RAS question
Fateh Sagar Lake in Udaipur was built by which ruler?
Correct answer: (A) Maharana Jai Singh.
Fateh Sagar Lake in Udaipur was originally constructed by Maharana Jai Singh in 1678 AD.
Explanation
Fateh Sagar Lake is an artificial lake in Udaipur, north of Lake Pichola, and Rajasthan Tourism states that it was constructed by Maharana Jai Singh in 1678 AD. The common trap is the lake's present name: after the original earthen bund was washed away in floods, it was reconstructed during Maharana Fateh Singh's reign. Fateh Singh built Connaught Dam to mark the Duke of Connaught's visit, and the lake was then renamed Fateh Sagar Lake. So the builder asked in the question is Jai Singh; Fateh Singh is connected with the later reconstruction and naming, not the original construction.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Maharana Raj Singh is associated here with Rajsamand, while Fateh Sagar's original construction is attributed to Maharana Jai Singh.
- (C) Maharana Fateh Singh reconstructed the lake after flood damage and gave it the Fateh Sagar name, but he was not its original builder.
- (D) Maharana Sajjan Singh is associated here with Sajjan Garh, whereas the lake's original construction belongs to Maharana Jai Singh.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's lake geography through ruler-monument associations. RAS often frames such questions around the difference between original construction, later reconstruction, and present naming.