Indian Paintings Notes for UPSC

Indian painting has a long history that stretches from the rock shelters of the Stone Age to the schools of the modern period. It includes cave murals, miniature paintings of royal courts and colourful folk traditions that are alive even today. For UPSC, painting is a favourite topic in Prelims (schools, rulers, places, features, artists) and gives good content for Mains answers on Indian heritage. This note covers the major periods and schools in simple language with tables and easy tricks.

Prehistoric and Ancient Paintings

The earliest paintings are in the Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), where early humans painted animals, hunting and dancing scenes in red and white. The most famous ancient murals are in the Ajanta Caves (Maharashtra), painted between the 2nd century BCE and about the 6th century CE. They show the life of the Buddha and the Jataka stories, using the tempera technique on a prepared wall. Famous images include the Padmapani Bodhisattva and the Mahajanaka Jataka. Other early paintings are found at Bagh (Madhya Pradesh), Sittanavasal (Tamil Nadu, Jain) and the Ellora caves.

Medieval Schools Before the Mughals

The Pala school of Bengal and Bihar (8th to 12th centuries) produced small Buddhist illustrations on palm leaves and was the earliest Indian miniature style. The Jain or Western Indian school (Gujarat and Rajasthan) illustrated Jain manuscripts like the Kalpasutra with bold lines, bright colours and large, bulging eyes. The Sultanate period brought Persian influences, as in the Nimatnama from Mandu.

Mughal School of Painting

The Mughal style is a blend of Persian and Indian traditions, and it flourished under the emperors:

• Humayun: brought the Persian masters Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad to India, who laid the base of the school.
• Akbar: set up a royal workshop (karkhana) and encouraged large projects such as the Hamzanama (about 1,400 paintings), the Akbarnama and the Razmnama (the Persian Mahabharata). Famous painters were Basawan and Daswanth.
• Jahangir: the golden age of Mughal painting. The emperor had a good eye for detail, so portraits, animals, birds and flowers were painted with great realism. Ustad Mansur was famous for animals and birds (such as the Turkey cock), Abul Hasan and Bishandas for portraits. European influence like perspective and shading also entered.
• Shah Jahan: painting continued, with rich colours and gold, but became more formal and rigid.
• Aurangzeb: little royal patronage, so artists moved to regional courts.

Deccani School

The Deccan Sultanates of Ahmednagar, Bijapur and Golconda developed their own style with strong colours, rich costumes and a poetic mood, often showing Ragamala (music mode) paintings and portraits. The Bijapur rulers like Ibrahim Adil Shah II were great patrons.

Rajasthani (Rajput) School

As the Mughal artists spread to Rajput courts, the Rajasthani school grew with Hindu themes: the Ragamala, the Radha-Krishna stories (Gita Govinda), epics and court life. It had bold outlines and bright colours. The main sub-schools are:

Pahari School

The Pahari (hill) school flourished in the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Garhwal from the 17th to the 19th century. Basohli is its earliest and boldest style (strong colours, large eyes), famous for the Rasamanjari paintings. Guler paintings, associated with the artist Nainsukh and his family, are delicate and graceful. Kangra paintings, patronised by Raja Sansar Chand, are the most lyrical and soft with themes from the Gita Govinda, and are known for tender love scenes. Garhwal, Chamba and Mandi were other centres.

Company Paintings and Modern Indian Painting

Under British rule, Company paintings were made for European patrons. Kalighat paintings in Calcutta used bold lines to show gods and social satire. Raja Ravi Varma of Kerala used oil paints and European style for Indian mythological subjects, and his prints made art available to common people. The Bengal School, led by Abanindranath Tagore (painter of Bharat Mata) and supported by E. B. Havell and Ananda Coomaraswamy, revived Indian themes and styles in reaction to Western realism, with Nandalal Bose as another famous artist. Amrita Sher-Gil combined Indian subjects with a modern style. The Progressive Artists' Group was formed in Bombay in 1947 by F. N. Souza, M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza and others.

Folk and Tribal Paintings

Ajanta Paintings in More Detail

The Ajanta caves have 30 rock-cut caves in a horseshoe-shaped gorge, and the paintings are found mainly in Caves 1, 2, 16 and 17. The paintings were made in two phases: the earlier phase (2nd century BCE to 1st century CE) in the Satavahana period and the later phase (5th to 6th century CE) in the Vakataka period. The artists first coated the rough rock with a mud and lime plaster, drew an outline in red, filled the colours with natural pigments (red ochre, lamp black, green and lapis lazuli blue) and finished with dark outlines. The figures are full of grace and emotion, and the scenes show kings, queens, merchants, animals, flowers and the lives of the Buddha. Ajanta was rediscovered by a British officer in 1819 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1983).

