RAS question
The Jaipur Praja Mandal saw the involvement of which prominent national leader?
Correct answer: (B) Jamnalal Bajaj.
Jamnalal Bajaj was the prominent national leader associated with the Jaipur Praja Mandal movement.
Explanation
Jamnalal Bajaj was closely associated with the Jaipur Praja Mandal because the movement was not only a local agitation inside Jaipur State; it drew strength from national leaders who linked princely-state politics with the wider freedom movement. Bajaj was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, helped reorganise the Jaipur Praja Mandal in 1936, and brought national attention to the demand for civil liberties in Jaipur State. The Prime Ministers Museum and Library bio-data for Jamnalal Bajaj records him as President, Jaipur State Praja Mandal, in 1938, and the collection index includes Jaipur Praja Mandal material among his papers. Jamnalal Bajaj was therefore the substantive national leader connected with the Jaipur Praja Mandal movement.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Sardar Patel is linked with the integration of princely states, while the Jaipur Praja Mandal leadership association belongs to Jamnalal Bajaj.
- (C) Jawaharlal Nehru had national-level involvement in freedom politics, but the Jaipur Praja Mandal role is specifically attributed to Jamnalal Bajaj.
- (D) Subhas Chandra Bose had no comparable association with Rajasthan's Praja Mandal movements or Jaipur State.
Concept
The Praja Mandal phase of Rajasthan's freedom struggle connected local movements in princely states with national Congress-era leadership. RAS often returns to this theme because it links Rajasthan history with the broader nationalist movement.