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
The answer is Maharana Raj Singh because this episode falls within the reign of Rana Raj Singh and records a distinct "Letter of Remonstrance to Aurangzeb" after the promulgation of the jizya edict. The jizya was a capitation tax imposed on the whole Hindu race, and the Rana remonstrated by letter in the name of the nation of which he was the head. This fits the question's focus: a Mewar ruler objecting formally to Aurangzeb's religious taxation policy in 1679. Raj Singh is also linked with resistance to Mughal religious policy and sheltering Chatrasal Bundela's family, reinforcing why he is the relevant Mewar ruler here.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Maharana Amar Singh II is not named as the Rana who wrote the remonstrance against the jizya edict.
- (B) Maharana Pratap is evoked only as an earlier standard of Sesodia valour, while the jizya remonstrance is attributed to Rana Raj Singh.
- (D) Maharana Sangram Singh II is not the ruler identified as protesting Aurangzeb's jizya by letter.
Concept
This tests Mewar's resistance to Mughal religious policy under Aurangzeb, a recurring RAS theme because Rajasthan history questions often connect Rajput rulers with wider Mughal imperial policies. The key is to link the 1679 jizya issue specifically with Maharana Raj Singh, not with the better-known earlier Mewar names.