RAS question
Aurangzeb imposed 'Jaziya' tax on Hindus in 1679. Which Rajput ruler of Mewar sent a famous letter protesting this tax?
Correct answer: (C) Maharana Raj Singh.
Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar sent the famous letter protesting Aurangzeb's reimposition of the Jaziya tax on Hindus in 1679.
Explanation
In 1679, Maharana Raj Singh wrote a famous letter to Aurangzeb protesting the reimposition of the jizya tax. In James Tod's account of Rana Raj Singh's reign, jizya is described as a per-person tax levied on the entire Hindu community. As soon as the edict was proclaimed, the Rana protested it in a letter written on behalf of the nation. Tod's account links this letter and the shelter given to Ajit with Aurangzeb's invasion of Mewar. Therefore, the Mewar ruler associated with the anti-jizya letter of 1679 was Maharana Raj Singh.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Maharana Amar Singh II is not associated with the anti-jizya letter of 1679; this episode concerns Maharana Raj Singh.
- (B) Maharana Pratap was an earlier celebrated ruler of Mewar, but the anti-jizya letter of 1679 is attributed to Rana Raj Singh.
- (D) Maharana Sangram Singh II is not identified as the ruler who sent Aurangzeb the letter protesting the jizya edict; that letter was written by Maharana Raj Singh.
Concept
Questions on Mewar-Mughal relations and resistance to Aurangzeb's religious policy recur in RAS because they connect a ruler, an imperial policy, and a regional response. For the 1679 jizya issue, link the protest letter specifically to Maharana Raj Singh rather than to the better-known earlier rulers of Mewar.