RAS question
In the planning of Jaipur city, Sawai Jai Singh II divided the city into how many rectangular sectors (chokris)?
Correct answer: (B) Nine.
Sawai Jai Singh II's planned city of Jaipur was divided into nine rectangular sectors, known as chokris.
Explanation
Jaipur was not an organically grown hill town; the UNESCO/ICOMOS evaluation describes it as a deliberately planned walled city on a flat plain, with a grid-iron plan inspired by the Prastara plan of the Vastu Shastra. In that plan, the nominated 18th-century city was divided into nine sectors, or chowkris, defined by straight main streets meeting at right angles. These rectangular chokris included two sectors merged to accommodate the palace complex, which is why only eight blocks may seem visible. The UNESCO/ICOMOS evaluation also separates the total from usage: two sectors comprised state buildings and palaces, while the remaining seven were for public use.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Six misses the stated plan: the UNESCO/ICOMOS text identifies nine sectors, with two linked to state buildings and palaces and seven to public use.
- (C) Eleven is not the sector count; in the UNESCO/ICOMOS description, eleven appears in relation to bazaar facades, while the chowkris are nine.
- (D) Seven refers only to the sectors left for public use after two were assigned to state buildings and palaces, not to the total number of sectors.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan urban planning within History, Art and Culture: Jaipur's grid-iron plan, Prastara influence and chowkri layout. It recurs in RAS because Jaipur's planned city form is a high-yield heritage fact, and options often confuse the total sectors with visible or public-use sectors.