The manuscript 'Nuzum-ul-Ulum' on astronomy was illustrated and written during the period of :

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:
The magnificent manuscript Nujum-ul-Ulum (Stars of the Sciences), an illustrated encyclopedia of astrology and astral magic, was completed in 1570 CE in the Deccan Sultanate of Bijapur. This date falls squarely within the reign of Sultan Ali Adil Shah I (1557-1579 CE). He was an avid bibliophile and great patron of arts and letters, whose court supported a large *kitabkhana* (library and workshop) employing numerous artists and calligraphers. The sheer size of the volume, its extensive use of costly materials like gold, and the distinctive, syncretic style of the nearly 800 miniature paintings strongly indicate royal patronage from Ali Adil Shah I. The manuscript is considered one of the earliest and most important examples of the Bijapuri style of Deccani painting, a style that began to flourish under his rule.

The incorrect option is 1:
Ali Adil Shah II ruled much later, from 1656 to 1672 CE, which is nearly a century after the *Nujum-ul-Ulum* was completed. His reign, while important for Bijapuri art, is chronologically too late for him to have commissioned this specific manuscript, which bears a completion date of 1570 CE. The style of painting found in *Nujum-ul-Ulum* is an early form of Deccani art, distinct from the more refined styles prevalent during the time of Ali Adil Shah II.

The incorrect option is 3:
Ismail Ali Adil Shah is not a major recognized ruling Sultan in the direct lineage of the Adil Shahi dynasty who patronized the Bijapur school of painting during this crucial period. The two main sultans associated with the zenith of Bijapuri painting are Ali Adil Shah I and his successor Ibrahim Adil Shah II. This name likely confuses Ismail Adil Shah I (who reigned earlier) with Ali Adil Shah I (the actual patron), thereby ruling him out as the commissioner of the Nujum-ul-Ulum manuscript.

The incorrect option is 4:
Sultan Yusuf Adil Shah was the founder of the Adil Shahi dynasty, reigning from 1490 to 1510 CE. This places his period significantly earlier than the *Nujum-ul-Ulum* manuscript, which was written and illustrated in 1570 CE. Although he established the kingdom, there is very little surviving artistic evidence from his early reign, and the manuscript clearly belongs to the mid-16th century cultural efflorescence initiated by Ali Adil Shah I, sixty years after Yusuf's death.