RAS question
Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II of Jaipur is famous for:
Correct answer: (C) Painting Jaipur city pink for the visit of Prince Albert (1876).
Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II of Jaipur is remembered for having Jaipur painted pink in honour of the visiting Prince of Wales in 1876.
Explanation
The question tests Jaipur's association with the Pink City, not the city's foundation or the construction of a monument. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur in 1727. In 1876, Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II had the entire city painted in a pink or terracotta-rose shade to welcome the visiting Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VII. The colour was subsequently maintained on many important buildings, which gave Jaipur its identity as the Pink City. Ram Singh II is therefore remembered for having Jaipur painted pink, not for founding the city or building a monument.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur in 1727, so the city's foundation cannot be credited to Sawai Ram Singh II.
- (B) Maharaja Pratap Singh had Hawa Mahal built, so its construction is not an achievement of Sawai Ram Singh II.
- (D) Jantar Mantar is associated with Sawai Jai Singh II, not with Sawai Ram Singh II's 1876 pink-painting episode.
Concept
This tests the correct association between a ruler and an event in Rajasthan's history, art and culture, especially in relation to Jaipur's identity. Such questions recur in RAS because several rulers and monuments are linked to the same city, making it easy to confuse who was responsible for what. The name Pink City reflects both Jaipur's dynastic history and the city's heritage.