Question

about the characteristics of Rajput painting

Answer 1

An 18th-century Rajput paintingBy Nihal Chand. (1750)Allahabad Museum, Uttar Pradesh.Art Under the Rajputs"Mughal painting is academic, dramatic, objective, eclectic; Rajput painting is anartwhich is essentiallyboth popular and princely, static, lyrical and inconceivable outside of the way of life it reflects."Coomaraswamy, the real "discoverer" of Rajputpainting, nicely points out the intrinsic qualities of this art, emphasising the fact that it should be viewed within its historical and cultural contexts. Rajput painting is an exact expression of the society it sprang from: a feudal society, aristocratic and warlike, made up of "clans" which were constantly atloggerheads with one another, the head of the clan combining the roles of all-powerful prince, general and father of his people. The artistic works of each principality are closely interconnected with the personality of its ruler. This is the reason for the variety of Rajput schools of painting, and explains why they were short-lived.The Rajputs ("king's sons") were formerly nomads, probably of Scythian origin, who settled in India in the distant past. Some clans trace their origins backto the 5th or 6th century. They now occupy part of northern and central India and have become entirelyHinduised, to the extent of being admitted to the kshatriya class of warriors. They claim to be descended from the mythical heroes of the Hindu epicRamayana. Their assimilation into the Indian way of life was cultural as well as social; it is to the Chandela princes, a powerful Rajput dynasty, ruling from the 10th to the 12th centuries in Bundelkand, that we owe the famousKandariya Mahadeva Templeof Khajuraho, and others. With the Turco-Afghan invasions the Rajputs were restricted to the north-west of India, in Rajastan and the Upper Punjab. There they fought valiantly to retain their independence and sent out wild war-parties against the Turco-Mongol invaders. The skilful policies of Akbar brought this struggle to an end, and they agreed to join the empire in return for a degree of autonomy and freedom to continue their way of life and beliefs. The ruling princes sent their sons as hostages to the Mughal court and they were given important official posts. Certainly the Rajputs did not entirely scorn the luxury and culture of the Imperial court, but their pride, their patriotism and their utter conviction of the superiority of their beliefs over those of the foreigner meant that Mughal influence was limited with regard to the arts, although it acted as a stimulant, and, in a way, a kind of revelation to the Rajputs. Rajput painting, encouraged by the introduction of new techniques, experienced a sudden and prolific brilliance and, while there is no proof apart from the early Mewar paintings, it is possible that there existed in Rajputana an old tradition of painting, a local style which was sufficiently developed to resist the Mughal impact and remain intrinsically Indian. Rajput painting is not alien to the classical Indian tradition as one might at first suppose. In this style ofminiature paintingthere is the same suave charm, the same attention to naturalism, nobility and sensuality, the same recreation of man and society as we have already found at Ajanta. But it was an art born during the struggles against the invader, and exhibits a violence, a vigour and a movement which were unknown in the Gupta period.

Answer 2

Rajput painting originated in the royal states of Rajasthan, somewhere around the late 16th and early 17th century. The Mughals ruled almost all the princely states of Rajasthan at that time and because of this; most of the schools of Rajput Painting in India reflect strong Mughal influence. Each of the Rajput kingdoms evolved a distinctive style. However, similarities and common features can still be found in the paintings of different territories. 

One can also observe the dominance of Chaurapanchasika group style in Indian Rajasthani Paintings. The main themes around which Rajasthani Paintings of India revolved include the Great epics of Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the life of Lord Krishna, landscapes and humans. Rajput paintings of India were also done on the walls of palaces, inner chambers of the forts, havelis, etc. Colors used for the painting were derived from minerals, plant sources, conch shells, precious stones, gold and silver, etc.
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