Previous Year Question

Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was himself proficient in playing the Veena. This fact is particularly important because Aurangzeb is often presented simply as the ruler who prohibited music at the Mughal court. The historical situation was more nuanced.

During Aurangzeb's reign, restrictions were imposed on public court performances of singing and dancing, but all forms of music did not disappear completely.

Instrumental music and the naubat, or royal instrumental band, continued. Individual Mughal nobles also continued to patronize musicians.

Aurangzeb's personal position was even more interesting. He possessed knowledge of music and was himself proficient in playing the Veena. Therefore, his personal musical ability and his policy regarding performances at the imperial court should not be treated as the same issue. INFLIBNET educational material explicitly records that Aurangzeb himself was proficient in playing the Veena.

Musicological activity also did not disappear during his reign. Institutional educational material notes that a large number of Persian works on classical Indian music were written during Aurangzeb's period.

Therefore, the assumption that Aurangzeb possessed no knowledge of music or that music disappeared completely during his reign is historically inaccurate.

Sitar and Pakhawaj are not the correct answers among the options given. The available institutional evidence specifically identifies Aurangzeb's proficiency with the Veena.