UPSC Indian Art and Culture – Chapter 8: Indian Painting – Murals and Miniatures (23 MCQs)

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UPSC Indian Art and Culture – Chapter 8: Indian Painting – Murals and Miniatures (23 MCQs) – 23 questions, subject: History. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

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1.  

The prehistoric rock paintings of Bhimbetka are in:

Correct Answer: D [Madhya Pradesh]

Explanation:

The Bhimbetka rock shelters, with paintings of hunting, dancing and animals, lie near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.

2.  

In the Shadanga, "pramana" refers to:

Correct Answer: B [correct measure and proportion]

Explanation:

Pramana, the second of the Shadanga, means correct measure and proportion of figures.

3.  

The later caves of Ajanta were made under the patronage of the:

Correct Answer: C [Vakatakas]

Explanation:

Ajanta's later caves, with its finest murals, were cut in the 5th century CE under the Vakataka ruler Harishena.

4.  

The Jain cave paintings of a lotus pond on a ceiling are found at:

Correct Answer: B [Sittanavasal]

Explanation:

Sittanavasal is a Jain cave in Tamil Nadu whose ceiling shows a lotus pond with fish, elephants and human figures.

5.  

The Chola frescoes of the Brihadeeswarar temple were found:

Correct Answer: C [beneath later Nayaka paintings]

Explanation:

The Chola frescoes in the passage round the sanctum were found in 1931 beneath later Nayaka-period paintings.

6.  

The Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi is famous for paintings of the:

Correct Answer: A [Vijayanagara period]

Explanation:

The Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi carries 16th-century ceiling paintings of the Vijayanagara period.

7.  

Pala painting is mainly found on:

Correct Answer: D [palm-leaf manuscripts]

Explanation:

Pala painting survives mainly as illustrations in Buddhist palm-leaf manuscripts such as the Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita.

8.  

The Kalpasutra paintings of the Western Indian style are associated with:

Correct Answer: C [Jainism]

Explanation:

The Kalpasutra is a Jain text on the lives of the Tirthankaras, illustrated in the Western Indian style.

9.  

The two Persian masters who founded the Mughal school of painting were:

Correct Answer: B [Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd al-Samad]

Explanation:

Humayun brought the Persian masters Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd al-Samad to India, laying the foundation of the Mughal atelier.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. The Hamzanama was illustrated under Akbar.
2. Ustad Mansur is famous for paintings of birds and animals.
3. Mughal painting received its greatest patronage under Aurangzeb.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

The Hamzanama was made under Akbar and Mansur painted birds and animals, but Aurangzeb gave painting little patronage.

11.  

Assertion (A): Many painters left the Mughal court in the late 17th century.

Reason (R): Aurangzeb withdrew royal patronage from painting.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Aurangzeb's withdrawal of patronage directly drove Mughal painters to regional courts in the late 17th century, so R explains A.

12.  

The painter Nihal Chand is associated with the:

Correct Answer: D [Kishangarh school]

Explanation:

Nihal Chand painted Bani Thani at Kishangarh under Raja Sawant Singh (Nagari Das) in the 18th century.

13.  

Bold primary colours and pieces of beetle wings to show jewellery are features of the:

Correct Answer: B [Basohli school]

Explanation:

Basohli painting uses bold primary colours and glistening beetle-wing pieces to show jewels.

14.  

The Kangra school reached its peak under:

Correct Answer: D [Raja Sansar Chand]

Explanation:

Kangra painting reached its peak under Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

15.  

"Bharat Mata" (1905) was painted by:

Correct Answer: A [Abanindranath Tagore]

Explanation:

Abanindranath Tagore, leader of the Bengal School, painted Bharat Mata in 1905 during the Swadeshi movement.

16.  

The Progressive Artists' Group was founded in 1947 in:

Correct Answer: D [Bombay]

Explanation:

F. N. Souza, S. H. Raza, M. F. Husain and others founded the Progressive Artists' Group in Bombay in 1947.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Pala palm-leaf manuscripts
2. Bani Thani of Kishangarh
3. Ajanta murals of the Vakataka period
4. The Hamzanama

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [3-1-4-2]

Explanation:

5th century, 11th–12th century, 16th century, 18th century.

18.  

Raja Ravi Varma is best known for:

Correct Answer: B [oil paintings of Indian myths]

Explanation:

Ravi Varma used European oil techniques to paint Indian myths, and his oleographs spread these images widely.

19.  

The Mattancherry Palace at Kochi is known for its:

Correct Answer: A [murals]

Explanation:

Mattancherry Palace at Kochi has Kerala-style wall murals of scenes from the Ramayana and the Puranas.

20.  

The Nimatnama, a cookery book with paintings, comes from the Sultanate court of:

Correct Answer: D [Mandu]

Explanation:

The illustrated Nimatnama, a cookery book, was produced at the Malwa Sultanate court of Mandu around 1500.

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2018

The well-known painting "Bani Thani" belongs to the

Correct Answer: D [Kishangarh School]

Explanation:

painted under Raja Sawant Singh of Kishangarh.

22.  
UPSC Prelims 2017

The painting of Bodhisattva Padmapani is one of the most famous and oft-illustrated paintings at

Correct Answer: A [Ajanta]

Explanation:

The Bodhisattva Padmapani, holding a lotus, is painted in Cave 1 at Ajanta and is its best-known mural.

23.  
UPSC Prelims 2013

Consider the following historical places:

1. Ajanta Caves
2. Lepakshi Temple
3. Sanchi Stupa

Which of the above places is/are also known for mural paintings?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

Sanchi is known for sculpture, not murals.

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