Prelims 2003 · archive
MediumConsider the following statements:
- 1.Kitab-i-Nauras, a collection of songs in praise of Hindu deities and Muslim saints, was written by Ibrahim Adil Shah II
- 2.Amir Khusrau was the originator in India of the early form of the musical style known as Qawali.
Which of these statements is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Both statements are right. Ibrahim Adil Shah II of Bijapur was a patron-poet who wrote on Indian music and composed the Kitab-i-Nauras songs, and Amir Khusrau is credited with shaping the early qawwali form around the qaul.
- ✓ 1. Ibrahim II of Bijapur (1580-1627) was an expert in Indian music and author of a book on it, the Nauras-nama; the Kitab-i-Nauras songs honour Hindu deities and Muslim saints.
- ✓ 2. Amir Khusrau (1253-1325), disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya, is credited with introducing the qaul, the hymn that opens or closes a qawwali.
Remember · Ibrahim Adil Shah II wrote the Kitab-i-Nauras; Amir Khusrau shaped early qawwali.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 An Introduction to Indian Art, Part II, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 2 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 · An Introduction to Indian Art, Part II, Chapter 4 “The latter was also an expert in Indian music and author of a book on this subject, Nauras-nama.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part II, Chapter 2 “the great poet, musician and disciple of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya, gave a unique form to the Chishti sama' by introducing the qaul”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2003, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 2003: the answer shown is the one the sources above support. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·