RAS question
Ana Sagar Lake was constructed by which ruler?
Correct answer: (C) Arnoraja (Anaji).
Ana Sagar Lake in Ajmer was constructed by Arnoraja, also known as Anaji Chauhan.
Explanation
Ana Sagar Lake is linked to the Chauhan phase of Ajmer, and the builder to remember is Arnoraja, also called Anaji. The official Incredible India page identifies Ana Sagar Lake as a 12th-century artificial lake built by Anaji Chauhan, the grandfather of Prithviraj Chauhan. Its construction is placed between 1135 and 1150 AD, and the lake is named after Anaji. The point is not just a name-date fact: the lake was originally conceived as a reservoir for Ajmer during droughts, which explains why it appears in Rajasthan geography as a historic water body as well as a heritage site. The later Daulat Bagh garden by Emperor Jahangir adds a Mughal layer to the same site.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Prithviraj Chauhan was a later Chauhan ruler; Incredible India links the lake to his grandfather, Anaji Chauhan.
- (B) Ajayraj is associated with the founding of Ajmer city, but Anaji Chauhan, not Ajayraj, is identified as the builder of Ana Sagar Lake.
- (D) Vigraharaja IV was a Chauhan ruler, but the construction of Ana Sagar Lake is attributed here to Arnoraja, also called Anaji.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's historic water bodies within Geography of Rajasthan, especially the link between a lake, its location and its builder. It recurs because one site connects Ajmer, Chauhan history, medieval water management and the later Daulat Bagh association.