Consider the following statements : 1. The early Malwa school of paintings was influenced by the Shirazi school while the early Mughal paintings initially followed the Bihzad school. 2. The major exponents of the Bihzad school in India were Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The early Malwa school of painting, which flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries, was significantly influenced by the Shirazi school of Persian painting, particularly in its use of specific color palettes and stylized figures. Similarly, early Mughal painting was deeply rooted in the Persian tradition, specifically the Bihzad school of Herat, which emphasized refined naturalism and intricate detail [3]. Statement 2 is also correct as Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad were the primary exponents of the Bihzad school in India. These two masters were brought from Central Asia by Humayun and served as the founding figures of the Mughal imperial atelier under Akbar, establishing the Iranian style as the foundation for subsequent Indian miniature developments [3]. Their work bridged the transition from the Safavid/Bihzad style to a distinct Mughal aesthetic [3].

Sources

1. [3] https://dn790006.ca.archive.org/0/items/LandRevenueAdministrationUnderTheMughals_201710/The%20influence%20of%20Iranian%20paintings%20and%20architecture%20on%20Indian%20painting%20and%20Architecture.pdf
2. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir_Sayyid_Ali