Defence
Which Mughal painter, given the title 'Nadir-uz-Zaman' by Jahangir, painted the allegorical picture of Jahangir embracing the Safavid ruler Shah Abbas?
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Answer: Option A — Abul Hasan
Detailed Solution
The famous allegorical painting showing Jahangir embracing the Safavid ruler Shah Abbas of Persia was painted by Abul Hasan, around 1618.
About the painting:
- It shows Jahangir and Shah Abbas standing on a globe, embracing each other.
- Jahangir is shown much larger, with a lion under his feet, while Shah Abbas is shown smaller, standing on a lamb.
- A large halo of the sun and moon surrounds the emperor's head.
- The painting is allegorical: it expresses Jahangir's claim to be superior to the Persian ruler, and his wish for peace and friendship.
- In reality, the two rulers never met; relations between them were strained over Qandahar.
- The painting is now in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
About Abul Hasan:
- He was the son of Aqa Riza, a Persian painter who had joined Jahangir's service when Jahangir was still a prince.
- He was born and trained at the Mughal court.
- Jahangir gave him the title "Nadir-uz-Zaman" ("Wonder of the Age").
- He was famous for his portraits and allegorical paintings, which often expressed the emperor's political and spiritual claims.
- Other famous works of his include a painting of Jahangir's accession, and an image of Jahangir shooting at an image of his enemy.
Painting at Jahangir's court:
- Jahangir was a connoisseur, and claimed that he could identify the work of each painter in a group painting.
- Portraits, scenes of court life, and allegorical pictures became popular.
- Halos and other European elements were used in imperial portraits.
- Bishandas was another painter famous for portraits.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Ustad Mansur, Basawan and Abdus Samad were other Mughal painters, known for different works.
Quick tip
Remember: Abul Hasan = "Nadir-uz-Zaman" (Wonder of the Age); painted Jahangir embracing Shah Abbas (about 1618); son of Aqa Riza.
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Paintings, Crafts, Dress & Tribes — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Paintings, Crafts, Dress & Tribes, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's traditional painting styles (such as Madhubani, Warli, Pattachitra, Kalamkari, Gond and Tanjore), handicrafts and textiles, traditional dresses, and the major tribes of each state and their customs. It also includes Geographical Indication (GI) tags given to crafts and products. Questions usually ask which state a painting or craft belongs to, which tribe lives in a region, or what a traditional dress is called. Warli belongs to Maharashtra, Madhubani to Bihar, Pattachitra to Odisha and West Bengal, and Gond art to Madhya Pradesh. Grouping tribes by state, and noting the largest tribe of key states (such as the Bhils and the Santhals), helps with elimination. Practise the paintings, crafts and tribes questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.