Features of Miniature Paintings

Miniature paintings are small works painted on paper, cloth or palm leaf with fine brushes and mineral and vegetable colours. They were meant to be held in the hands, kept in albums or used to illustrate books. Their main features are rich colours, minute detail, a strong sense of design and the use of gold and silver on important parts. Themes include court scenes, hunting, battles, portraits, seasons, music modes (Ragamala) and the stories of Krishna and Rama. Unlike modern paintings, they rarely use deep perspective; instead, important figures appear large and the background is flat and colourful.

Protecting Traditional Art: GI Tags and Schemes

Many folk arts have received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, such as Madhubani painting, Kalamkari, Tanjore painting, Pattachitra and Warli, which protects their name and origin. The government supports artisans through institutions like the Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of Culture, the Sangeet Natak Akademi and Lalit Kala Akademi, awards (like Padma awards given to folk artists) and fairs such as Dilli Haat and Surajkund Mela. Despite this, folk artists face the issues of low income, competition from machine-made copies and weak marketing, which the Mains answers can mention as challenges with solutions like e-commerce and design support.

Memory Tricks

• "Jahangir loves nature": animals and flowers in the Mughal school.
• "Kangra = Krishna-love": Kangra paintings show tender romantic scenes.
• "Warli White, Madhubani Mithila": match the style to the state quickly.

Mains Angle: Evolution of Indian Painting

A good answer shows continuity and change: from cave art, to religious murals (Ajanta), to court miniatures (Mughal, Rajput, Pahari), to the modern schools. It highlights how foreign influences (Persian, European) mixed with local traditions to create a unique style. It also notes the importance of patronage: when the court support went down, artists moved to regional centres. Finally, mention the current efforts to protect folk art through GI tags and government schemes.

Practice Statements and Common Mistakes

• "Akbar's period is the golden age of Mughal painting." Wrong. It is Jahangir's period; Akbar began the large projects like the Hamzanama.
• "Bani Thani belongs to the Kishangarh school." Correct.
• "Warli paintings come from Bihar." Wrong. They come from Maharashtra; Madhubani is from Bihar.
• Do not confuse Basohli (earliest Pahari style) with Kangra (the most lyrical).

Quick Revision

• Ajanta: Buddhist murals; Pala: palm-leaf; Jain: Kalpasutra; Mughal: Persian plus Indian.
• Akbar: Hamzanama; Jahangir: Mansur, realism; Rajasthani: Ragamala; Pahari: Basohli, Guler, Kangra.

Painting is one of the most enjoyable parts of Art and Culture. Make a table of schools, rulers and features, learn the folk art regions and look at pictures often, and you will find it easy to score marks in this topic.

Related Notes to Read Next

Continue your preparation with these related notes from the same subject:

• Buddhist Architecture Notes for UPSC
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India Notes for UPSC
• Indian Classical Music and Musical Instruments Notes for UPSC
• All Indian Art and Culture notes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Where are the Ajanta paintings located?

The Ajanta cave paintings are in Maharashtra, near Aurangabad. They are Buddhist murals painted from about the 2nd century BCE to the 6th century CE and show the life of the Buddha and Jataka stories.

Which was the earliest Indian miniature painting school?

The Pala school of eastern India (8th to 12th centuries) is considered the earliest Indian miniature school. It produced Buddhist manuscript illustrations on palm leaves.

Who brought Persian painters to India?

Humayun brought the Persian masters Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad to India, who laid the foundation of the Mughal school of painting.

What is the Hamzanama?

The Hamzanama is a large illustrated manuscript made under Akbar with about 1,400 paintings that narrate the adventures of Amir Hamza. It is a major work of early Mughal painting.

Which Mughal emperor is known for animal and bird paintings?

Jahangir, who had a deep interest in nature. His court artist Ustad Mansur was famous for paintings of animals and birds.

What is Bani Thani?

Bani Thani is a famous Kishangarh painting by the artist Nihal Chand, showing an idealised Radha with long eyes and delicate features. It is often called the Mona Lisa of India.

What are the main Pahari schools of painting?

The main Pahari schools are Basohli, Guler and Kangra, along with Chamba, Garhwal and Mandi. Kangra paintings are known for their lyrical and soft style.

Who was Raja Ravi Varma?

Raja Ravi Varma was a painter from Kerala who used oil painting and European techniques to depict Indian mythological scenes, and he made art popular through printed pictures.

What was the Bengal School of painting?

The Bengal School was a nationalist art movement in the early 20th century led by Abanindranath Tagore, which revived Indian themes and styles, as in his painting Bharat Mata.

Where does Madhubani painting come from?

Madhubani or Mithila painting comes from the Mithila region of Bihar and is known for double-line borders, natural dyes and themes from mythology and nature.

What is Pattachitra?

Pattachitra is a traditional cloth-based scroll painting of Odisha and West Bengal, usually depicting the stories of Jagannath and Hindu epics with fine lines and bright colours.

What is Kalamkari?

Kalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed textile art from Andhra Pradesh, with two famous centres at Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam, using natural dyes.