Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

Calligraphy
Calligraphy is the art of fine writing. It may be defined ”as free hand in which the freedom is so nicely reconciled with order that the understanding eye is pleased contemplate it. Hence, we immediately recognize the beauty resulting from rightjjfoportion of the components to the whole of a letter and betweert^the parts to whole of a word. The art of calligraphy in Islam occupies a unique place in the history of the world. The Arabs had a systehJ of writing in pre-Muslim world. This system based upon the two important system of writing namely monumental and eurisive. The former system was very common in the literary figures of the Bedouin society. The earliest form of Muslims script is known as Kufic, which is supposed from Anabr. Under Abdul Malik the script improved and Kufic script was replaced by Naskh. Ibn Muqla of Baiza is considered the most celebrated calligraphist of MuqtadarBillah under the Abbasid Caliph. The scripts, he invented and improved were Raihan, Sulus, Naskh, Tauqi, Khat-e-Muhaqqaq. Every type depends on two things: Satah and Daur. The fundamental character of Islamic calligraphy influenced all subsequent development of painting in Islam and hence calligraphy is sometimes said to be mother of painting because it is the linear rhythm that has characterized the majority of the paintings done by Muslims in
” Jenny, Islamic Civilization, P 18

638 Political and Cultural History of Islam

history of Islamic Art. The linear feature of the Arabic alphabet takes its origin from the very source where from the letters of Arabic derived.12
However, the structural form of the letters is directly related to the type of calligraphy that could possibly develop in the Muslim world. Under the Abbasid Caliphs many calligraphist took part in the artistic beauty of writing the following were the most celebrated calligraphists of the Abbasid period.
I. Ishaq 2.

3. Ibrahim Ahmad 4.

5. Ishaq bin Ibrahim 6.

7. Ibn-e-Bawwab 8.

9. AbuFazi 10.
II. Abu Nasar Ismail. 12.
13. Ahmad 14.
15. Azad-ud-Doula. 16.
Ibrahim
Fazi
Abu Ali Muhammad.
Abu Abdullah Muhammad
Abul Faraj.
Abu Maali
Abul Hasan Rawandi
Yaqut.
Though extremely beautiful the Kufic style, during the first five centuries of the Muslim era, developed into an absolutely ornamental style and it became impossible to continue it as the script of the Quran. The calligraphy became part and parcel for Islamic art.