The following six (6) items consist of two statements, Statement I and

The following six (6) items consist of two statements, Statement I and Statement II. Examine these two statements carefully and select the correct answer using the code given below.
Statement I :
Mughal Painting reached its climax during the reign of Jahangir.
Statement II :
Aurangzeb’s Court was adorned by some of the best known artists of the Mughal School of Painting.

Both the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I
Both the statements are individually true but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I
Statement I is true but Statement II is false
Statement I is false but Statement II is true
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2018
Statement I is true: The reign of Jahangir (1605-1627) is widely considered the zenith of Mughal painting. Jahangir was a connoisseur and patron of art, with a keen interest in naturalistic painting, portraits, and album making. Statement II is false: Emperor Aurangzeb (1658-1707) was known for his relatively orthodox religious views and significantly reduced court patronage of fine arts like painting and music. Many artists dispersed from the imperial court to work in the courts of regional rulers or shifted to more calligraphic or decorative styles.
– Jahangir’s period saw significant developments in Mughal painting, including increased realism, focus on nature studies (flora and fauna), and refined portraiture.
– Artists like Ustad Mansur (famous for animal and bird paintings) and Abul Hasan (court painter) flourished under Jahangir.
– Aurangzeb’s focus was more on religious and administrative matters, leading to a decline in imperial patronage of the arts compared to his predecessors.
While Mughal painting continued in some form after Jahangir, its distinctive quality and imperial patronage significantly declined under Aurangzeb, leading to the rise of Rajput and other regional schools of painting as Mughal artists sought new patrons.