Statement I : Towards the beginning of the 20th century, a new hybrid architectural style developed which combined the Indian with the European. Statement I : By integrating Indian and European styles in public architecture, the British wanted to prove that they were legitimate rulers of India.

Statement I is true as the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the rise of Indo-Saracenic architecture, a hybrid style blending Indian (Hindu and Mughal) elements with European Gothic and Neo-Classical styles. Prominent examples include the Madras High Court and Victoria Memorial [2]. Statement II is also true and provides the correct explanation. The British consciously integrated these styles to project themselves as legitimate successors to the great Indian empires. By adopting local motifs like domes and arches alongside Western classical forms, they aimed to symbolize 'law, order, and good government' while rooting their authority in Indian tradition. This architectural synthesis was a political tool to demonstrate that the British were not mere foreigners but rightful rulers who understood and could revive India's past glory.

Sources

1. [2] https://rajdhanicollege.ac.in/admin/ckeditor/ckfinder/userfiles/files/An%20Imperial%20Version_compressed.pdf