Question

Which of the Mughal emperors patronised highly skilled painters?
A. Akbar
B. Jahangir
C. Shah Jahan
D.All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: The style of painting from which has a mixture of South Asian and North Indian style is known as the Mughal paintings. Previously it started as a Persian miniature and later in the 16th and 18th centuries developed in the Mughal courts.

Complete answer: The miniatures of the Mughal paintings depicted animals and plants which were realistically depicted. The Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan patronised highly skilled painters.
1. Akbar: During the rule of Akbar, his court emerged as an area of cultural excellence. Akbar had studied painting and therefore he gave careful attention to his court painters.Akbar persuaded his artists to show off the grand Mughal empire using symbols such as elephants. This was done in order to exhibit the prosperity of the kingdom.
2. Jahangir: During Jahanfir’s reign the development of Mughal paintings increased. The brushwork became finer and the colours became lighter.Jahangir was also attracted to European paintings.He came in direct contact with the English crown, during his empire.He received gifts from England which included oil paintings of the king and queen.The subjects of the paintings during his reign were events depicting his own life,studies of birds and flowers and his individual portraits.
3. Shah Jahan: Court paintings became more rigid and formal during the reign of Shah Jahan. The themes of the paintings were lovers, sometimes depicted in intimate positions in gardens and terraces and musical parties.

Option D is the correct answer.

Note: After Shah Jahan, his son Aurangazeb was never interested in paintings. This was mainly because of religious reasons.After 1668, he never commissioned any more paintings.Mughal style miniature paintings are still being created today but in very small numbers.Even though most of the paintings are a copy of the original, there are artists who have added their own theme according to the contemporary times.