan or Rajput courts of Rajasthan, where they retained their exclusiveness and included the regional touch to the paintings