Question

Before the arrival of British, the art in India primarily served which of the following purposes?

• A. Realistic Representation
• B. Academic Study and Museum Display
• C. Decoration and Manuscript Illustration
• D. Commercial Art for Export

Hint:

Think of temples, palaces and illustrated manuscripts. Realism, museums and export art came with the British.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks what Indian art was mainly made for before British rule began. Before the British came, most art was made for temples, royal courts and rich patrons. It was made to decorate buildings and objects and to illustrate books (manuscripts), not to copy nature exactly or to fill museums.

Step 2: Key Approach:
Recall the main art traditions before the British period: temple murals and sculpture, palm leaf and paper manuscripts (Jain, Buddhist, Rajput, Pahari), and Mughal and Deccani court albums. Match the purpose of these with the four options.

Step 3: Check option (1).
Realistic representation of the world became a major aim only after European academic training reached India through art schools and Company School painting. Earlier Indian art stressed ideal forms, symbols and stories. So option (1) is wrong.

Step 4: Check option (2).
Academic study and museum display came with colonial art schools (Calcutta, Bombay, Madras) and museums, which were set up in the 1800s. So option (2) is wrong.

Step 5: Check option (3).
Temples, palaces and homes were decorated with murals, carvings and painted cloth. Court and temple workshops also illustrated manuscripts such as the Jain Kalpasutra, Rajput Ramayana and Mughal Akbarnama. This is exactly the main purpose of earlier Indian art. So option (3) is TRUE.

Step 6: Check option (4).
Art made mainly for export as a commercial product was linked to Company School paintings made for British buyers in the late 1700s and 1800s. It was not the main purpose of earlier Indian art. So option (4) is wrong.

Final Answer:
Decoration and manuscript illustration (option 3) was the main purpose of art in India before British arrival.