With reference to Dhrupad, one of the major traditions of India that has been kept alive for centuries, Which of the following statements are correct? 1. Dhrupad originated and developed in the Rajput kingdoms during the Mughal period 2. Dhrupad is primarily a devotional and spiritual music 3. Dhrupad alap uses Sanskrit syllables from Mantras. Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(d) None of the above is correct.

UPSC Prelims 2012: With reference to Dhrupad, one of the major traditions of India that has been kept alive for… — Answer & Explanation

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Medium

With reference to Dhrupad, one of the major traditions of India that has been kept alive for centuries, Which of the following statements are correct?

1.Dhrupad originated and developed in the Rajput kingdoms during the Mughal period
2.Dhrupad is primarily a devotional and spiritual music
3.Dhrupad alap uses Sanskrit syllables from Mantras.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

Dhrupad is an ancient devotional form, sung in praise of gods, and its alap uses syllables drawn from mantras. It was not a product of the Mughal period: it was already being developed in Rajput courts such as Gwalior in the late 15th century, before the Mughals arrived in 1526.

✗ 1. Dhrupad is a genre of great antiquity. NCERT places its development to new heights under Raja Mansingh Tomar of Gwalior in the late 15th century, before Babur's victory in 1526, so it did not originate during the Mughal period.
✓ 2. Dhrupad is devotional and spiritual in character; it was used in praise of gods, heroes and kings and its temple tradition is strong.
✓ 3. Dhrupad alap is sung with syllables derived from mantras (the nom-tom syllables), not with song text.

Remember · Dhrupad: ancient, devotional, alap on mantra-derived syllables; Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior (late 15th century) raised it to new heights, before the Mughals.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 8 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 8 “In the late 15th century, under the patronage of Raja Mansingh Tomar of Gwalior, who himself was an accomplished composer, dhrupad (dhruva meaning fixed, pada meaning verse), a genre of great antiquity, was developed to new heights.”
Britannica: dhrupad ↗ · reference work “The classical dhrupad, heavy and majestic in style, required great breath control. It was used in praise of heroes, gods, and kings.”

Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2012, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 2012: the answer shown is the one the sources above support. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·

With reference to Dhrupad, one of the major traditions of India that has been kept alive for…

Prelims 2012 · archive

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