Which of the following statements regarding the court painting ateliers under Humayun and Akbar are correct? 1. Humayun commissioned the illustrated manuscript Princes of the House of Timur. 2. Akbar established the imperial Tasvir Khana under the direction of Abd al-Samad. 3. Prominent court painters during Akbar's reign included Daswanth, Basawan, and Kesu Das. 4. Hamzanama manuscript was executed on large sheets of prepared cloth and contained over 1,400 illustrated folios. Select the answer using the code given below: |ForumIAS

[A] 1, 2 and 3

[B] 1 and 4 only

[C] 2 and 4 only

[D] 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: D

Notes:

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Humayun commissioned the large-format painting Princes of the House of Timur (on cotton cloth) to celebrate his Timurid lineage.
Statement 2 is correct: Akbar formalized the royal atelier into a state department—the Tasvir Khana—appointing master Abd al-Samad (Shirin Qalam) as its director.
Statement 3 is correct: Leading Indian artists at Akbar’s court included Daswanth (who illustrated the Razmnama), Basawan, and Kesu Das.
Statement 4 is correct: The Hamzanama (chronicling the heroic exploits of Amir Hamza) was Akbar’s first major manuscript project, comprising 1,400 large-format illustrations painted on cloth backed with paper.