It was during his regime that Basohli style developed the most :

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Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:
Raja Kripalpal (reigned approximately 1678–1694 AD) is universally acknowledged in art history as the ruler under whose direct patronage the Basohli style of painting achieved its most developed and distinctive form, marking its 'Golden Age.' It was during his regime that the style's hallmark features—the intense, brilliant colour palette, the dynamic composition with dramatic flat backgrounds, the bold use of primary colours, and the unique application of lustrous beetle wings for jewellery highlights—were fully crystalized. His most significant contribution was the commissioning of the *Rasamanjari* series, a masterpiece illustrating the Sanskrit poem of Bhanu Datta, which was executed by the artist Devidasa in 1685 AD and serves as the seminal, documented work of the school.

The incorrect option is 2:
Raja Bhupatpal (reigned c. 1580–1635 AD) was an earlier ruler of Basohli, but he precedes the peak period of the painting style by several decades. While his reign saw the state’s political consolidation, the distinct style of miniature painting known as Basohli did not reach its unique maturity until the late 17th century. Art production during his time likely consisted of earlier, transitional forms of Pahari art, lacking the stylistic perfection that defines the school's most celebrated phase. Therefore, crediting him with the style's *most developed* phase is historically inaccurate.

The incorrect option is 3:
Raja Sangrampal's reign (c. 1730–1757 AD) falls into a later period of the Basohli school. By the time he took the throne, the style was already beginning to integrate elements from the emerging and softer Guler-Kangra school. This blending led to a gradual departure from the original, fierce aesthetic of pure Basohli painting. While he was an important patron, the art created during his time represents a transitional or later phase rather than the style at its most independently developed and characteristic peak.

The incorrect option is 4:
Hindpal is recorded in the lineage of Basohli rulers, but his period of rule is not associated with any documented or influential body of work that defines the pinnacle of the Basohli style. The major artistic achievements and the establishment of the school's unique visual vocabulary were completed generations before his reign under Kripalpal. He is not credited by scholars with the significant artistic patronage that would qualify his rule as the period of the style's maximum development.