RAS question
The 'Rajprashasti Mahakavya' was composed during whose reign?
Correct answer: (B) Maharana Raj Singh.
The Rajprashasti Mahakavya was composed during the reign of Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar.
Explanation
Rajprashasti Mahakavya is linked to Maharana Raj Singh because the prashasti commemorates the construction of Rajsamand Lake by him and its text was authored by Ranchhod Bhatt Tailang at Raj Singh's order. The given reign span, 1652-1680, fits this association: Rajsamand Lake's construction is placed in 1676 under Maharana Raj Singh, and the text records Mewar rulers up to Raj Singh, along with details of the lake, dam, rituals and charities. The work is inscribed at Rajsamand Lake and is identified as the world's largest stone inscription; Wikipedia, Raj Prashasti describes it as the largest and longest stone inscription in India, engraved on stone pillars at Rajsamand Lake.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Rana Sanga belongs to an earlier phase of Mewar history, while the Rajprashasti is tied to Raj Singh and the 1676 Rajsamand Lake context.
- (C) Maharana Pratap's reign does not match the Rajsamand Lake and Raj Singh setting of the Rajprashasti.
- (D) Rana Kumbha is associated with the Kumbhalgarh Prasashti, not with the Rajprashasti Mahakavya.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's epigraphic and literary sources, especially how Mewar rulers are linked with inscriptions and courtly prashastis. It recurs in RAS because such sources are used to identify patronage, chronology and cultural history.