Maharaja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur belonged to which community?

Explanation

Maharaja Suraj Mal is identified as a Jat ruler of Bharatpur. Nagar Nigam, Bharatpur describes Bharatpur as the eastern gateway of Rajasthan and says the city was founded by Maharaja Surajmal in 1733 AD, calling him a Jat ruler in that context. Suraj Mal, who lived from 1707 to 1763, ruled Bharatpur, built Lohagarh Fort, and expanded the Jat kingdom during the decline of Mughal power, including into parts of Agra and Delhi. The community asked in the question is therefore not a regional or military label but his ruling community: Jat.

Why the other options are wrong

• (B) Gurjar is wrong because Suraj Mal is identified as a Jat ruler, not a Gurjar ruler.
• (C) Maratha is wrong because the question concerns the Bharatpur ruler Suraj Mal, whose kingdom is described as a Jat kingdom, not a Maratha one.
• (D) Rajput is wrong because Nagar Nigam, Bharatpur calls Surajmal a Jat ruler, so assigning him to the Rajput community is incorrect.

Concept

This tests Rajasthan history through the rise of regional powers in the eighteenth century, especially Bharatpur's Jat rule. RAS often asks such questions because community-linked ruling houses, forts, and centres of power are recurring anchors in Rajasthan's political history.

Source

• Nagar Nigam, Bharatpur

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